Section 12 AAC 54.040 - Foreign-educated physical therapy applicants(a) A physical therapist or physical therapist assistant applicant for license by examination who received an education and qualifying degree outside of the United States must meet all requirements for licensure under AS 08.84. An applicant under this section must be a graduate from a school of physical therapy with a resident course of study and professional instruction that is (1) substantially equivalent to a professional physical therapy education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE); and(2) evaluated by one of the following board-approved credential evaluation services: (A) International Consultants of Delaware (ICD);(B) Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT);(C) International Education Research Foundation (IERF); or(D) an equivalent nationally recognized company as approved by the board.(b) To apply for a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant license by examination under this section, an applicant must submit(1) a completed application on the form prescribed by the board;(2) payment of the fees established in 12 AAC 02.320;(3) a professional reference letter on a form provided by the department; the form must be signed and sent directly to the department from(A) the head of the applicant's physical therapy school; or(B) a professional who has knowledge of the applicant's competency, including a current or former instructor, supervising physician or physical therapist, or other supervisory professional;(4) the jurisprudence questionnaire covering the provisions of AS 08.84 and this chapter as prepared by the board;(5) verification that the applicant(A) completed the internship requirements under (c) of this section; and(B) passed the National Physical Therapy Examination; the applicant's passing scores must be sent directly to the department from the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT).(c) A foreign-educated physical therapist or physical therapist assistant applicant shall complete an internship under the on-site supervision of a currently licensed physical therapist in an institution that meets the requirements of (d) of this section and AS 08.84.032(a)(2). The board will not consider internship hours claimed before the date the board pre-approves the internship. A foreign-educated physical therapist or physical therapist assistant applicant shall complete an internship based on (1) a minimum of six months of full-time work, averaging not less than 35 hours per week; or(2) part-time work averaging less than 35 hours per week, but equivalent to the total minimum number of hours required under (1) of this subsection.(d) An institution used for an internship must have at least two full-time physical therapists on the staff licensed under this chapter and be in a clinic setting providing a varied case load to be approved by the board. A government service hospital may be used if the hospital meets the requirements of this subsection.(e) A licensed physical therapist who serves as a preceptor to a foreign-educated intern applicant shall assume responsibility for the intern's experience and the safety and welfare of the patient.(f) A licensed physical therapist who serves as a preceptor under this section shall directly submit a national performance evaluation tool that is recognized by the board to the department. On the tool, the preceptor shall attest to the applicant's (1) satisfactory or unsatisfactory completion of the internship; and(2) level of skill in completion of evaluation, program planning, therapeutic practice, potential ability to practice safely while unsupervised with sound professional judgment, and ethics related to the practice of physical therapy.(g) If a licensed physical therapist who serves as a preceptor will not recommend to the board that the applicant is qualified to work unsupervised at the end of an internship under (c) of this section, the board may require the applicant to arrange for another internship equivalent to six months or less. The board must approve any change in a preceptor before the change takes effect. If the applicant is not recommended by a preceptor as qualified to work independently at the end of a second internship, the board may deny licensure.(h) If a licensed physical therapist who serves as a preceptor determines that an applicant is unqualified to continue the internship, nothing in this section obligates the preceptor or the preceptor's facility to either complete a six-month internship or provide a second internship for that applicant. A preceptor who terminates the internship of an applicant before the scheduled completion date must notify the board in writing and state the reason for the termination. Either an intern or a preceptor may request an advisory review of the internship by the board.(i) After an applicant has satisfactorily completed an internship and has been scheduled for the National Physical Therapy Examination, the applicant may apply for a temporary permit under AS 08.84.065 and 12 AAC 54.050.(j) To receive credit for an internship, an applicant must take and pass the National Physical Therapy Examination either before completing the internship or not later than one year after completing the internship.(k) Verification of achieving a passing score, as set out in 12 AAC 54.080, on the national examination, meets the English language proficiency requirements of AS 08.84.032(a)(3).(l) In this section, "preceptor" means a currently licensed physical therapist under this chapter who provides on-site supervision for an individual who is completing an internship under this section.Eff. 10/30/82, Register 84; am 7/4/84, Register 90; am 9/26/91, Register 119; am 5/21/97, Register 142; am 10/20/99, Register 152; am 2/17/2002, Register 161; am 8/23/2003, Register 167; am 8/19/2004, Register 171; am 10/18/2007, Register 184; am 8/18/2013, Register 207; am 9/29/2019, Register 231, October 2019; am 8/7/2021, Register 239; am 3/27/2024, Register 249, April 2024Authority:AS 08.84.010
AS 08.84.032
AS 08.84.065