APA Title Prgram Infrmatin Bklet This wrk is cpyright. Apart frm any use as permitted under the Cpyright Act 1968, n part may be reprduced by any prcess withut permissin frm the Australian Physitherapy Assciatin. Requests and inquiries cncerning reprductin and rights shuld be addressed t the Charter Manager, Australian Physitherapy Assciatin, Level 1, 1175 Trak Rd, Camberwell, VIC, 3124. Last Updated: January 2018 1
Cntents The Benefits t Yu... 4 Prerequisites fr Titling... 4 Academic Pathway... 4 Experiential Pathway... 5 Reciprcal Recgnitin... 5 Pain Pathway... 6 The Applicatin Prcess... 7 Assessment f Applicatins... 7 Cnduct f Appeal... 7 Checklist fr yur Applicatin... 7 Titling Fees... 8 Frequently Asked Questins... 8 Last Updated: January 2018 2
Last Updated: January 2018 3
Prgram Objectives The Australian Physitherapy Assciatin (APA) Title Prgram is a unique pprtunity t: Prmte the highest pssible clinical standards in Australia by encuraging and facilitating pstgraduate study and the prcess f specialisatin Establish and maintain a benchmark fr standards f practice in the cmmunity Demnstrate t external bdies the physitherapy prfessin s genuine cmmitment t quality assurance and high standards in an increasingly cmpetitive marketplace Raise the prfile and credibility f physitherapy in Australia, and internatinally - by actively prmting the APA Physitherapist title in the cmmunity. The Benefits t Yu The benefits assciated with achieving title include: Marketing and advertising pprtunities The ptential fr financial benefits The pprtunity t attract new clientele Enhanced emplyment pprtunities nly APA Sprts Physitherapists are able t wrk as physitherapists fr the Australian Olympic Teams Frmal recgnitin f experience and qualificatins by peers, the cmmunity, referrers and emplyers Persnal satisfactin that yu are at the peak f yur prfessin Being part f a netwrk f credentialed physitherapy prfessinals. Prerequisites fr Titling Befre undertaking titling, candidates must have: Current AHPRA registratin Met the CPD requirements f AHPRA registratin Current APA membership Current membership f the relevant natinal grup. Academic Pathway T be eligible under this pathway, yu must fulfil the fllwing criteria: Minimum tw years full time equivalent clinical experience in yur selected discipline Successful cmpletin f a pst graduate Australian Master s degree by cursewrk in yur selected discipline Current membership f yur selected Natinal Grup. Last Updated: January 2018 4
Please nte that Occupatinal Health Physitherapy Australia des nt accept applicatins via the Academic Pathway. Experiential Pathway Candidates wh have nt cmpleted a pstgraduate clinical Master s degree may apply fr titling thrugh the experiential pathway. The experiential pathway fr musculskeletal physitherapy is n hld until further ntice. T be eligible fr this pathway candidates must fulfil the fllwing criteria: A minimum f five years FTE experience, with at least three years FTE in the selected discipline A minimum f 20 CPD hurs accrued ver the last twelve mnths in the selected discipline Cmpleted pre-requisite curse(s) fr the title yu are applying fr (see Table 1 belw) Demnstrated cmmitment t the prfessin Evidence f advanced knwledge in the area frm engaging in a variety f educatin prgrams. Table 1: Pre-requisite curses fr Experiential titling Cardirespiratry Cardirespiratry Physitherapy Level 2 Wmen s, Men s and Pelvic Health Cntinence and Wmen s Health Level 1 Gerntlgy Gerntlgical Physitherapy Level 2 Neurlgy Neurlgical Physitherapy Level 2 Paediatric Paediatric Physitherapy Level 2 Occupatinal Health All Level 1 and Level 2 ccupatinal health curses Sprts Sprts Physitherapy Level 3 Reciprcal Recgnitin Candidates wh have cmpleted pstgraduate Masters qualificatins in Sprts r Musculskeletal physitherapy utside f Australia may be eligible fr reciprcal recgnitin. Reciprcity fr sprts candidates is granted thrugh The Internatinal Federatin f Sprts Physical Therapy (IFSPT). Fr mre infrmatin please visit their website here. Reciprcity fr musculskeletal physitherapy candidates is granted thugh the Internatinal Federatin f Orthpaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT). Fr mre infrmatin please visit their website here. Last Updated: January 2018 5
Pain Pathway Frm the1 st f January 2018 t the 31 st f December 2018 titling will be available fr the Pain grup thrugh grandfathering. This grandfathering prcess is by applicatin nly, and des nt require an examinatin. An nging titling pathway (either academic r experiential) will be available frm 2019. All applicants fr the pain pathway are required t have tw nminatrs, ne wh is a physitherapist and ne nn-physitherapist in the pain field. Candidates are als reminded f the expectatin that the granting f the Highly Develped ascriptin cmes with the respnsibility f being invlved in future advcacy rles in Pain Management. Academic candidates fr the grandfathering prcess must fulfil the fllwing criteria befre applying: Successful cmpletin f Sydney University s Master f Science in Medicine (Pain Management) A minimum f 2.5 years FTE f clinical practice, with evidence f expsure t a varied caselad f pain cnditins (frm acute t chrnic) and evidence f wrk in a team-based envirnment Address the fllwing areas: Leadership: e.g. leading team meetings, cmmittee invlvement Advcacy: e.g. cmmittees, plicy invlvement, case discussin, mentring Teaching: e.g. cnferences, in services, educatinal resurce cmpilatin Research: e.g. accumulating statistics at wrk, engagement with ther researchers Experiential candidates must fulfil the fllwing criteria befre applying: A minimum f 7.5 years FTE clinical experience A minimum f 2.5 years FTE clinical experience in the pain field with evidence f expsure t a varied caselad f pain cnditins (frm acute t chrnic) and evidence f wrk in a teambased envirnment A minimum f 100 hurs f relevant educatin in the past five years, with at least 50 being in the pain field Address the fllwing areas: Leadership: e.g. leading team meetings, cmmittee invlvement Advcacy: e.g. cmmittees, plicy invlvement, case discussin, mentring Teaching: e.g. cnferences, in services, educatinal resurce cmpilatin Research: e.g. accumulating statistics at wrk, engagement with ther researchers Please nte that a fee f $135 will apply t cver the initial applicatin prcess and dcument assessment. Last Updated: January 2018 6
The Applicatin Prcess Stage 1. Initial Applicatin (fr all pathways) The initial applicatin stage establishes whether a candidate meets the minimum requirements fr titling; including prfessinal experience, educatin, cmmitment t the prfessin and nging prfessinal develpment. Applicatins take 10 wrking days t prcess. Stage 2. Written Exam (fr experiential pathway) Stage tw cmprises an pen bk written examinatin which candidates have eight weeks t cmplete. Candidates fr Occupatinal Health titling have six mnths t submit a prtfli in lieu f a written exam. Stage 3 Clinical Exam (fr experiential pathway) The final stage f experiential titling invlves a clinical exam. Candidates are examined via vide submissin and a pst-examinatin discussin. Candidates will have 12 weeks t submit their clinical exam. The sprts discipline cnducts face t face exams in lieu f the vide submissin. Assessment f Applicatins Stage 1 is assessed by APA staff under the guidance f the apprpriate Prfessinal Practice Standards Cmmittee (PPSC). Cnduct f Appeal Unsuccessful candidates have the right t appeal in writing t the APA within 28 days f receiving their result. Appeals may be made n the sle grund that the prcedure utlined in this infrmatin bklet has nt been fllwed. Appeals may nt be requested n the grunds f examiners assessment f the submissin. Checklist fr yur Applicatin Befre psting in an applicatin please make sure that yu have: Cmpleted and typed yur respnses in the applicatin frm Listed all yur wrk experience hurs in accrdance with the example prvided Prvided a certified cpy f yur academic recrd Cmpleted and enclsed yur payment frm. T btain a cpy f the titling applicatin and payment frms, please visit ur website here. Experiential and hybrid applicants wh successfully fulfil the stage 1 (initial applicatin) titling Last Updated: January 2018 7
requirements will be prvided with mre detailed infrmatin and instructins abut hw t prgress t the next stage. Titling Fees Stage 1 initial applicatin and dcument assessment $135 Stage 2 written exam fee $1,200 Stage 2 remarking f written exam (if required) $500 Stage 3 clinical exam fee $1,700 Frequently Asked Questins Wh can becme a Titled Physitherapist? Any APA member wh is serius abut a prfessinal career in the relevant area f physitherapy and meets the requirements f the applicatin prcess can becme an APA title hlder. The title is a benchmark f physitherapy practice; it is a measure f career prgress fr APA physitherapists, and is prtected by natinal law. What titles can I apply fr? APA Musculskeletal Physitherapist (Experiential Pathway currently n hld) APA Sprts Physitherapist APA Gerntlgical Physitherapist APA Neurlgical Physitherapist APA Occupatinal Health Physitherapist APA Cardirespiratry Physitherapist APA Wmen's, Men s and Pelvic Health Physitherapist APA Paediatric Physitherapist APA Pain Physitherapist Why is there a fee t apply fr titling? The applicatin fee helps t cver the csts assciated with prcessing and assessing yur applicatin, and develping and maintaining the title prgram. Hw lng will it take fr my academic applicatin t be prcessed? Academic applicatins are nrmally prcessed within 10 wrking days. Last Updated: January 2018 8
Wh can I ask if I have any queries regarding titling? The Titling Officer at APA Natinal Office: Phne: (03) 9092 0888 Email: ngtitle@physitherapy.asn.au Wh can certify dcuments? A certified cpy is a cpy f a primary dcument that is endrsed, stating that it is a true cpy f the primary dcument. It certifies that the primary dcument is genuine, and that the cpy prvided is true. Dcuments can be certified by a persn wh is authrised as a witness fr statutry declaratins please click here t see a list. Are Masters by research r PhD s accepted? N. Yu must have cmpleted a pstgraduate Masters by cursewrk. Last Updated: January 2018 9