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How to Stand Out as a Registered Physiotherapist in a Competitive Job Market

March 9, 2023

What is a registered physiotherapist? 

While physicians, nurses, and dentists are the most common medical professionals that we often encounter, physiotherapists are also becoming more and more known and are now considered among the most competitive jobs in the market. Essentially, physiotherapists are professionals that help people who are ill, injured, or with a disability to rehabilitate certain areas of their body to improve its movement and function. Their services can be in the form of manual therapy by movement or exercise, educating people, or consultation and advice. 

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (2023) states that physiotherapy is also a degree-based healthcare profession that focuses on knowledge and skills to improve a variety of conditions related to our various body systems, such as neurological, neuromusculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and even respiratory conditions. They specialize in the fields of education research, and service management in addition to the health and social care sectors.

How to be a Licensed Physiotherapist? 

In Canada, in order for a person to practice physiotherapy, one must be licensed by a regulatory College. This licensing responsibility is done by either the provincial or territorial regulatory colleges in the country. The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario features helpful steps on its website to help aspiring physiotherapists land a job after obtaining their degree. There are also many links provided if the education was obtained outside of Canada, but these three steps are the important ones to keep in mind.

  1. Have your Credentials Assessed
  2. Take the Written Examination
  3. Get Registered to Practice Physiotherapy in your Chosen Area

To become a licensed physiotherapist in Canada, you will need to complete the following steps:

1. Obtain a Bachelor's degree

Get a bachelor's degree with a strong foundation in physiology, chemistry, biology, physics, or anatomy to prepare for further studies. Physical therapy-related degrees like health sciences, athletic education, pre-physiotherapy, and fitness science can also help you learn useful skills. Think about taking these classes and then doing an internship to get real-world experience.

2. Complete a Master's degree in physiotherapy (if required)

In order to work as a physiotherapist, a person must finish a Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Look for a DPT program that is approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), and apply through the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). To finish a DPT program, you also have to do an internship under the supervision of an accredited physical therapist. This gives you hands-on experience.

3. Complete a clinical placement

After getting your DPT, you might want to do a clinical fellowship or residency, which is a one-year training program that can help you specialize in a certain area of physiotherapy. These programs give you more experience, skills, and knowledge in one area.

4. Pass the Physiotherapy Competency Examination (PCE)

Do everything you need to do to pass this test. Remember that you only get 3 chances to pass the written part of the CAPR Physiotherapy Competency Exam (PCE).

5. Obtain a license

Once you have passed the PCE, you will need to apply for a license from the regulatory body in the province or territory where you intend to practice. The regulatory body will review your application, credentials, and exam results to determine if you meet the requirements for licensure.

6. Maintain your license

Every year, you should do as much continuing education and professional development as you need to keep the knowledge, skills, and judgment you need to practice. Keep track of your activities for at least five years to show that you are still learning and steadily improving at your job.

Registered Physiotherapist Salary Canada

The website Talent.com recorded that the average salary a registered physiotherapist can earn is about $79,420 or $40.73 per hour in Canada. However, this amount can still increase or decrease depending on the region where they are located and the experience that they have gained. In the Northwest Territories, it’s roughly $102, 262, $90,378 in Alberta, $80,915 in Ontario, $78,751 in British Columbia, $74,159 in Quebec, $70,273 in Nova Scotia, $67,343 in New Brunswick, and the lowest in Manitoba at $39,350. Entry-level positions usually start at $71,292 and $95,971 for workers who already have many years of experience. 

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The Importance of Continuing Education for Registered Physiotherapists

Aside from experience, however, continuing education is equally important to registered physiotherapists (PTs) and for all professionals in general. Continuing education is a way to keep our knowledge and skills up to date given the fast-changing society. Specifically, registered physiotherapists are required to participate in professional development sessions each year, may it be in the form of continuing education or training depending on the extent of their needs to maintain the knowledge, skills, and judgment for their practice. , there are many things to consider in deciding which training or additional education is needed in this profession. 

According to the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario, the questions that you can ask yourself in choosing between training or additional education are as follows:

Top Interview Questions for Registered Physiotherapist Positions

Although most interview questions start with a brief description of one’s self, you have to remember that it’s not enough to just be confident but it helps you a lot to come in prepared. With that, here are some questions that commonly come up in interviews for a PT:

Apart from these, in-depth questions are often given during interviews to better understand a candidate who will qualify for the position. Examples are: 

Aside from proving how much of yourself you can give, it is also essential to show how you can be a real team player to be able to work with other healthcare professionals, staff, and even patients who have different needs and personalities.

How to write an ideal resume for a registered physiotherapist job?

Your resume serves as your first impression, so it's essential to make a good one. You can successfully develop your physiotherapy resume by following these easy steps:

Also, here are some additional tips: 

Given all that, we have made it easy for you to build your perfect resume in just a few clicks! Using information from your profile, the Caring Support Resume Builder creates a professionally designed resume that you can save and edit whenever you need. Apart from it being customizable to cater to your personal wants, it is accessible, free, quick and easy.

We hope you were able to get all of your questions about the registered physiotherapist job answered by the time you reached the conclusion of this post. Make sure to register for a free Caring Support account if you're interested in applying for these positions or learning more about them.

About The Author
Arielle Rosales
Content Writer

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