The Case

The College received an application for an Independent Practice Certificate of Registration from an applicant who was previously registered with the College. The applicant did not meet the requirements for an Independent Practice Certificate because it had been seven years since they last worked as a physiotherapist. To get an Independent Practice Certificate, candidates must successfully complete a clinical examination or accumulate 1,200 practice hours within the previous five years.  

The application was referred to the College Registration Committee because the applicant had not worked the required minimum number of practice hours in the past five years. 

The applicant also let the College know that they received an offer from their former employer to begin a two-month clinical internship involving job shadowing with physiotherapists at the clinic before beginning the new employment contract. 

The Standards

Registration requirements allow the College to verify the competency of physiotherapists in Ontario. As mentioned above, it’s a standard requirement for applicants who have not completed a clinical examination approved by Council within the past five years to have accumulated a minimum of 1,200 practice hours over that same period to be issued an Independent Practice Certificate of Registration. Completing 1,200 practice hours ensures that members maintain current knowledge and skills to practice safely and competently. 

Despite the applicant completing a clinical examination before they stopped working as a physiotherapist, all individuals who are renewing or re-applying for an Independent Practice Certificate must demonstrate competency through practice hours or a clinical examination.  

The Outcome

While the Committee appreciated the applicant’s proactiveness in submitting the employment and job shadowing offer, they were concerned that the applicant had been out of physiotherapy practice while significant changes have been made to the physiotherapy profession, such as revised standards from the College.  

The Committee decided to grant the applicant an Independent Practice Certificate of Registration with certain terms, conditions, and limitations to make sure that they’re prepared to return to practice:  

• The applicant must work 280 hours of practice under the direct supervision of a practice supervisor who must be approved by the College. 
• After the supervision period, the application must successfully complete an on-site practice assessment conducted by a College assessor. 

In the end, the applicant successfully completed the supervision and practice assessment, and these terms, conditions, and limitations were removed from their certificate of registration. 

Supervision Standard

Practice Hours