College Blog
In January 2021 the College launched a new screening interview as part of the quality assurance program.
The one-hour, virtual screening interview is one of the ways the College fulfills its mandate to protect the public by ensuring physiotherapists are providing safe, competent and ethical care.
All physiotherapists providing direct patient care will be required to complete a screening interview at some point in their career. Only PTs with an independent practice certificate of registration are eligible.
If you are a PT and nervous about being selected for a screening interview, rest assured the process is educational and designed to allow you to reflect on your practice while speaking with an assessor.
We recently spoke with one physiotherapist who completed the College’s screening interview to ask them about their experience and have them share some helpful tips with their fellow PTs who will be selected for a screening interview in the future.
Overall, how would you describe your experience with the screening interview?
I found the screening interview, and the steps taken to prepare for the interview, to be both an enlightening and refreshing experience. Taking the time to reflect and take a look at how I am currently practicing was an incredible opportunity for lifelong learning, and a chance to devote the time to identify possible areas for growth going forwards. I am thankful for the opportunity to engage with my interviewer, and truly feel that the entire experience was helpful and impactful.
Was the screening interview process easy to work into your schedule?
Scheduling the screening interview was an incredibly convenient and seamless process. The interviewer I was paired with was extremely accommodating and flexible, they were open to various meeting times and dates, including both weekends and evenings. The ability to schedule the screening interview without having to rearrange my work schedule, or home schedule helped to reduce stress. Additionally, we were able to solidify a mutually convenient meeting time well in advance, allowing for ample time to prepare. The opportunity to complete the interview over video, in the comfort of my home with a tea beside me, was great!
After reading the materials and communication from the College, did you feel well prepared for the interview?
The preparation material available through the College was absolutely helpful in assisting me to prepare for the interview. The information was easy to access, outlined in a step-by-step manner, and having the questions available beforehand also helped to ensure that the preparation process was very clear, there were no tricks! It is always refreshing exercise to read through useful and pertinent information available through the College’s website, and to read through the standards that are there as a guide to help us in our day-to-day practice.
Can you briefly describe how the screening interview helped you reflect on your practice and possibly make adjustments?
Engaging in the conversations with my interviewer helped me to gain different perspectives as we discussed the questions. Additionally, preparing for the interview motivated me to take a deeper look into practical examples, and helped to identify areas where I could have done things differently, and moreover, where I could take additional steps or alternative courses of action if a similar situation ever occurred. In discussing the various examples, it was also a great opportunity to acknowledge certain practice steps and measures that are optimal, and to re-confirm ways that I currently practice.
What advice would you give a PT who is nervous about being selected for a screening interview?
It is so important to have fun and just be you! This is such a great opportunity to really reflect, grow, and to share your passion for what you do. Look at the opportunity as a chance to learn and embrace the revelations that might come up in the process!
Anything else to add?
I must say, throughout the screening interview I was genuinely excited and really loved the opportunity to engage and discuss real-life examples with a fellow practitioner. The time during the interview absolutely flew by, and at the end of it, I wished we had more time to talk!
You can learn more about the screening interview on the College website. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Quality Assurance team at qualityassurance@collegept.org 1-800-583-5885 ext. 212.
I think it is a good format for us as PTs to be given the opportunity to demonstrate our competency to an assessor via the screening process rather than having to go directly to the onsite assessment. The screening interview performed virtually certainly appears to provide enough information for the assessor to gather to determine if the PT is qualified and practicing at a competent level. The pre-questionnaire provided to the PT in advance gives the PT time to reflect on their practice, their expertise, and the areas that could use some tweaking. I would like to learn more about how the scoring was obtained and deemed reliable.
its still competitively same as the difrent exam module as we put enought time to eligible for it and preparation. Waiting for 1 year to be eligible for screening interview was challenged as other exam you can guve whenever you are ready to give, but overall its worthy as all examiners are well trained