Hi all,
I'm thinking of studying Physio in Brisbane at the University of Queensland and was wondering if an Australian qualification in Physio would allow me to work as a Physio in the USA, specifically around California.
If I do get an Australian degree would I need to:
a) Study the full course again in the USA in order to practice as a Physio OR
b) Study a year or two in the USA in order to practice as a Physio OR
c) Simply sit an exam and be assessed on my ability to work as a Physio in the USA
At the moment, I've found information in this site http://www.apta.org/CareerDevelopment/ForeignEducation/
Just not sure if a University of Queensland degree would be accredited CAPTE.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for reading.
Paul
Hi Paul
I'm a physio, just recently returned from working in the UK for the past 2 years and so started doing some research about potentially working in the US. Unfortunately what I found out did deter me (but that's just me).
The main issues are:
1) You have to sit an exam to allow you to get registered however you will only be registered in ONE state as they do not have a nationwide registration like Australia does with AHPRA
2) The profession works quite differently there. In Australia, physios are quite highly regarded and have the ability to work autonomously meaning anyone can come to us, we assess, diagnose and treat based on what we believe is the best for patient. In the US, physio are often given instructions on what to do by doctors so often you end up just doing the job of what an allied health assistant would do in Australia
I honestly don't want to put you off and having not had first hand experience I really can't give you any insight into much else. But feel free to PM me if you want any more info about physio stuff :)