TITLE
16 OCCUPATIONAL AND
PROFESSIONAL LICENSING
CHAPTER
20 PHYSICAL THERAPISTS
PART 9 EDUCATION CRITERIA FOR
FOREIGN-EDUCATED APPLICANTS
16.20.9.1 ISSUING
AGENCY: New Mexico Physical Therapy
Board.
[11-30-95;
Rn, 16 NMAC 20.10, 12-15-97; 16.20.9.1 NMAC - Rn & A, 16 NMAC 20.9.1,
08-31-00]
16.20.9.2 SCOPE: All individuals who wish to practice physical
therapy in the State of New Mexico.
[11-30-95;
Rn, 16 NMAC 20.10, 12-15-97; 16.20.9.2 NMAC - Rn & A, 16 NMAC 20.9.2,
08-31-00]
16.20.9.3 STATUTORY
AUTHORITY: Section 61-12-10 NMSA
1978.
[03-29-83
. . .11-30-95; Rn, 16 NMAC 20.10, 12-15-97; 16.20.9.3 NMAC - Rn, 16 NMAC
20.9.3, 08-31-00]
16.20.9.4 DURATION: Permanent.
[11-30-95;
Rn, 16 NMAC 20.10, 12-15-97; 16.20.9.4 NMAC - Rn, 16 NMAC 20.9.4, 08-31-00]
16.20.9.5 EFFECTIVE
DATE: December 15, 1997, unless a
later date is cited at the end of a section.
[03-29-83
. . 11-30-95; Rn, 16 NMAC 20.10, 12-15-97, A, 12-15-97; 16.20.9.5 NMAC - Rn
&A, 16 NMAC 20.9.5, 08-31-00]
16.20.9.6 OBJECTIVE: The objective of Part 9 of Chapter 20 is to
establish regulations for foreign educated applicants applying for licensure
and to establish educational criteria providing proof of competency to practice
as a physical therapist in the State of New Mexico.
[11-30-95;
Rn, 16 NMAC 20.10, 12-15-97; 16.20.9.6 NMAC - Rn, 16 NMAC 20.9.6, 08-31-00]
16.20.9.7 DEFINITIONS:
A. “Foreign-educated applicant” means a physical therapist
that graduated from any physical therapy educational program outside the fifty
states, Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, or U.S. territories.
B. “Substantially equivalent” means the applicant meets
criteria as set forth in 16.20.9.8 NMAC.
[Rn, 16
NMAC 20.10, 12-15-97; 16.20.9.7 NMAC - Rn, 16 NMAC 20.9.7, 08-31-00]
16.20.9.8 EQUIVALENT: The foreign-educated applicant must have
graduated from a physical therapist educational program that prepares the
applicant to practice without restriction in the United States. This includes coursework in those elements of
practice that are necessary for autonomous practice such as determining a
patient’s diagnosis for physical therapy and managing a patient’s care within
healthcare systems found in the United States.
The coursework content should be substantially equivalent to coursework
completed by graduates of accredited programs in the United States. Substantially equivalent means the applicant
has satisfied or exceeded the minimum number of credits required in general and
professional education needed for a U.S. first professional degree in physical
therapy. Substantial equivalency in
coursework content, as well as, required semester credits is determined by a
board-sanctioned credentials review using the appropriate coursework evaluation
tool (CWT) adopted by the federation of state boards of physical therapy (FSBPT). The appropriate CWT means the latest edition
CWT that applies to the time the foreign educated physical therapist graduated
from his or her physical therapy program.
[03-29-83;
02-19-88; 01-28-93; 06-30-94; Rn, 16 NMAC 20.10, 12-15-97; 16.20.9.8 NMAC - Rn
& A, 16 NMAC 20.9.8, 08-31-00; A, 02-15-04; A, 01-12-08; A, 09-30-14]
16.20.9.9 CREDENTIAL
EVALUATION: Foreign-educated
applicants must submit a credential evaluation from an educational
credentialing evaluation service that uses a course work evaluation tool
approved by the board.
A. The minimum educational credentials of a foreign-educated
physical therapist should be a degree in physical therapy with all credits
being earned at an institution of higher learning.
B. The
board will accept final credential reports only from the credentialing service
and only if the credential evaluation has been prepared within one year prior
to the application date.
C. The credentialing agency must identify and list those
courses which would not transfer to the U.S. as a “C” or above or “pass” or
“credit” in accordance with the most current version of the national
association for foreign student affairs handbook on the placement of foreign
graduate students. The agency must
omit any of these courses that are required physical therapy courses when
evaluating the equivalency of the credentials to a U.S. degree in physical
therapy.
D. Should the foreign-educated applicant’s credential
evaluation fail to demonstrate equivalency according to standards of accredited
physical therapy programs in the United States, upon a request by the applicant
for reconsideration, the board will reconsider whether the applicant has
substantially met the requirements of 16.20.9.8 NMAC.
[03-29-83;
08-01-89; 05-08-91; 09-30-95; Rn & A, 16 NMAC 20.10.11, 12-15-97; 16.20.9.9
NMAC - Rn, 16 NMAC 20.9.9, 08-31-00; A, 02-15-04; A, 1-12-08]
16.20.9.10 CURRENT
LICENSE:
A. Foreign-educated applicants must show evidence of an
active, valid license in good standing, without limitation, or other current
authorization to practice physical therapy from an appropriate authority in the
country where the foreign-educated applicant was educated or eligible for
licensure. Original documentation must
be sent directly to the board by the licensure authority in the country of
education (documents handled by a courier service or third party will not be
accepted). All documentation must be in
English or accompanied by a certified English translation.
B. Foreign-educated applicants who have been licensed and
have practiced in good standing for a minimum of one year in another state, in
the United States, will not be required to provide proof of a license from
their country of education. Proof of
licensure will be required from each state in which the applicant has been
licensed. Such proof of licensure must
be received by the New Mexico board directly from the state boards where
currently and previously licensed.
[1-28-93;
06-03-94; 09-30-95; 11-30-95; Rn & A, 16 NMAC 20.10, 12-15-97; 16.20.9.10
NMAC - Rn, 16 NMAC 20.9.10, 08-31-00; A, 03-02-06; A, 09-30-14]
16.20.9.11 VERIFICATION
OF EDUCATION: Foreign-educated
applicants must provide the board with original transcripts submitted directly
from the educational institution in the country of origin; (documents handled
by courier service or third party will not be accepted), signed only by the
university registrar, physiotherapy school director or dean of the
college. All documentation must be in
English or accompanied by a certified English translation.
[Rn, 16 NMAC
20.10, 12-15-97; 16.20.9.11 NMAC - Rn, 16 NMAC 20.9.11, 08-31-00]
16.20.9.12 VERIFICATION
OF EMPLOYMENT: Foreign-educated
applicants must provide the board with a letter from the applicant’s most
recent employer verifying the applicant’s position and dates of employment in
the field of physical therapy. This
letter must be received by the board directly from the employer. (Documents handled by courier service or
third party will not be accepted).
[09-30-95;
Rn & A, 16 NMAC 20.10, 12-15-97; 16.20.9.12 NMAC - Rn, 16 NMAC 20.9.12,
08-31-00]
16.20.9.13 CORRECTION
OF EDUCATIONAL DEFICIENCIES:
Applicants may correct educational deficiencies by completing any of the
following requirements.
A. College level examination program (CLEP) scores may be
applied towards college credit. The
conversion of CLEP scores to college credits must be provided by a board
approved credentialing agency.
B. An applicant may obtain college-level credits in the
deficient areas.
C. Complete other course work as approved by the board.
[03-29-83;
09-30-95; Rn, 16 NMAC 20.10, 12-15-97; 16.20.9.13 NMAC - Rn, 16 NMAC 20.9.13,
08-31-00]
16.20.9.14 CERTIFICATION: The documentation required in 16.20.9.8 NMAC
through 16.20.9.12 NMAC does not have to be submitted if the applicant provides
a notarized copy of a type I comprehensive credential evaluation certificate
for the physical therapist from the foreign credentialing commission of
physical therapy (FCCPT) that is required for all applicants who received their
education outside the United States to verify that the applicant’s education is
substantially equivalent to a US degree in physical therapy, that the applicant
satisfies the FCCPT’s English proficiency requirements, and that the license or
authority to practice obtained in the applicant’s country of education is
unencumbered.
[03-29-83;
R, 12-15-97; 16.20.9.14 NMAC - Rn & N, 16 NMAC 20.9.14, 08-31-00]
HISTORY
of 16.20.9 NMAC:
Pre-NMAC
History: The material in this part was derived from
that previously filed with State Records and Archives:
Rule
83-7, Education Criteria for Foreign-Trained Applicants, filed 3-29-83
Rule
88-6, Education Criteria for Foreign-Trained Applicants, filed 2-19-88
Rule
89-6, Education Criteria for Foreign-Trained Applicants, filed 8-1-89
Rule
91-6, Education Criteria for Foreign-Trained Applicants, filed 5-8-91
Rule
92-6, Education Criteria for Foreign-Trained Applicants, filed 9-3-92
Rule
92-6, Education Criteria for Foreign-Trained Applicants, filed 1-28-93
Rule
94-6, Education Criteria for Foreign-Trained Applicants, filed 6-3-94
Rule
95-6, Education Criteria for Foreign-Trained Applicants, filed 7-28-95
Rule
95-6, Education Criteria for Foreign Trained Applicants, filed 9-18-95,
11-17-95
History
of the Repealed Material: [RESERVED]
Other
History:
16 NMAC
20.10, Education Criteria for Foreign-Trained Applicants, filed 11-17-95
renumbered and amended to 16 NMAC 20.9, Education Criteria for Foreign Educated
Applicants, filed 12-1-97.
16 NMAC
20.9, Education Criteria for Foreign Educated Applicants, filed 12-1-97
renumbered, reformatted, and amended to 16.20.9 NMAC, effective 8-31-00.