Transitioning into Professional Practice Program

The College recognizes the importance of linking students, internationally educated applicants and new registrants into the work of the College. The College is designing a program to interact with these new and future physiotherapists; to build relationships and provide important information about professional regulation during this transitional phase of a physiotherapist’s career.

The program will utilize a phased approach as it is recognized that transitioning into professional practice is not a one time event; it is a series of events that occur over time. There will be four phases in the program that are:

Phase 1: Pre-Registration

Phase 2: Initial Registration

Phase 3: First Year of Registration

Phase 4: Up to the Third Year of Registration

Phase 1: Pre-Registration

Phase 1 is the beginning of relationship building with future registrants. This group includes physiotherapy students and international candidates. This phase will cover all of our interactions with these future registrants and will include a program for current physiotherapy students in Ontario universities, modification of current application processes to allow all registrants to apply to the College prior to beginning the Alliance’s credentialing and examination processes, website enhancement of pre-registration information, electronic newsletters for future registrants and inclusion of regulatory information into the Ryerson Bridging Program for internationally educated physiotherapists.

For more information on pre-registration, click here (PDF)

To download the pre-registration form, click here (PDF)

*Please note that pre-registered individuals are not registrants of the College and are not entitled to practice. The Physiotherapy Act restricts anyone other than a College registrant from using the titles "physiotherapy" and "physical therapist", variations and abbreviations thereof, or equivalent terms in other languages. Individuals may not use these protected titles in Ontario until they meet the qualifications and hold a valid practice certificate issued by this College.

Click here for detailed information on how to register at the College.

Phase 2: Initial Registration

Phase 2 focuses on formally welcoming new registrants into professional practice and continuing to build relationships. This phase will include a welcome package, celebrations to mark this milestone and new registrant information sessions.

Transitioning to Professional Practice: A Manual for New Registrants

Phase 3: Year 1 of Registration

Phase 3 would occur in year 1 of registration and is focused on continued interactions with new registrants as they progress through their first year of registration. Phase 3 will provide additional supports and introduce the detailed requirements of the jurisprudence education program and the Quality Management professional portfolio which begin in the first year of practice.

Phase 4: Up to Year 3 of Registration

Phase 4 would be the final component of the program to assist with the transition into professional practice. This component will primarily provide an introduction to the Quality Management onsite assessment.

Program components are currently in development and will be introduced throughout 2009 and 2010.

Please contact stooze@collegept.org for further information.