Section 2650.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, each applicant for a license as a physical therapist shall be a graduate of a professional degree program of an accredited postsecondary institution or institutions approved by the board, and shall have completed a professional education including academic coursework and clinical internship in physical therapy.

(b) As referenced in the evaluative criteria of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association, the curriculum shall consist of a combination of didactic, clinical, and research experiences in physical therapy using critical thinking and weighing of evidence, and shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:

(1) The sciences basic to physical therapy including biomedical, physical, physiological, neurobiological, anatomical, social and behavioral sciences.

(2) Clinical sciences including laboratory or other practical experiences involving quantitative and qualitative evaluation within the scope of physical therapy practice including kinesiology, neuroscience, pathology, human development, and gerontology.

(3) Treatment that constitutes the practice of physical therapy.

(4) Learning experiences provided in the areas of administration, education, and consultation.

(5) Research methods including the review and critical analysis of research reports.

(6) Ethical, legal, and economical concepts of physical therapy practice.

(c) Each applicant shall have at least 18 weeks of full-time clinical experience with a variety of patients.

(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 829, Sec. 31. Effective January 1, 1997.)