- You must be an occupational therapist or physical therapist with a current professional credential. Depending on your profession and where you practice, a professional credential may include a license, certificate, or registration. In all cases, it is the credential that you need to legally practice in that location. This credential must be active, and you must be in good standing with the agency that issued it.
- You must have been certified or licensed for a minimum of three years, based on date of issue of the certificate or license.
- Work under a temporary license cannot be included.
- For the spring examination, the date of issue must be on or before the start of the spring exam window, three years prior.
- For the fall examination, the date of issue must be on or before the start of the fall exam window, three years prior.
You must have accrued a minimum of 4,000 hours of Direct Practice Experience in hand therapy as described below.
- This experience may have been obtained at any time during your practice as an occupational therapist or physical therapist.
- It may have been obtained in any country.
- Clinical hours obtained as an occupational therapy assistant, physical therapist assistant or with a temporary license cannot be submitted. Direct Practice Experience hours must be accrued by the close of the application deadline, no projected hours will be accepted.
Direct Practice Experience is the direct provision of patient care through assessment and implementation of an individualized treatment plan including but not limited to orthotics/splinting, modalities and/or exercise/activities to prevent dysfunction, maximize functional recovery or influence the effect of pathology in the upper limb. It does not include time spent in administration, research, teaching or consultation.