How To Earn Physical Therapy CEUs

Did you know there are ways to earn physical therapy continuing education credit besides taking courses? While you can, and many therapists do, exclusively use coursework to complete PT CEUs, there are other options. These alternative activities not only give you more ways to fulfill your requirements, they may also save you time and money!

Traditional Continuing Education Coursework

Historically, traditional classroom based courses were the only option. Most courses were a full day or weekend, provided about 8-16 hours of continuing education credit, and could cost up to $500. Employers often included a small budget for continuing education and a few paid days off (in addition to your regular PTO) as part of a compensation package. In return, an employee was usually required to present an inservice to their department to share what they learned. This may not have been anyone's favorite way to spend a lunch hour, but it was worth it for the hundreds of dollars the employer was giving you for a high quality hands on experience you really wanted to take. There are unicorn jobs out there that still offer this, though they seem to be few and far between these days.

There are plenty of companies that continue to teach traditional live courses. Now, they may be offered online as well as in person. Subscription services have also become quite popular. Subscription services may include recorded webinars, home study courses and live online courses, depending on the company. Many employers now pay for a MedBridge membership for their staff instead of offering a CEU budget. If not, you can choose between them and a variety of other popular subscription sites to earn CEUs; a quick google search should point you right to them.

One of the benefits of a subscription is that you can take most of the courses you need to fulfill your state(s) PT CEU requirements at a time and place that works for you. Many of the courses are short webinars and offer one to three CEUs per course. This might mean you need to take a lot of courses to eventually get to the total required for your state. On the plus side, you don’t have to spend 8 hours at a time in front of a computer to finish a course. Some of them even allow you to download courses on their app and listen while you drive or walk or clean the house.

Keep in mind, some states do have online limits. Much like state specific special requirements, they seem to change frequently. We created the CEU Keeper App for you to track your CEUs and stay in compliance with these limits.

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A Continued Competence Model

Most state boards still only require traditional continuing education coursework to satisfy their physical therapy CEU requirements. However, per the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT): “The problem is that research suggests continuing education alone does not ensure competence and prevent harm to clients.” The FSBPT encourages self reflection and defines Continuing Competence as: “The lifelong process of maintaining and documenting competence through ongoing self-assessment, development and implementation of a personal learning plan, and subsequent reassessment.”

Many state boards are starting to align themselves with this way of thinking. They are now allowing a more comprehensive approach for therapists to demonstrate their competence in the field. Many now provide PT continuing education credit for activities including, but not limited to, the following:

• Acting as a clinical instructor
• Participating in study groups or journal clubs with colleagues
• Attending in services provided by your employer
• Mentoring (as the mentor or protege)
• Volunteering
• Presenting research
• Teaching in an accredited program or as a CEU provider
• Publishing in a journal or textbook
• Completing an APTA Clinical Specialist Certification
• Attending state board meetings and/or participating on the board as a member or on a task force

Texas is a good example of this new approach. Their website states that the Board recognizes alternative activities “as promoting continuing competence through ongoing involvement with the profession of physical therapy.“

So far, only one state requires a small number of CEUs be completed through some type of alternative activities. Michigan requires 24 total PDR (professional development requirement) credits for physical therapists and assistants. Only 20 of those can be from Activity Code A. which is essentially defined as coursework. The other 4 must come from their long list of alternative activities.

How Do These Activity Options Help You?

In addition to a more well rounded approach to demonstrating competence, many of these activities don’t even require you to spend more money. Journal clubs, mentoring, acting as a Clinical Instructor are things many therapists are already doing. And some, such as teaching, will even pay you!

As with all things continuing education related, the options vary from state to state. The definitive answer to what activities qualify and how much credit can be earned always lies with each state board. To see what activities count in your state, find the link to your state board on our Physical Therapy CEU requirements page.