| Q1. | What are the functions of the Admissions Committee? |
| A: | The Admissions Committee was formed in May 1985 to- screen applications for SPA membership to ensure that only physiotherapists with recognized qualifications are admitted into the SPA. Review and advise the SPA Council on the admission criteria for membership.
- provide information for prospective employers regarding the eligibility of potential applicants to gain membership into the Association, based on their academic qualifications and clinical experience.
- conduct Safety and Professional Ethics Test for invited overseas trained potential members.
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| Q2. | I am an overseas-trained Physiotherapist; do I have to sit for the Safety and Professional Ethics Test in order to be a SPA member? |
| A: | Overseas trained Physiotherapists with recognized qualifications are not required to sit for the Safety and Professional Ethics Test.
Graduates without the recognized qualifications will be invited to have their curriculum evaluated. This helps to determine if they qualify to sit for the Safety and Professional Ethics Test. Please refer to the flowchart below in Q10.
You may write to the Admissions Committee at membership@physiotherapy.org.sg to find out if you have the recognized qualification. |
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| Q3. | What is the purpose of the Safety and Professional Ethics Test? |
| A: | The Safety and Professional Ethics Programme was developed by the Admissions Committee to introduce basic knowledge on patient/client safety and professional healthcare issues faced by physiotherapists practising in Singapore.
Important issues covered in this programme are:
Environmental Health Safety Issues
Infection Control
Fire Safety
Falls Precaution
Medico-Legal Issues
Ethical Issues
This programme is another milestone for our profession as we are continually seeking to keep pace with development in the Physiotherapy profession and the needs of the community in Singapore. |
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| Q4. | I am a non-Singaporean who was trained overseas. Does being an SPA member automatically qualify me to work in Singapore? |
| A: | Being an SPA member would help you to be in a better position to gain an offer of employment. It does not automatically qualify you to work in Singapore.
To work in Singapore, you are required to be offered employment. Your employer would have to make a work pass application to the Ministry of Manpower.
Following evaluation, the Ministry will advise that you on the outcome and inform you if you have to sit for a Qualifying Examination. Applications for the Qualifying Examination will have to be made directly to Nanyang Polytechnic, School of Health Science at least one month before the date of examinations. For information on the Qualifying Examinations, please refer to the following website:
http://www.hpp.moh.gov.sg/HPP/1153711459530.html |
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| Q5. | Is the Qualifying Examinations similar to the SPA's Safety and Professional Ethics Test? |
| A: | No, the SPA's Safety and Professional Ethics Test is for the application for SPA membership. The Qualifying Examinations is required for working in Singapore.
The content for the SPA's Safety and Professional Ethics Test is different from the content in the Qualifying Examinations. Both are independent of each other. |
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| Q6. | What are the fees involved for application of SPA membership? |
| A: | A cheque for S$40 application fee and $240 evaluation/ membership fee is to accompany all applications. All cheques are to be made payable to "Singapore Physiotherapy Association".
Applications will only be processed on the day payment is received.
For NYP graduates, the application fee will be waived if applicants have been SPA student members for 2 consecutive years and the application is received within 2 months after their graduation.
For overseas-qualified graduates, the S$240 fee will be used for evaluation. In the event that an evaluation is not necessary, this S$240 would be used directly as the membership fees. If the applicant is successful with the evaluation conducted, he/she will need to submit a further $240 as membership fee. |
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| Q7. | What documents do I need to attach to my SPA application form? |
| A: | - For NYP Graduates:
Nanyang Polytechnic graduates only need to submit a certified true copy of their Diploma Certificate. - Overseas-qualified Graduates:
Overseas-qualified physiotherapists are required to meet a set of criterion in order to practise in Singapore.
These applicants need to send in Certified-True Copies* of the following documents when applying:- Entry-level curriculum with the details of subjects studied and the breakdown of hours for each subject, including clinical practice.
- Degree/Diploma Certificates.
- Certification of work/professional experiences as a physiotherapist (if applicable). This can be in the form of letters from past employment / resumes of professional practice as a physiotherapist.
- Marriage Certification (for Spouse Membership).
All applicants must have:
Full membership of the recognised physiotherapy association in country of training.
A valid license to practise in country of training.
Passport showing personal details and photograph (for foreign applicants). Please do not print the entire passport.
Please provide an official translation into English of all documents that are not in English.
Persons who may certify documents include Justices of Peace (JP), notary public, legal practitioners, and admission officers of your University and people of good standing. Certified translation in English of all documents must be provided.
Please ensure that you have included your fees and Certified True Copies of the above documentation with your application.
Incomplete or unclear submissions will result in delay or rejection of your application. |
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| Q8. | I am an overseas-qualified physiotherapist; do I need to have a certain number of years of professional experience before I can apply for SPA membership? |
| A: | This is not essential for application of SPA membership. |
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| Q9. | Do I need to pay the S$240 evaluation fee when I apply for membership? |
| A: | With some exception, applications from overseas-qualified physiotherapists need further assessment by the Admission's Committee. In this case, the S$240 will be used as evaluation fee. Please refer to the following flow chart. |
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| Q10. | How long does it take for my membership application to be processed? |
| A: | If your application does not need further evaluation by the Admissions Committee, it will be processed within 3 to 4 weeks.
If it requires further assessment, it will take at least 2 months to be processed.
You will be informed via email that your application has been received and whether it needs further assessment. If your application is incomplete, we will contact you to ask for additional details.
Please be aware that incomplete documentation often leads to further delays in the application process. Therefore, please ensure that you complete all information and send all the required documents with your application to avoid unnecessary delay. |
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| Q11. | Is the payment refundable? |
| A: | $40 is not refundable once the application has been sent to us. $240 is not refundable once you have agreed to have your application further evaluated by the Admissions Committee. |
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| Q12. | How often is the Safety and Professional Ethics Test held? |
| A: | It will be held 2-4 times a year. Please refer to Admission website for available dates for SPA Safety and Professional Ethics Test. |
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| Q13. | How do I prepare for the Admissions Safety and Professional Ethics Test? |
| A: | An e-book will be sent to you once we received the payment for the Safety and Professional Ethics Test. All answers in the Test will be found in the e-book. |
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| Q14. | What is the passing rate of the Safety and Professional Ethics Test? |
| A: | The passing rate is 80% |
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| Q15. | How can I go about seeking employment as a physiotherapist in Singapore? |
| A: | Job vacancies are advertised on our website, newsletters and our national newspapers. You can also make direct enquiries with the various hospitals and institutions in Singapore. The contact details of hospitals in Singapore can be found on the website of the Ministry of Health at http://www.moh.gov.sg/ |
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| Q16. | Which overseas university that offered Physiotherapy can be exempted from taking QE |
| A: | There is a list of recognized overseas physiotherapy universities. You can write to MOH to find out which overseas university that offers Physiotherapy is recognize. |
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| Q17. | I am a Singaporean currently studying physiotherapy overseas and am interested in looking for a one month internship. I would like to have more clinical experience with healthcare in Singapore. Is there anyone that I can contact? Or a specific website that I can go to? I have tried some job recruitment sites but can't quite find anything that seems appropriate for me to apply for. |
| A: | You can either write to the manager of Physiotherapy department from the various restructured hospitals/community hospitals/other step down care. If you are interested in having intership in a particular area i.e Neurology/Cardiopulmonary/Muscuoloskeletal/Peadatrics, you can write to us at secretary@physiotherapy.org.sg and we will advise accordingly. |
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| Q18. | Are there any scholarships offered to Physiotherapy courses both locally and overseas? |
| A: | There are scholarships out there from the various hospitals and healthcare organizations. You can look up MOH website as well. http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/careers.aspx?id=276 |
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| Q19. | Does SPA provide sponsorship to people aspired to be a Physiotherapist? |
| A: | SPA does not offer sponsorship however if you can look up MOH website for application of scholarship at http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/careers.aspx?id=276 |
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| Q20. | I'm interested in Physiotherapy and I currently hold a credentials in another field.Is there any part time Physiotherapy course in Singapore which I can take ? |
| A: | There is no part time course in Singapore for Physiotherapy. There is a full time course in Nanyang Polytechnic. You can check up the website http://www.nyp.edu.sg/SHS/pt_main.html. You can check with NYP the education equivalents to qualify for the course here as it is a GCE 'A'level entry course. |
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| Q21. | I wish to start up my own practise. Can you guide me what licenses and approvals I need and from whom? |
| A: | You will need to register the business with ACRA. pls visit http://www.acra.gov.sg/ for more info. You will need to apply for the necessary work permit if you are employing non-singaporeans or PR. Pls also ensure that the employed PT has the correct qualification in accordance to MOH. If you have ultrasound machine, you will need a license from NEA. |
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