All physical therapy clinical placements within BC are coordinated through the UBC Department of Physical Therapy and require student registration with the College of Physical Therapists of BC (CPTBC). CPTBC confirms dates and sites for approval with UBC prior to issuing mandatory student licenses.
UBC does not support requests for shadow or observational placements for students from outside of BC or from international settings. UBC can only support non-UBC student placements for students currently enrolled in a recognized physical therapy degree program.
Please click the below headings for more information on how students can apply for a placement in BC from out-of-province, or from international, programs.
Students currently enrolled in physical therapy programs at other Canadian universities may request clinical placements in British Columbia through the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education at their home universities. Placement requests from non-UBC students submitted via clinical settings will not be considered.
The provincial and national requirements for administration of out-of-province placements are complex, requiring for example, health and safety, insurance, and registration with the BC College of Physical Therapists.
Please note that arrangements for clinical placements for OOP students often require several months to a full year to coordinate, and all coordination occurs through the student's home school, not through the student directly.
Students who are enrolled in a physical therapy program outside of Canada may request a clinical placement in British Columbia. Requests must be submitted directly by the coordinator(s) of clinical education within the student's program using this form. Requests submitted by students will not be reviewed. Opportunities for clinical placements in British Columbia are limited and it is not guaranteed that a suitable placement will be available during the desired time.
For 2024, we are able to consider international placement requests for the following date ranges only (you may apply for any dates within these windows, but the windows are not flexible):
- Block 1: May 27th - August 16th, 2024
- Block 2: September 23rd - November 1st, 2024
Important Considerations:
- Date blocks are not flexible - the above blocks are the only ranges available.
- International requests are processed on a first-come basis. We encourage applications 6+ months in advance of desired placement dates.
- UBC coordinates all placements in BC and provides the College of Physiotherapists of BC with international placement confirmations before student licenses are issued.
- UBC does not accept placement requests directly from sites/clinics. Please do not contact sites/clinics in BC to organize a placement.
- A fee of $150.00 (Canadian Dollars) will be collected for students confirmed to a public placement site, and some administrative support is available after the placement is confirmed. The fee is subject to change. The fee is non-refundable if a student cancels a placement for any reason once a placement has been confirmed.
- No administrative fee is collected for private site placements, and we are not able to offer any guidance or administrative support beyond confirming a placement. This fee structure is subject to change.
- The provincial and national requirements for administration of out-of-province placements are complex, requiring for example, health and safety, insurance, and registration with the BC College of Physical Therapists. The student's home school is responsible, in liaison with the placement site, for confirming that the student, once confirmed to a placement by UBC, has any and all necessary documents and policies in place, including but not limited to:
- visas/ travel documents
- student licensure
- liability insurance (malpractice)
- workplace insurance (student injury)
- prerequisites such as vaccinations, FIT mask certification, CPR and other certifications, and any other items required by the site.
- UBC follows the NACEP guidelines for organizing international placements, which can be reviewed here.
Please direct any questions to: pt.educators@ubc.ca.