Physiotherapist CV example with a registration line and clinical rotations
Open a physiotherapist CV with the title you are legally allowed to use and its registration, then list clinical areas with caseloads and outcome measures, then techniques. HCPC protects the title in the UK; US states license physical therapists.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
First, confirm the protected title you hold
Before you touch the layout, find out which word you may legally put under your name in the country you are applying to. In the UK the Health and Care Professions Council lists both physiotherapist and physical therapist as titles protected by law. In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says all states require physical therapists to be licensed. In Türkiye, Law 1219 defines the fizyoterapist as a graduate of a bachelor's programme in physiotherapy.
Write that title exactly as the register shows it, followed by the register and your number. A recruiter in a hospital checks this before reading anything else, and a missing or vague line slows the whole application down.
Where the registration line sits
Put it directly under your name, on the same line as your contact details or on the next one. A typical line reads: Physiotherapist, HCPC registered, number [your number]. If your registration is pending, say so and give the month you applied; do not leave the reader guessing.
How the title works in the UK, the US and Türkiye
| Country | Who may use the title | Line to put on the CV |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | People on the HCPC register; physiotherapist and physical therapist are both protected titles | Physiotherapist, HCPC registered, number |
| United States | Licensed physical therapists; entry needs a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and a licence from the state | PT, DPT, licence state and number; board certification if held |
| Türkiye | Graduates of a bachelor’s in physiotherapy (Law 1219, additional article 13) | Fizyoterapist, university and year of graduation |
The US licence exam
The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy calls the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) an essential part of the licensing process, and adds that each licensing authority sets its own eligibility criteria. On a US resume, the licence and its state matter more than the exam date; the exam can sit in the education block.
Physiotherapist or physiotherapy technician
Türkiye's 2014 regulation on health professionals' duties lists the fizyoterapi teknikeri separately: the technician assists with physical therapy and basic exercises under the supervision of a rehabilitation physician or a physiotherapist. If your diploma gives you the technician title, use that title on the CV, not physiotherapist.
Referral rules shape how you describe your work
Law 1219 lets a Turkish physiotherapist plan and apply preventive programmes for healthy people on their own, but treatment of illness follows the diagnosis and referral of a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist. Describe hospital work as treatment programmes delivered on referral, and wellness or sports work as programmes you designed.
What hiring managers look at first
- Registration or licence, with number and status (HCPC in the UK; state licence in the US).
- The degree route: the National Careers Service names a physiotherapy degree approved by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, a postgraduate master's, or a four-year Level 6 degree apprenticeship.
- Clinical areas covered, in months, and the settings: the National Careers Service lists NHS or private hospitals, clients’ homes, care homes, GP practices and fitness centres.
- Background checks: the same profile notes enhanced checks for work with children and vulnerable adults.
- For US roles, any residency (the BLS says residencies typically last about a year) and board certification in a specialty such as orthopedics, sports or geriatrics.
Sample CV section: musculoskeletal physiotherapist (example)
Example only. The person, employers and numbers below are invented to show the form; write your own facts.
- Hannah Reyes, Physiotherapist. HCPC registered, number [number]. Leeds. Email and phone.
- Profile: Musculoskeletal physiotherapist, three years qualified, running outpatient knee and spine lists and a weekly group class.
- Physiotherapist, Outpatient MSK, City Community Hospital, 2024 to present: assess and treat 9 to 11 patients a day; run a weekly knee class for up to 8 patients; record Oswestry Disability Index scores at first and last session for every low back pain patient.
- Rotational Physiotherapist, General Hospital, 2022 to 2024: four-month rotations in neurology inpatients, respiratory care with weekend on-call, orthopaedic wards and outpatients.
- Education: BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, 2022. Placements in stroke rehabilitation, paediatrics and private practice.
- Courses: acupuncture for pain (40 hours, 2024); exercise prescription for older adults (2023).
Why each line earns its place
The daily caseload tells a manager how fast you work. The outcome measure shows you track results rather than activity. The rotation list with months tells the reader which areas you have covered and for how long. Courses carry hours and a year, so a reader can tell a weekend workshop from a long programme.
Clinical areas and the evidence for each
| Area | Typical setting | What to show |
|---|---|---|
| Musculoskeletal | Outpatients, private clinics, sports clubs | Caseload per day, conditions seen, outcome scores such as Oswestry or range of motion |
| Neurology | Stroke units, rehabilitation centres | Balance and gait measures used, length of stay or discharge goals met |
| Respiratory | Wards, intensive care, on-call rota | Airway clearance, on-call cover, weaning or mobilisation work |
| Paediatrics | Child development centres, schools | Age range, conditions, work with families and teachers |
| Older adults | Care homes, community teams, home visits | Falls work, home exercise programmes, equipment advice |
Keep the areas you have actually covered and drop the rest. A short, specific list reads better than a long one with no months next to it.
Skills table for a physiotherapy CV
| Skill named in official profiles | How to prove it on the page |
|---|---|
| Knowledge of medicine and how the body works (National Careers Service) | Conditions treated and assessments you ran |
| Analytical thinking (National Careers Service) | Changed a plan after a reassessment; audit you led |
| Communication and compassion (BLS) | Education sessions for patients or carers, group classes |
| Dexterity and physical stamina (BLS) | Manual therapy, ward mobilisation, long clinic lists |
| Time management (BLS) | Patients per day, waiting list work, on-call cover |
Proof: what the sources say, read on 13 October 2026
We read every source on this page on 13 October 2026. HCPC's list of regulated professions names physiotherapist and physical therapist as protected titles. The National Careers Service profile gives a typical salary of £32,000 for a starter to £48,000 with experience, and 35 to 40 hours a week on a rota. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook gives a median wage of $102,760 for physical therapists in May 2025.
The Turkish definitions come from Law 1219 and the 2014 regulation on duties, both read on mevzuat.gov.tr. Registration and licensing rules change; open the linked page for the country you are applying to before you send anything.
When this layout does not fit
- Physiotherapy assistants and technicians: lead with supervised tasks and the team you supported, not with a protected title.
- Students and new graduates: put placements first, each with setting, weeks and the conditions you saw.
- Sports massage or Pilates instructors without a physiotherapy degree: the title rules above mean the word physiotherapist cannot appear in your headline.
- Academic posts: research and teaching need a fuller academic CV, covered in the CV vs resume guide.
Applying abroad, and the next steps
There is no country guide for physiotherapists on this site yet. Moving with a foreign degree means two things on the CV: the recognition decision and your language level. The guides on degree recognition and on CEFR levels show how to write both, and the CV for jobs abroad checklist covers photos and personal details by country.
CitedCV can write the CV in English, Turkish or German with the conventions of the region you choose, using only the facts you enter, such as your registration number, rotations and caseloads. It does not check registers for you, so confirm the title yourself.
Questions people ask
Do physiotherapists need to be registered with the HCPC?
Yes, to work under the title in the UK. HCPC lists physiotherapist and physical therapist as protected titles, and the National Careers Service says you must register.
Is a physical therapist the same as a physiotherapist?
Yes, they are two names for one profession. The US uses physical therapist; the UK protects both words, so either needs HCPC registration there.
What should a newly qualified physiotherapist put on a CV?
Placements come first: setting, number of weeks, conditions seen and the assessments you ran, then your registration status and any course with its hours.
How do I list clinical rotations on a physio CV?
List each rotation as a dated line with the area, the setting and the length in months, then one result or responsibility for each.
Should outcome measures go on a physiotherapy CV?
Yes, when you used them routinely. Naming the measure and when you recorded it shows a manager that you track results, not just sessions.
Can a physiotherapist from Turkey work in the UK?
Only after HCPC registration, because the title is protected by law. Start from the HCPC website and keep your Turkish diploma, transcript and placement records ready.
What skills go on a physiotherapy CV?
Name skills that official profiles list, such as analytical thinking, communication and dexterity, and back each one with a caseload, a class or an audit you ran.
Sources
- HCPC: the professions we regulate and their protected titleswww.hcpc-uk.org/about-us/who-we-regulate/the-professions/
- National Careers Service: Physiotherapist job profilenationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/physiotherapist
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physical Therapistswww.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapists.htm
- FSBPT: information for NPTE exam candidateswww.fsbpt.org/Secondary-Pages/Exam-Candidates
- Law 1219 on the practice of medicine and related professions (mevzuat.gov.tr)www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuatmetin/1.3.1219.pdf
- Regulation on the duties of health professionals, 2014 (mevzuat.gov.tr)www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/yonetmelik/7.5.19696.pdf