Professional Development

1. Education System > Overall Education System

Introduction to SPC’s Overall Education system

In our effort to ensure Canada has high quality, well trained Sport Physiotherapists, SPC is committed to providing its membership with outstanding professional development opportunities. Components of our Education System are open to anyone interested in supporting Active Canadians in healthy development and others are specifically established as Professional Development for SPC members only.

Sport Physiotherapy Canada has offered a National Education System in Sports Physiotherapy since 1978. Our Education System was developed with two basic goals in mind:
to offer SPC Members an avenue to upgrade skills and knowledge in the field of sports physiotherapy, sports science, and sport medicine and
to ensure that Canada’s competitive and recreational athletes receive a uniform quality of care from sport physiotherapists.
Today SPC’s Education System offers information and professional development opportunities to coaches, physical education teachers, individual athletes and other sport medicine professionals as well as our own Membership.

SPC offers a wide variety of Education formats from symposiums to teleconference; in person training courses to self study and pretty much everything in between. Depending on the topic and length of the professional development opportunity, some sessions will be offered via our Provincial Sections at the local level while others will be delivered nationally. New professional development opportunities are developed and offered each year.

SPC Post-Graduate Credentials Program

As an organization dedicated to providing ongoing professional development to its membership and with a vision to providing top quality care for Active Canadians and athletes, SPC has established a nationally recognized standard for post-graduates.

Since 1978, the Post-Graduate Credential Program (Credential Program) is THE recognized qualification for major games Physiotherapist selection. For over 25 years, SPC has been responsible for supplying the Health Care Teams at the Olympics, Paralympics, Commonwealth, World University, Pan American, Jeux de la Francophonie and Canada Games with high quality, professionally certified Sport Physiotherapists.

Our Credential Program delivers a national standard of excellence. The two credential levels – Certificate and Diploma – are competency based, formally evaluated standards. Curriculum material may be covered in a variety of ways as dictated by individual circumstances: small group seminars, weekend symposia or courses, SPC modular programs, self-study, or advisor-directed report writing. Both the Certificate and Diploma levels test competency standards using nationally standardized written and practical examination processes.

The Credential Program ensures that the participants gain strong practical experience where they are exposed to a wide variety of sports injuries and issues. Going far beyond basic entry knowledge and skills, program participants must develop a high degree of competency in the areas of assessment and management of acute injuries, proficiency in taping and strapping, and ability to fit and modify protective equipment. Experience in the areas of fitness and conditioning, and pre-season screening is also required.

SPC is responsible for the curriculum content and revision, course and instructor approval and examination procedures. The Provincial Sections and/or Units are responsible for assisting with implementation of the curriculum objectives (ie. the provision of approved courses covering or supplementing curriculum material).

Entering the Post-Graduate Credential Program