A Quest for A License

So now that you are all caught-up I bet you're wondering what has happened during the second half of January. Well I was supposed to start my new job January 14. Prior to moving to our new state the HR representative (from the hospital) I have been working with called to confirm that I had received my PT license in the new state, she called me the day we were packing house (5 days prior to my start date). Well I didn't have my license yet. I was expecting it to go through the state board at any moment and told her I was in the process still. Unfortunately from a legal standpoint I could not start without a license in hand, even with no patient contact.

After multiple calls to the state board I was finally able to get through and find out what was happening. They had two files for starters: one in my married name, and one in my maiden name. Apparently no one EVER reads those forms in entirety, because this is the THIRD time this has happened to me! SHEESH!

Once I got that remedied they claimed they were missing a piece of documentation from my current state of residence: my disciplinary history. I called my current state, they assured me that they had mailed it when they sent my verification, but they would send it again. Mind you I was making these phone calls while I have people packing my home and am planning to leave THE NEXT DAY for my new location. Talk about stress!

Then, (oh yes, then) while I am talking to the state board representative of my new state I am informed that my application MUST be reviewed at the board meeting prior to being issued a license. Something about having multiple licenses (I have been licensed in 3 states), they weren't really clear. The next board meeting was at least in my favor and was Tuesday January 22, assuming my missing paperwork arrived promptly I would be all set. So I called back HR and told her. We moved my start date to a tentative January 24/25/28. This was a bit stressful for us as hubby had already resigned from his job and we would be really hurting from the complete lack of income, but what could we do?

So we waited........ and waited........ and waited...... HR called me "what's the license status?" me: "I don't know"..... I was obsessively checking the website and my email. I started calling Thursday January 24 even though the website says not to call until at least 3 days past the board meeting. HR was telling me that things have in the past been posted immediately, so there was obviously some sort-of hold-up. The new board tells me "it's waiting for final review," "it's sitting on someone's desk," and my favorite "it should be any day now." I have called everyday since the 24th to hear one of those 3 answers above. I have been unable to talk to someone other than these generic state workers, though many of them have been genuinely helpful and calling others trying to determine what has been happening.

Yesterday I had a breakthrough. While I was still speaking with the same state level worker she informed me of something new. Yes, I had been reviewed at the board meeting, the board put in a recommendation to DENY my license based on my disciplinary history (I'll explain that nightmare in a minute). AND, the woman I was speaking with said that this was not new information that it had been in my file for AT LEAST a few days and I SHOULD HAVE  been told this any of the other times I had called. ARGH! She was at least very helpful and said I should be receiving a certified letter in the mail explaining it all from the state board, but I could request a hearing to state my case, present evidence, etc.

My first thought was CRAP! CRAP! CRAP! (well that's the cleaned-up version). I just packed up my entire family and moved to a new state, assuming I would have no trouble getting a license and no other income in sight. NOW WHAT? Well I am starting the request for the hearing, and still waiting on that certified letter to arrive........

Oh! So you want to know my disciplinary history issue? When I moved to my former state (are you confused yet?) to pursue my PhD I was pregnant with S. We moved in August, I was licensed in September/October 2006. The state was implementing a new continuing education requirement for PTs, so in MARCH 2007 (6 months later) I was required to renew my license and was held to the same standards as everyone in the state who had had 2 YEARS to prepare for this change. Lucky for me I had been attending conferences and my PhD classes counted for my continuing ed as well. I submitted my paperwork and never gave it another thought. Keep in mind that I am now a first-time mom to a young infant (S was born January 2007) and PhD student. Then to my surprise I was audited. Well, I gathered my paperwork and found that my jurisprudence exam (a test that proves I know the PT laws in my state) certificate was missing (I remember taking it). So I retook the exam and sent in the new certificate. Well........ the state took offense to my late date exam and found me in violation, I briefly tried to fight it, but it was too much. They fined me and put a sanction on my license. Lovely........  To make matters a bit worse I was licensed in another state and I forgot to tell them about the sanction, they issued me a warning letter, luckily nothing worse.

Well I did openly release ALL this information to the state board, but I never imagined that it would be haunting me now. So now we sit here in our rental house with no income (hubby had a pre-interview today thankfully), a house still for sale in our previous state, and essentially $300 in the bank. Needless to say we are stressed though EXTREMELY thankful for the support of our families.