I have been licensed to practice Physical Therapy in the Commonwealth of Virginia for over twenty years, and I welcome the ability to utilize my professional knowledge and skills for physical therapy evaluation and treatment of the citizens of Virginia under the newly passed direct access regulations.  I am confident that the DPT requirement or the passage of relevant medical screening coursework for experienced PT's (3+ yrs) will ensure adequate recognition of appropriate medical conditions from an academic standpoint.  I believe that entry-level DPT graduates should also have an experiential component to their certification to perform direct access treatment, and suggest at least one year of licensed practice in the Commonwealth as a requisite.  I also do not believe that recertification is appropriate or necessary if one met the crteria for the initial certification. I further believe the addition of a requirement of four hours of coursework for such recertifictaion is also arbitrary and is not needed if the physical therapist is qualified enough to meet criteria for initial certification.