The Physician Assistant profession expands as Saskatchewan launches new program

Sheila Bautz Special to the Herald On Sept. 12, the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) held the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program welcoming ceremony. The education and training program creates a new health care position in the province of Saskatchewan, which is another nation-wide first for Canada. Saskatchewan is reported as the only jurisdiction in the country to seize the opportunity and take the innovative approach to train Physician Assistants (PA). A PA is a medical profession that traces back four decades to the Canadian Military. “Welcoming the first students to the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program is a proud moment for Saskatchewan,” said Ken Cheveldayoff, Saskatchewan Minister for Advanced Education. “This program reflects our commitment to expanding high-quality, locally delivered education that meets the evolving needs of our communities and creates rewarding career pathways for Saskatchewan students.” The 24-month long MPAS program is a milestone and a bold step for the Government of Saskatchewan’s health care strategy plan. In 2023, legislation was introduced to allow the new PA profession to become licensed to practice in the province. At that time, the provincial government announced a $1.3 million investment in training professionals for PA positions. The health care PA profession became regulated under The Medical Profession Amendment Act, 2023. The development of the two-year MPAS program received in excess of $7 million from the Saskatchewan government. Last month, the launch of the Saskatchewan government’s new PA training program celebration began with a traditional prayer in Indigenous language by Elizabeth Duroche. “I extend my congratulations to this program, Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program. Awesome,” said Elizabeth Duroche, Indigenous Coordinator at USask and Language Keeper, “and I think with any ceremony or any program that’s come on campus, it makes us look deeper into some of these initiatives that are going out into the workforce, into the community to share that knowledge with others — especially in community health organizations, in community health clinics, and just conversing every day with people.” Originally from Île-à-la-Crosse, Duroche further stated, “I talked a lot about partnership key words: working together. Key words, we’ve asked Creator to bless us and honor us in our walks and walk us in a direction that is going to be working together – both Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners.” Physician Assistants (PAs) are trained healthcare providers from diverse backgrounds who are selected to work under the mentorship and supervision of a physician. Upon successful completion of the advanced educational training proceeding to an official license to practice, PAs provide vital health care services. A PA’s key duties include patient examinations, ordering and interpreting tests, and writing prescriptions. As a result, PAs are involved in medical areas such as primary care, long-term care, emergency medicine, cancer care and surgical specialties – to name a few. As such, PAs practical training involves vast clinical and medical team settings to compound their existing knowledge and experience, which improves Saskatchewan patient’s access to quality care. The welcoming ceremony celebrated 20 selected candidates for USask’s MPAS program from a candidate pool of 340 applications. Saskatchewan students represent 75 per cent of the selected candidates, as 15 of the 20 successful applicants are Saskatchewan residents. “We are excited to support the growth of the Physician Assistant profession by launching the USask MPAS program,” said Dr. Sarah Forgie MD, Dean at the College of Medicine. “There was an enthusiastic response from applicants, and we have an exceptional group of students that is both connected to this province and brings diverse perspectives and educational backgrounds to the program.” A couple of the PA positions involve dual roles: one in a clinical setting and the other as an instructor. The dual employment positions liaison between the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and the College of Medicine with both clinical and teaching roles. The SHA and USask designed these positions to fulfill a key role in the educational training of future PAs. The new trainees dedicated to becoming a PA must strictly adhere to the Registrar-approved Practice Description and contract requirements to actively practice healthcare procedures, analysis, and treatments during their training. PAs can not practice independently and are restricted in their authority. The trainees are only allowed to perform medical practice procedures that are directly authorized by their medical supervisor. The PA supervisor must also be a regulated member with the legal rights to perform the medical procedures. “I am interested in furthering my education in order to provide care in both urban and rural areas,” said Rachel Rosin, MPAS program student and cardiovascular technologist. “I look forward to being a member of the cohort helping to pave the way for the future of Physician Assistants in the province.” PAs are not to be confused with Clinical Assistants (CAs), which are two separate medical field practice areas. The difference between a PA and a CA is that CAs are trained Physicians with unfulfilled requirements that are necessary to attain their clinical licensing. A license grants professionals the ability to operate a fully independent medical practice. “I became a Physician Assistant in 2010 during my 35-years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces,” said Ashley Millham, Director of Learners, practicing PA for the SHA and with the MPAS program. “My career offered multiple opportunities to deploy into remote regions around the world, where access to health care providers had a clear and often serious impact on the wellbeing of communities. In Saskatchewan, the addition of Physician Assistants to the health care delivery team will help to improve access for patients across our province.” The history of PAs in Canada involves the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1984 when CAF created the terminology “Physician Assistant”. The profession originally was known as Senior Medical Technician or 6B medics who fulfilled necessary medical roles for senior medics. Due to the military requiring the much-needed medical professionals, a nation-wide spotlight created interest in PAs across Canada by 1991, popularizing the PA profession. As such, the Canadian Military Physician Assistant graduates were initially and formally trained as Canadian Physician Assistants. “Integrating Physician Assistants into our health system will improve access to a range of health services, support continuity of care and enable physicians to see more patients in a timely manner,” said Jeremy Cockrill, Saskatchewan Minister of Health. “This new health care provider group will bring an important contribution to enhancing care and strengthening health teams and I am very pleased to see the first Physician Assistants already practicing in our province.” The requirements to become a licensed Physician Assistant is under Bylaw 2.13.1, which requires PAs to meet certain professional requirements before council issues a licence to a fully trained PA. “There is immense opportunity for Physician Assistants to provide expanded access to care and reduce wait times for people seeking care in various areas of medicine,” said Dr. Rashaad Hansia, a SHA Integrated Regina Health Physician Executive. “Physician Assistants are specially trained to provide clinical support, allowing physicians to spend more time with more complex patients. Physicians and PAs work together to improve the health and wellbeing of patients and communities.” According to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS), the requirements to become a PA include proficiency in the English language and Currency of Practice. Currency of Practice involves the PA having 3 years of active, independent practice with an additional completion of 5 months minimum of practice within the past 5 years. Other stipulations required are a demonstration of good character, compliance with the law, moral integrity, and extensive professional documents.