The PA System

“Run Rachel, run!! we’re going to be late “she said. Unfortunately for those two girls, they couldn’t beat the headmaster's wrath. The punishment for a record of 5 straight late arrivals to school was to help out with community service. The most annoying thing wasn’t the 2 months of community service, it was the sound of the speakers turning on when the front desk lady would call their names in the middle of class. It was worse than the bells ringing for the end of school or the sound of jingle bells after Christmas, or that annoying person that honks so loud when there is clearly traffic on the 401.

Fortunately for pre-med students, the Physician Assistant (PA) title is one that always has a delightful sound to it. I expect you’re probably pinching yourself, trying to figure out what I mean. You probably have a lot of questions, so let me just get the most common one out of the way. The answer is YES! and also NO!

Who is a Physician Assistant?

The Canadian PA website describes a PA as a “highly skilled health care professional educated in the medical model and also practice medicine”. PA’s practice medicine under the supervision of a licensed physician and work in teams that focus mostly on patient-centered treatment. In other words, PA’s conduct physical examinations, order and interpret investigations, perform diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, diagnose and treat illnesses, and educate patients on treatment options and counsel on preventative health. They could also assist in surgery, prescribe medications, and perform procedures that are in line with their range of expertise. The main purpose of the TA’s position is to be an extension of the physician themselves and so if there were to be a neurosurgeon, for example, the PA would have a background in neuroscience.

Where do PA’s Work?

They can work in hospitals and can be found in the following departments :

• Emergency Medicine
• Hospital wards/inpatient floors
• Intensive Care Units (ICU)
• Complex Care Units
• Complex Continuing Care (CCC)
• and more!

They can also be found in non-hospital settings such as :

• Physician offices (solo or group practices)
• Community clinics
• Family Health Teams or Organizations
• Long-term care
• Nursing homes

Canadian PA Programs

Although the PA position is very prevalent in most American health care centers, Canada has a lower percentage of individuals following that pathway. There are only 650 PA’s in Canada and more than 400 coming from Ontario alone. Since there is a low turnout, it’s not surprising to see that there are only 3 PA programs that offer the means of becoming a PA. These include:

1. McMaster University

Official PA Program Website | Email: paprogram@mcmaster.ca

• Located in Hamilton, Ontario
• 2 year PA Program, you graduate with a Bachelor’s of Health Sciences in PA Studies (BHScPA)
• 1st year is in-classroom learning, in the style of PBL; 2nd year is clinical rotations
• Additional Resource: http://mcmasterpa.weebly.com/

1. PA Consortium

Official PA Program Website | Email: admissions.pa@utoronto.ca

• Located in Toronto, Ontario
• A consortium between the University of Toronto, Michener Institute of Applied Health Sciences, and Northern Ontario School of Medicine
• 2 year PA Program, you graduate with a Bachelor of Sciences Degree in PA Studies (BScPA) from the University of Toronto
• 1st year in a combination of online distance education and in-classroom learning called “residential blocks”; 2nd year is clinical rotations

1. University of Manitoba

Official PA Program Website | Email: MPAS@umanitoba.ca

• Located in Winnipeg, Manitoba
• A ~2 year Master’s program, the only Masters in PA Studies offered in Canada
• 1st year is in-classroom learning, 2nd year is clinical rotations
• You are required to complete a research capstone project
• Additional Resources: https://manitobapafellowship.weebly.com/

Pros and Cons

Some of the pros of becoming a PA include:

1. Career flexibility
2. Above-average salary
3. Practicing Medicine
4. Shorter schooling than doctors (Lower student debt/loans )
5. Helping patients in their time of need
6. Less responsibility than doctors (Not the leader, working in a team)

Some of the cons include

1. Can’t work independently, without the support of physician
2. Inconvenient working hours
3. Pay raise and advancements are limited
4. Pay level will never match that of a physician
5. Lack of autonomy — patients will not understand who you are
6. PA’s take a recertification test every 6–10years to renew their license.

The job of a PA is a very important one and most of us will not be able to recall when we’ve encountered them in our trips to clinics, hospitals, and other health care centers. The lack of awareness for this profession is what is contributing to the low turnout of individuals in the field. I urge you to strongly look into a PA program if you’re considering a career in healthcare because going to med school might not be the only pathway to working in a medical profession.