A new program at the University of Calgary is aiming to reduce the strain on Alberta’s medical system.
The Master of Physician Assistant Studies program is the first of its kind in Alberta and will train new physician assistants to bolster the number of health-care workers across the province.
Physician assistants, or PAs, are medical professionals who have been part of Canada’s military medic system since the 1960s, but they are relatively new and unknown to provincial and territorial health systems.
They perform physical exams, takes medical histories, develop treatment plans and discharge patients.
Their training enables them to work in a wide array of health care settings, and they can perform many duties normally performed by a full-fledged doctor for routine or straightforward cases.
This frees up time and availability of physicians and surgeons to treat more complicated cases and creates opportunities for both PAs and physicians to spend more time with their patients.
As of 2022, there were fewer than 1,000 certified physician assistants in Canada.
In order to qualify for the competitive two-year program at the U of C, applicants must already have a four-year undergraduate degree and a history of working in health care.
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Funded through grants by the Government of Alberta, admissions were limited to just 20 seats, with around 200 people applying to get in.
Mozac Samson, one of 20 students enrolled this fall, said even with his background as an paramedic, the program keeps him on his toes.
“As a paramedic, it helps a little bit when you’re coming into a program like this,” Samson said. “I also find myself at a little bit of a deterrent, ‘cause I have to try and unlearn the things that we’re dealing with, and then re-learn it.”
The fact that the program requires applicants to have a history in health care is positive according to Samson, who believes the diversity of applicants’ experience will makes them better in the field.
“Leaning on their expertise to give us a little bit of that nuance will help us from a practical perspective,” explained Samson. “So 100 per cent, at this point in time, I would say it’s helping us.”
Dr. Rahim Kachra, the medical director for the program, notes how the program intentionally fosters that kind of thinking.
“It’s heavily rooted in principles of self-directed learning,” Dr. Kachra said.
“Recognizing that once they’ve graduated and are working as physician assistants, they’re going to come across knowledge they may not have learnt before, and it will be on them to learn and acquire that knowledge in order to provide optimal and excellent patient care.”
Dr. Kachra notes that the tasks physician assistants can undertake is much like that of a resident physician, only these assistants will be working full-time under a licensed physician.
“Physician assistants will always work within the supervision of a physician,” said Dr. Kachra.
“We know that in order to provide optimal patient care, we need to provide care in team settings.”
This year’s intake is expected to graduate in the spring of 2026.
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