PA Studies
General Information
Dalhousie Medical School was organized in 1868, but medical teaching was carried out by the independent Halifax Medical College from 1875 to 1911, when the Faculty of Medicine was re-established by the University. As of 2024, the Faculty launched the entry-to-practice graduate program, Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS).
The Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree provides the professional education required to obtain a license to practice as a Physician Assistant (PA). The profession of a PA offers a varied, interesting, and worthwhile career in a variety of settings. Upon graduation, PAs may work in hospital-based departments to provide a wide array of healthcare needs and choose to be employed in more than one setting depending on personal preferences (specialty of choice, combination of part time roles, role flexibility, etc.). PAs take histories, conduct physical examinations, order, and interpret tests, diagnose, and treat illnesses, counsel on preventive health care and may assist in surgery. A PA’s practice may also include medical education, research, quality assurance, management, and administration.
The MPAS entry to practice program is full-time and offered over a continuous 24-month period. The curriculum prepares students with the professional education and experience necessary to apply for the national licensing examination. The MPAS program at Dalhousie is the only school serving Atlantic Canada; as such, a provincial quota system is in place with a specified number of seats allocated annually. Preference is given to Nova Scotia residents. Therefore, admission is offered on a competitive basis and enrolment is limited.
Admission Requirements
MPAS admission requirements are aligned with admissions standards in the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Graduate Studies (see Section 3 of the FGS Regulations), and are consistent with Dalhousie’s commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. Additional information on the application process, deadlines and supplementary material requirements can be found on the program's website.
Please see Master of Physician Assistant Studies website for more details pertaining to this admissions requirement.
Unit and Year Outlines
Students will be provided with an overall outline of the academic year at the beginning of each year. Course syllabi and other course material will be uploaded to Brightspace.
Grading
All student performance will be recorded as “Pass” or “Fail” on the official transcript. Numerical or letter grades do not appear on the transcript.
Ongoing Assessment
In addition to knowledge and clinical skills, students will be evaluated on both attitudinal attributes and skills. This evaluation is ongoing and contributes to performance assessment in all courses.
Licencing
MPAS graduates are eligible to challenge the National Certification Exam through the Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (PACCC). Additional information is available on the CAPA website
Association Membership
The MPAS program recommends all graduates register with the Canadian Physician Assistant Association (CAPA). CAPA is the professional body representing PAs and PA practice in Canada. Additional information is available on the CAPA website
Clinical Placements (Clerkship) Outside Halifax
Students enrolled in MPAS program are advised that they may have to do some of their required clinical rotations at sites outside Halifax, and hence may have to incur additional personal expenses for travel and temporary accommodation.
In some situations, sites may require a payment to the site for support of clinical education supervision, and some sites may require separate disability insurance in lieu of eligibility for Worker Compensation coverage. Such costs are the responsibility of the student.
MPAS CURRICULUM
The curriculum of the Faculty of Medicine is under continuous review, to respond to changes in patterns of health and disease treatment, the health care system, and in methods of effective teaching and learning.
Two Year Graduate Program
Year 1 (Pre-clerkship)
The pre-clerkship year has a three, 16-week semester setup, where MPAS students will follow a case-based learning and assessment framework. Working in small, tutor-led groups, students will review and discuss patient-centered clinical cases, developing their foundational knowledge and medical theories for competent practice. Introduction to patient and clinical skills occurs right away with volunteer and standardized patients in supervised, simulated scenarios. There is also opportunity for students to work clinically during early clinical exposure.
Year 1 (Pre-clerkship) Master of Physician Assistant Studies Courses:
· MPAS 5110: Medical Foundations I (6 credits)
· MPAS 5120: Medical Foundations II (6 credits)
· MPAS 5130: Medical Foundations III (6 credits)
· MPAS 5210: Skilled Clinician I (3 credits)
· MPAS 5220: Skilled Clinician II (3 credits)
· MPAS 5230: Skilled Clinician III (3 credits)
· MPAS 5310: Professional Competencies I (3 credits)
· MPAS 5320: Professional Competencies II (3 credits)
· MPAS 5330: Professional Competencies III (3 credits)
· MPAS 5900: IPHE Interprofessional Health Education (0 credits)*
· MPAS 6400: Research in Medicine Seminar (6 credits)*
*Students must maintain enrollment in this course across all terms of their degree program.
Year 2 (Clerkship)
The clerkship year students will participate in clinical rotations through core services to gain applicable and practical knowledge of working in a wide array of healthcare settings.
Year 2 (Clerkship) Master of Physician Assistant Studies Courses:
· MPAS 5900: IPHE Interprofessional Health Education (0 credits)*
· MPAS 6400: Research in Medicine Seminar (6 credits)*
· MPAS 6500: Clerkship for Physician Assistants (9 credits)†
*Students must maintain enrollment in this course across all terms of their degree program.
†This is a full-year course, full-time course; students must maintain enrollment in the course across terms for the full year 2 of the program; credits are assigned to reflect typical full-time status across each term and do not indicate workload
Courses Offered
MPAS 5110/5120/5130 Medical Foundations I, II, and III (6 hours/week)
Series of courses covering medical foundations and basic clinical sciences through lectures and small group learning (tutorials). Topics covered include:
· MF Tutorial I: Intro to foundations, host defence, metabolism & hemostasis I
· MF Tutorial II: Human development, neurosciences, MSK
· MF Tutorial III: Dermatology, metabolism & hemostasis II, integration (geriatrics, oncology, palliative care)
MPAS 5210/5220/5230: Skilled Clinician I, II, and III (3-6 hours/week)
Series of courses integrating clinical skills, including simulation, IPHE experiences, early clinical exposure (shadowing/ observerships), and simulated patient encounters. Includes skills and procedural training (i.e., casting, suturing, etc.) and workshops (i.e., EKG interpretation, xray/radiology interpretation). IPE activities are embedded under the Skilled Clinician courses (see IPHE 5900 for details).
MPAS 5310/5320/5330 Professional Competencies I, II, and III (3 hours/week)
Series of courses providing students with the opportunity to integrate their biomedical and clinical learning within the context of patient care from professional, community, and life-long student perspectives. Students must successfully complete prior ProComp terms to proceed into next term. Courses are lecture based with small group discussions on relevant topics to expected competencies (beyond acquisition of clinical skills and medical expertise).
MPAS 5900: Interprofessional Health Education (embedded in curriculum)
Interprofessional health education experiences are a Health Science wide curricular element. Students will participate in several IPE activities (4 in total; 1 mandatory, 3 selected).
MPAS 6400: Research in Medicine Seminar (2-3 hours bi-weekly)
Introduction to research methods via seminar course with occasional lecture or small group learning session (i.e., evidence-based medicine, research methods). Runs across all terms and culminates in a research project. Development of topic, methods, ethics approval, etc. for final research project (due end of Year 2).
MPAS 6500: Clerkship for Physician Assistants (48 weeks)
Students complete 10 mandatory rotations (8 core, 2 elective rotations). Students must complete all 10 rotations to com
1. Family Medicine (8 weeks)
2. Internal Medicine (6 weeks)
3. General Surgery (6 weeks)
4. Emergency Medicine (4 weeks)
5. Psychiatry (4 weeks)
6. Obs/Gyn (4 weeks)
7. Pediatrics (4 weeks)
8. Geriatrics (4 weeks)
9. Elective I (4 weeks)
10. Elective 2 (4 weeks)
Policy Statement on Interprofessional Health Education
Students in the Faculties of Dentistry, Health Professions and Medicine are required to participate in interprofessional health education activities. These activities, together with specific program requirements, are currently evolving and in transition and are integrated into the curricula of individual programs. Participation is mandatory. The objective of interprofessional education include developing:
· knowledge and understanding of, and respect for, the expertise, roles and values of other health and human service professionals
· understanding the concept and practice of patient/client/family-centred care.
· effective communication, teamwork and leadership skills applied in interprofessional contexts.
· positive attitudes related to the value of collaboration and teamwork in health and human service contexts.
· an understanding, from a multi-disciplinary perspective, of the Canadian health and social systems, the legal send regulatory foundation of professional practice, how health and human service institutions are organized and operate, and how different health and human service professions contribute to the systems and institutions.
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