The province is building on Manitoba’s first-of-its-kind physician assistant master’s program with legislation that would make physician assistant students associate members of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, ensuring the students are governed by the college’s high standards for medical professionalism, Health Minister Theresa Oswald said.
“This legislation recognizes the important role Manitoba’s physician assistant students will play in the future of health care in our province,” Oswald said. “Legislative amendments introduced today build on the work we’ve done to implement the physician assistant’s masters program, the first program of its kind among the Canadian provinces.”
Medical students and residents are already registered with the college under the Medical Act. Amendments to the act introduced would extend registration to physician assistant students.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba maintains the safe and ethical standards of medical practice in the province.
“The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba is especially pleased that physician assistant students will be associate members, as this follows the same process currently required for medical students and graduate physicians,” said Dr. Bill Pope, registrar and CEO of the college. “This means that physician assistant students will be governed and held accountable to the same high standards as physicians.”
The physician assistant program trains health professionals that will work as part of a health-care team under the supervision and direction of a physician. They can perform a wide range of procedures including conducting patient exams, ordering diagnostic tests, undertaking minor procedures, and prescribing needed medications and treatments.
Manitoba’s physician assistant program is creating a new annual stream of highly trained health professionals, improving care by allowing physicians to focus on more complex patient needs, the minister said.
Every year, up to 12 candidates will be accepted into the two-year faculty of medicine program which includes both lectures and clinical-care courses. Once completed, graduates receive a master of physician assistant studies degree from the faculty of graduate studies. The first group of students began their studies in September 2008.
Over the last two years, the province has invested $2.9 million in the physician assistant program. Manitoba is the only Canadian province with legislation in place to allow physician assistants to register and practise.
The minister noted physician assistants have been added to emergency-care teams in the Grace and Seven Oaks Hospital emergency departments, a pilot project that marks a Canadian first.
The addition of physician assistants to the University of Manitoba Joint Replacement Group at Concordia Hospital has resulted in a doubling of primary joint surgeries performed each day.
