The Canadian Association of Physician Assistants (CAPA) is a professional association that advocates for the introduction and expansion of the PA profession in Canada. CAPA is the national voice of physician assistants in Canada that supports quality standards and competencies and helps establish the profession within the national health care framework. Learn more: capa-acam.ca.
CAPA is NOT a regulatory college, a disciplinary board or an assessment organization. The certifying body for PAs in Canada is the Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (PACCC).
PA RegulationPAs are currently able to work within the public healthcare system in the following provinces: Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island. Each province has handled the introduction of PAs differently. We recommend that you review the Legislation page on the CAPA website regarding legislation in each province.
The profession is regulated in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia by the colleges of physicians and surgeons in these provinces and PAs currently practicing in either of these provinces must be registered with their respective provincial College.
In Ontario, Bill 283, Advancing Oversight and Planning in Ontario's Health System Act, will amend the Medicine Act, 1991 and allow PAs to be regulated under the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). On June 1st, 2021, Bill 283 passed third reading in the Ontario Legislature. Following this on June 3rd, the bill received Royal Assent, when the Lieutenant Governor signed the bill, officially making it law.
We are working closely with government and CPSO to establish regulation for PAs in Ontario which should be in place by April 2025. You can view the CPSO's draft regulations and their Physician Assistant information on their website. Currently there is no regulation that states a PA must be certified; however, certification (CCPA or PA-C) may be required at the discretion of an employer. CAPA advocates that all PAs practicing in Canada obtain Canadian certification.Provinces working on introducing PAs
Currently in Quebec, the government has taken steps to introduce Physician Assistants (PAs) into their healthcare system. The first PAs have begun to work via a pilot project in region 18 for the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay in Northern Quebec.
In Newfoundland, in it's 2023 budget, the government announced that it is investing $700,000 for a Physician Assistants Pilot Program that will introduce PAs into their health system and help support human resource challenges across the health system. No legislation or regulations are in place at this time.In Prince Edward Island, legislation changes in June 2023 allowed two new categories of registration to be created (Associate Physician (IMGs) and PAs. The CPSPEI is actively working with Health PEI and the Department of Health and Wellness in developing job descriptions, supervising agreements, and processes for these new healthcare providers to enable them to work in PEI.
How do I apply to a Canadian PA education program?
Each program is responsible for setting its admission requirements and their respective websites offer a wealth of information. All questions related to education should be directed to the Canadian universities which offer PA education programs. We do not answer questions regarding admissions criteria, curriculum, or clinical rotations.
We strongly encourage all potential students to visit the respective program websites to inquire about the specific requirements for application. They will have the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding admissions criteria and procedures.
Canadian certification Exam
In order to be eligible to write the Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (PACCC) PA Cert Exam you need to be a member of the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants (CAPA) and be a graduate of a Canadian PA program recognized by PACCC (currently the Canadian Armed Forces PA Program, University of Manitoba, McMaster University and the Consortium of PA Education (University of Toronto, the Michener Institute and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine), Dalhousie University OR be a graduate of an Accreditation Review Commission (ARC) PA program in the United States and be certified by the National Commission of Certification for Physician Assistant (NCCPA). No other international programs graduates are eligible.Even if you have earned a medical degree, you must still graduate from a program recognized by PACCC (as indicated above.
The EPA-PA and the CanMEDS-PA define how and under what circumstances the PA may exercise their competencies within the health care system. The EPA-PA and the CanMEDS-PA are relevant to a practice in any health care setting or role.
How do I find employment opportunities in Canada?
All CAPA members have access to a members-only Job Listings page on our website. If you are not a member of CAPA, you can also search popular employment sites like Indeed or contact organizations directly.
How do I join CAPA?
You can join CAPA by registering online. Please review the description of each member categories found in our Bylaw to ensure you choose the correct membership.
Working in Canada: General resources