Accredited PA education programs are available in Canada and in the United States. There are currently four accredited PA education programs in Canada. These programs are accredited through the Canadian Medical Association Conjoint Accreditation process. The accredited programs are: the Canadian Forces Medical Services School, the University of Manitoba, and McMaster University and the PA Consortium (University of Toronto, Northern Ontario School of Medicine and the Michener Institute for Education at UHN). Education in these programs focuses on understanding the pathophysiology of disease, differential diagnosis determination, and treatment plan development. The programs includes one year of clinical rotation in areas such as emergency medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, orthopedics, sports medicine, general surgery, urology, anesthesia, trauma team and family practice. The University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg offers a graduate degree program, while McMaster University in Hamilton and the PA Consortium offer an undergraduate program of Science Physician Assistant. All accredited PAEP will allow graduates to challenge the Canadian PA Entry to Practice Certification Examination.
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