Physician assistant
Certified physician assistants in BC
The Ministry of Health is working with the ºÚÁÏÉç and health system partners to develop a structure that enables physician assistants to work in emergency departments in hospitals.
As this is a new classification, considerable planning is required to ensure appropriate and safe integration of physician assistants in the BC health system.
This includes establishing:
- an employment and compensation model
- a regulatory framework with supporting policies on clinical supervision
- policies to protect the health and safety of patients
- processes to ensure associate physicians are supported in their work to deliver quality medical care
Certification
Physician assistants must be certified with the ºÚÁÏÉç in order to practise in BC. Once registered, they will be referred as certified non-registrants.
Requirements
An applicant must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- hold certification with one of the following:
- Canadian Certified Physician Assistant (CCPA) by the , or
- Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C) by the
- are current in physician assistant practice (for example, practised a minimum 24 weeks of in the preceding three years)
- have Canadian citizenship, is a permanent resident or otherwise be legally able to live and work in British Columbia
- is sponsored by a health authority with a letter, satisfactory to the Registration Committee, that:
- identifies the applicant’s employer
- describes how the applicant will practise
- outlines that the applicant will be working under the direction and supervision of an attending physician