Physician Assistant Professional Degree Program (BScPA)

Introduction
The Bachelor of Science Physician Assistant degree (BScPA) is a full-time professional, second-entry undergraduate degree program, based in the Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto (U of T).

The BScPA is a University of Toronto degree delivered in collaboration with Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) and The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences (Michener). The three institutions have formed the Consortium of PA Education (Consortium) to collaboratively contribute in the development, administration and delivery of the U of T degree.

The Consortium offers students a balance in academic and clinical orientation, extensive access to health care relevant resources and a curriculum delivery model that maximizes rural training and geographic accessibility throughout Ontario. The program is designed to meet the competencies outlined in the National Competency Profile as established by the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants (CAPA). The aim of the program is to equip graduates with the competencies necessary to establish the foundation for a sustainable Canadian Physician Assistant profession.


Mission
Our mission is to deliver Physician Assistant education programs built on a foundation of social accountability, particularly to rural, remote and underserved communities.


Guiding Strategies
The Consortium of PA Education is guided in the development of the professional degree programs by the following core strategies:

– The collaboration of multi-institutional delivery of innovative professional degree programs, by way of academic excellence, simulations and interprofessional education, and diverse clinical placements.

– The optimization of technology to support and deliver leading-edge curriculum, including web-based, audio-visual, experiential simulation and distance education technologies.

– The commitment to educate PA students and to encourage and support clinical experiences in rural, remote and underserved areas, in order to increase access to healthcare throughout Ontario.


Our Core Values
To equip graduates with the capability to establish a sustainable Canadian PA professional identity based on principles of:

– Social accountability: contributing to a sustainable healthcare system

– Professionalism: that entails the establishment of an identity for PAs in a variety of healthcare settings, focusing on primary care

– Inter-professional collaboration: that includes the advancement of collaborative patient-centred practice

– Critical thinking and life-long learning: that enhances the effectiveness of services provided by physicians and other members of the healthcare team