Admission Procedures
Application (including the appropriate fee) is to be made through the:
Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC)
170 Research Lane
Guelph, ON, N1G 5E2
http://www.ouac.on.ca
An OUAC application is required by January 15 for admission into the September class of the same year. A supplementary application is required, and access to the supplementary application will be sent by email at the end of February. Please refer to the program’s web site for full application details and information regarding the supplementary application form. Upon receipt of the application, supplementary application and certified transcripts, selected applicants will be invited to an interview.
Indigenous Applicants
Indigenous participation in the PAEP is important. To ensure equitable admissions we have a facilitated admissions process for First Nations, Inuit and Métis applicants. In accordance with the Self-Identification policy of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) applicants who wish to apply through this stream must complete the supplementary Self-Identification Application. Information on the policy, application requirements and the online application can be found on the IHLL Website.
Indigenous Applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Indigenous applicants who meet the Self-Identification Application criteria and who satisfy all PAEP admission requirements, with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 on the OMSAS 4.0 scale will be automatically invited to come for an interview.
- PA Applicants who wish to be considered under the Indigenous application process must submit the Self-Identification Application by February 1.
- One self-identification application is used for all Faculty of Health Sciences programs that have a facilitated Indigenous admissions stream. The Self-identification Application must be completed by whatever the earliest deadline date is for the programs for which you have applied to.
Canadian Armed Forces Applicants
McMaster supports the training of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members interested in career progression as a Physician Assistant. CAF applicants must meet the following minimum entry requirements:
- Minimum 2 years of undergraduate university (A minimum of 10 full-courses or 20 half courses at an undergraduate/University level are required)
- Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA 3.0 on the OMSAS 4.0 scale
If both requirements are met, the CAF applicant will be invited to submit a supplementary application and to participate in the multiple-mini-interview process. Please note that successful CAF applicants are subject to final approval from the Canadian Armed Forces prior to commencing the program.
Offers of Admission
Deadlines for acceptance of an offer are strictly enforced. Failure to meet the conditions and/or submit required documentation by the specified deadline outlined in the admission package will result in cancellation of the offer of admission. Applicants should ensure that they accept their offer of admission as directed well before the specified deadline.
Unsuccessful Applicants
Applications are not held over from one year to another. An unsuccessful applicant may reapply to the Physician Assistant Education Program by submitting a new application, including supporting documentation.
The Admissions Committee will Consider:
- University transcripts and GPA
- Supplementary application
- Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) scores
Application for Deferred Registration
Deferred registrations will not normally be granted in the PA Education Program. Deferred registration may be granted only under exceptional circumstances to those candidates who have been admitted and have accepted the offer. Registration may be deferred for one year only. The request for deferral, outlining the reasons for the request, must be submitted within two weeks of the offer of admission. Deferral is not guaranteed.
Student Communication Responsibility
It is the student’s responsibility to:
- Maintain current contact information with the University, including address, phone numbers, and emergency contact information.
- Use the university provided e-mail address.
- Regularly check the official University communications channels. Official University communications are considered received if sent by postal mail, by fax, or by e-mail to the student’s designated primary e-mail account via their @medportal.ca and @mcmaster.ca alias.
Registration in the Physician Assistant Education Program (PAEP) implies acceptance on the part of the student of the objectives of that program and the methods by which progress toward the achievement of those objectives is evaluated. Since the academic regulations are continually reviewed, the University reserves the right to change the regulations.
Advanced Standing/Transfer
The structure of the PA Education Program requires that all students complete the entire program starting with Medical Foundation 1. There is no provision for advanced standing or transfer into the program.
Full-Time Status
The structure of the program requires that all students be registered in the program on a full-time basis and attendance in all components of the program is mandatory.
Voluntary Withdrawal from the Program
Students must follow the withdrawal procedures for McMaster University.
Readmission after Voluntary Withdrawal
Former Physician Assistant students who voluntarily withdrew in good standing from the B.H.Sc (PA) Program must apply for readmission by January 15. Students previously admitted through McMaster University must also apply for readmission through the Office of the Registrar. Readmission requests are carefully reviewed by the Admissions Committee and consideration will be given to evidence regarding the student’s academic performance in the program, a letter outlining the decision to return, and activities since last registered in the program. Readmission is not automatic or guaranteed. Decisions are normally communicated between May and June for September entry.
Essential Skills and Abilities Required for a PA Education Program
Graduates must be able to diagnose and manage health problems and provide comprehensive, compassionate care to their patients. For this reason, students in the PA program must possess the cognitive, communication, sensory, motor, and social skills necessary to interview, examine, and counsel patients, and competently complete certain technical procedures in a reasonable time while ensuring patient safety.
PA Programs have embedded expectations of both knowledge and skills based competencies. Prospective candidates should be aware that cognitive abilities, physical examination proficiencies, management skills, communication ability, and professional behaviours are all evaluated in timed simulations of patient encounters.
Non-Academic Requirements
To ensure the safety of all students and patients, the Physician Assistant Education Program requires that all students provide detailed medical information and a satisfactory Police Records Check (at the applicant’s expense) upon entering the program and annually thereafter. More detailed information will be provided upon acceptance into the program. For information on health screening please visit McMaster University > Health Screening Information > Health Screening Information. For information on police clearance (Vulnerable Sector Screen VSC) please visit https://fhs.mcmaster.ca/pcbe/police_records_check.html.
Additional requirements include:
• Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (CPR - HCP with AED & BVM)
• Online Health and Safety modules available through Avenue to Learn
• Mask Fit Testing
Students must provide proof that ALL requirements have been met before practicing in a lab or professional practice setting. Students who fail to provide this proof will:
• Not be allowed to enter a lab or professional practice setting, or
• Be removed from a lab or professional practice setting until requirements are met.
• Be reviewed under the Faculty of Health Sciences Professionalism Policy for failing to meet a requirement in a professional program.
Immunization
The Ontario Public Hospitals Act requires all students placed in a hospital setting to meet certain criteria related to surveillance for infectious diseases. Detailed medical information, including a record of completion of required immunizations, will be required upon acceptance and annually thereafter. Failure to produce this information will result in a student being precluded from commencing professional practice course(s) or a suspension from professional practice course(s) until such time that they are able to produce the information and have fulfilled the requirements, which may result in the student having to take the course(s) in a different term. Information on specific medical information that is required will be sent to students prior to commencing their studies in the program and each year thereafter prior to the start of the academic year.
Police Records Check
Students in the PA Education Program work with vulnerable populations. All students are therefore required to have a satisfactory Police Record Check completed annually. The Police Record Check must include Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC). Expenses for the Police Record Check are the responsibility of the student. Ensure you request two original copies from your Police Services as your placement may also request an original VSC or follow the direction from the FHS Professionalism Office to submit your VSC with a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of the original copy. Registered students who have been convicted of an offense under the Criminal Code (Canada) for which they have not been pardoned may be denied the opportunity to enter professional practice placement.
CPR Certification
Upon acceptance, successful applicants will be required to provide evidence of Basic Life Support Provider (formally BLS for Healthcare Providers) certification through the Heart & Stroke Foundation annually. We do require BLS from Heart & Stroke Foundation to ensure students can obtain ACLS certification. The cost of a course is the responsibility of the student. Courses are readily available in most communities. Certification obtained through an online provider will not be accepted. Certificate must be obtained in Canada.
Canadian Physician Assistant Certification
Program graduates will qualify to take the Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (PACCC) National examination. Program graduates must be a member of the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants (CAPA) to challenge the exam.
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