Sask green lights physician assistant training program

Saskatchewan will establish a Physician Assistant training program in the province.

The government has asked the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Medicine to develop a new two-year Physician Assistant Master’s program to begin in fall 2025.

“This is a unique opportunity to provide new training here in the province that will be customized to meet the needs of Saskatchewan people,” said Advanced Education Minister Gordon Wyant.

“The physician assistant program will be specifically designed to meet critical needs in our health care system, particularly in rural and remote areas.”

Newly introduced to Saskatchewan as a health profession for the first time, physician assistants will soon be joining health care teams to help provide enhanced care and strengthen the health system.

Physician assistants practice medicine under the supervision of a licensed physician, often within a multidisciplinary health team.

They provide services in primary care, long-term care, emergency medicine, cancer care, general internal medicine and surgical specialties.

“As the newest members of team-based health care in Saskatchewan, we look forward to physician assistants making valuable contributions to timely, high-quality health care and enhancing patient access to health services,” said Health Minister Everett Hindley.

“We are now hiring in the province for these positions and adding this training program means more opportunity for Saskatchewan residents to build a career right here at home.”

Twelve physician assistant positions will be available in communities across the province. Current opportunities are posted on HealthCareersInSask.ca.

Funding for the new training program will be finalized through the 2024-25 Provincial Budget process.

The province continues to explore the potential for other healthcare training program expansions.

For more information on healthcare training initiatives, visit saskatchewan.ca/hhr-train.

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