Canadian PA

Justin Lautenbach is a McMaster-trained PA who has spent over a decade building a multi-specialty career that spans outpatient Orthopedics, chronic pain, and now aesthetic medicine under his own brand, Hamilton Botox . What you'll learn: How to move from a PA student in clinical clerkship to a licensed, practicing PA in Orthopaedic Surgery What milestones are required to co-found and manage an...

Allie Penrose is a graduate of the inaugural Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) cohort at Dalhousie University and part of the first group of Physician Assistants practicing in Nova Scotia. Prior to PA school, she spent six years in specialized clinical roles at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, working in organ and tissue donation and stem cell transplantation. This experience provided d...

Sonya P. is a first-year student at the University of Calgary’s MPAS program who gained acceptance into PA school in her 3rd round of applications. In this video, she shares how she navigated rejection, what changed the second time around, and what life’s been like in her first year of PA school. View full episode show notes: canadianpa.ca/podcast/35 IN THIS EPISODE: Part 1: Discovering the PA Pat...

Nawal shares how she gained multiple Canadian PA program offers of admissions. She talks about what helped her stand out, how she found patient care experience, tips for interviews, navigating the Casper test, and what life is actually like as a PA student. Connect with Nawal: http://instagram.com/nawal_arshi_________________✰ IN THIS VIDEO:00:00 From Undergrad to Accepted PA Student04:23 Explorin...

Curious about the University of Calgary’s Master of Physician Assistant (PA) Studies? Join us for an engaging webinar featuring current PA students who share their experiences, insights, and advice about the program. Learn about the application process, program structure, and what it’s like to be a PA student in Canada. Featuring 1st year Calgary MPAS Students, Anithra, and Jayden. Moderated by So...

Aurthi is a Canadian Certified Physician Assistant working in Emergency Medicine and in her first year of PA practice! We first interviewed Aurthi when was just starting the second semester in her first year of PA school! She now reflects back on her journey. JUMP TO: 00:53 Update from Aurthi Since 1st year PA School2:41 Finding work after Completing PA school in OntarioWORKING IN EMERGENCY MEDICI...

The webinar will briefly go over the different PA school program application requirements and then we will go into detail about what each component is and how the first-year PA students approached each aspect. Original webinar was hosted by Pradha (@pradha_the_pre_pa) on instagram, reposted with permission from Pradha and webinar panelists. Please note: Always check the PA program websites for the...

From a Live Q&A with 1st year University of Toronto PA Students Hannah and MC. JUMP TO A SPECIFIC QUESTION IN THE Q&A:Part 1: Pre-PA Journey• 1:53 Why did you choose to become a PA?• 5:24 What helped you stand out on your application?• 9:15 What were your Pre-PA Stats? Part 2: Life in PA School• 13:03 Why did you chose to attend UofT's PA Program?• 16:56 What is 1st year PA School like at...

Getting In, Problem-Based Learning, and Interview Prep In this episode, I sit down with Shada and Toni, two first-year McMaster PA students who survived the application cycle and lived to tell the tale. We pull back the curtain on the "med school mindset" trap, the reality of McMaster’s Problem-Based Learning (PBL) style, and why your summer camp job might actually be your greatest interview asset...

Ever wondered if you can actually survive the University of Manitoba’s PA program without completely disappearing from your own life? In this episode I'm joined by Rachel and Kelsey, two current students who pull back the curtain on the "Master’s" side of PA education, from managing remote work during the didactic year to navigating the stress of the MMI. KEY TAKEAWAYS Leverage the U of M shadowin...

What does it actually look like to build a PA role from the ground up in a high-needs environment? In this episode, I sit down with Anthony, a 2018 Toronto PA program grad who walked away from a stable neurosurgery gig to tackle the "wild west" of addictions and mental health in downtown Ottawa. It’s a raw, honest look at the grit required to serve stigmatized populations and why being a PA is som...

Shada is a 1st year PA student at McMaster University and she shares her experience exploring different careers in health care, applying to PA school and studying as a PA student. What you'll learn in this interview with Shada:• 1:15 How Shada heard about the PA profession• 5:13 What drew me to the PA profession• 6:20 Speaking to my Family about becoming a PA• 8:28 Exploring Different Careers in H...

How Journaling Helped Hannah Build a Competitive PA School Application When you’re navigating the road to becoming a Physician Assistant in Canada, there are a lot of unknowns. This is especially true when you're choosing between different career paths, managing self-doubt, and trying to stand out in an increasingly competitive applicant pool. In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Hanna...

Andrew Lim is a Canadian Certified Physician Assistant who works in Orthopaedic Surgery at Sunnybrook alongside their department of 16 Orthopaedic Surgeons, many residents and fellows. He is a graduate of McMaster's PA program. This video is the FULL interview. You can jump to a certain section of the interview: Part A: Andrew's Journey to Becoming a PA• 00:27 Before becoming a PA• 2:31 What I enj...

Adam joins us to share a career path that is as diverse as the general surgery ward he manages. From his early days as a rural LPN and RN to becoming a pioneer PA in Manitoba, he explains why he traded the nursing care model for the medical model to "keep things fresh." Adam proves that previous can be a launchpad, not a hurdle. We dive into the "drinking from a firehose" intensity of PA school an...

Inside the University of Manitoba PA Program: First-Year Intensity, Second-Year Rotations, and Thriving in Clinical Training Carmen, a second-year PA student at the University of Manitoba, describes first year as an intense whirlwind with an undergrad-like first semester (biochem, anatomy, physiology) followed by an overwhelming second semester focused on adult and emergency medicine and pharmacol...

Jordan, a University of Toronto PA graduate, shares how early hands-on experience through patient transfers and Saint John Ambulance led him to a career in paediatric emergency medicine at SickKids in Toronto. He walks through his decision to choose the PA path over paramedicine, emphasizing long-term career sustainability, clinical autonomy, and team-based care. PA training, including northern cl...

Stephanie is a McMaster-trained PA who graduated in 2015 and landed her dream job in maternal fetal medicine (MFM) at McMaster University Medical Centre. Four years later, she's still there seeing high-risk pregnancies, first-assisting on cesarean sections, and teaching PBL tutorials at the very program that trained her. She explored other professions like genetic counselling, physiotherapy, o...

Maggie is a PA practicing physiatry in Hamilton. She divides her time between an outpatient MSK clinic and a spinal cord injury unit. After graduating from McMaster with a background in kinesiology, she secured her first position by building professional relationships during her clinical electives. Physiatry focuses on the intersection of musculoskeletal medicine and neurology. In this role, Maggi...

Brooke Grant is a second-year PA student at McMaster University who made a deliberate choice to start clerkship in an elective rather than a core rotation. Over her first month in radiation oncology at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, she saw new patients independently, presented a complex case at tumor board, and contributed to a quality improvement project redesigning H&P templates across mu...

Sarah Floyd, a second year Physician Assistant student at McMaster University and former registered massage therapist, shares the path that led her to PA school. She reflects on discovering the PA role through firefighter health research, exploring different healthcare careers, and navigating a challenging first application cycle after being waitlisted and declined by several Canadian PA programs....

Kelsi is a first-year PA student at the Michener Institute and one of the few students in the program from Alberta. After six straight years of applying to medical school, she pivoted to PA and hasn't looked back. Kelsi discusses costs financially, logistically, and emotionally, to pursue PA training as an out-of-province student. She covers her 25-hour drive from Calgary to Ontario, her strat...

Eden shares her path from a microbiology background at the National Microbiology Lab to becoming a Physician Assistant through the University of Manitoba, highlighting how the removal of healthcare hour requirements changed her trajectory. She breaks down why the PA profession offers flexibility, strong patient relationships, and a sustainable career in medicine. She outlines the structure of the...

Danielle was a third-year Health Sciences student at the University of Waterloo when she came across a Forbes article about physician assistants and decided to apply to PA school before finishing her degree. She got into the University of Toronto PA program, and two months from graduation, she sat down to share what the process actually looked like. Danielle discusses building a competitive applic...

Saif is a first-year McMaster PA student and Canadian Armed Forces reservist who initially followed a pre-med pathway. A casual mention of the PA profession prompted him to explore an alternative direction. Despite writing the MCAT and applying to medical school, he ultimately reassessed his goals and decision-making framework before committing to the PA route. Saif outlines his thought process fo...