Pre-Physician Assistant

Years 1-4: Pre-Physician Assistant at The University of Winnipeg

Each PA program has its own entrance requirements. To meet the entrance requirements of the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program at the University of Manitoba, you must:

• Complete a four-year or honours Bachelor’s degree from The University of Winnipeg including all of the specified MPAS prerequisite courses.
• Maintain a minimum overall 3.0/B+ average in last 60 credit hours (within two years). Please note that admission into this program is highly competitive; achieving a GPA of 3.5 or higher is strongly encouraged.
• The specific degree (BA, BSc, etc.) you earn is your choice and will depend on your course selection and interests, but the MPAS program recommends degrees in a health science related field. Regardless of degree, you must complete the required courses for MPAS below.

Years 5-6: Professional Studies: Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)

• After you complete your pre-professional studies at UWinnipeg, you will apply for admission to the MPAS program through the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Manitoba.
• Enrolment is limited, and only highly qualified applicants are chosen. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or Permanent residents. Admission is based on academic achievement, the CASPer Situational Judgement Test, statement of intent (formal essay), and two letters of reference.

The length of the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program is 25 months.

The following University of Winnipeg courses satisfy the University of Manitoba’s prerequisite courses for the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program:

BIOL-1112 (6) Human Anatomy and Physiology (minimum grade of B)

CHEM-3502(3) Intermediate Biochemistry I or CHEM-3503(3) Intermediate Biochemistry II (minimum grade of B)

It is recommended that students register for at least 3 credit hours in Psychology and 3 credit hours in Micro Biology (BIOL-2902, BIOL 3901 and BIOL-3303 are a few courses that would fulfil the Micro Biology recommendation) as it is an asset for the candidate.

CPSM registration requirement:  It is mandatory that all students be eligible for and be registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM) by beginning of classes. Please visit cpsm.mb.ca for more information on the eligibility requirements.

Please see the University of Manitoba website for admission information on the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program. As admission requirements may change from year to year, students are encouraged to review all admission documentation yearly in anticipation of any changes that need to be incorporated into their plans.

There are four universities offering a Physician Assistant program in Canada. To explore your options and find out more information, visit the Canadian Physician Assistants website: https://canadianpa.ca/   Note: You must consult with the school where you plan to complete your studies to ensure you choose appropriate courses, and that you will meet the entrance requirement for your Physician Assistant program.

You must meet The University of Winnipeg’s general admission requirements.
In addition, you need to have Chemistry 40S and either Pre-Calculus Mathematics 40S or Applied Mathematics 40S in order to take some of the required courses for admission to Physician Assistant.
Biology 40S, Physics 40S and Pre-Calculus Mathematics 40S are recommended.

What if I don’t have these high school courses? You can still pursue your pre-professional studies, but you might not be able to enroll in certain courses until you obtain the pre-requisites. There are two ways you can do this here:  take “Foundation” courses at UWinnipeg that are equivalent to high school-level math and science (MATH-0041 & MATH-0042; CHEM-0100) or complete high school courses at The Collegiate.