Saskatchewan health care gets a boost with U of S physician assistant program AURORATOTO GROUP

On Tuesday, the University of Saskatchewan gave stethoscopes to 20 of Saskatchewan’s brightest students entering the new Master of Physician Assistant Study program.

The program aims to strengthen health care in Saskatchewan by providing more help to physicians.

Physician assistants practice medicine under the supervision of a licensed physician. They can provide services in primary care, long-term care, emergency medicine, cancer care, general and internal medicine and surgical specialties.

“They extend what a physician can do, and I think that is the neatest thing because you are working one on one with somebody so it can be in many different areas.” shared Dr. Sarah Forgie, college of medicine dean at the University of Saskatchewan.

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Other key tasks for a physician assistant include conducting patient examinations, prescribing medications and ordering and interoperating tests.

Saskatchewan health minister Jeremy Cockrill said that this new program will enhance care across the province.

“Saskatchewan is the only jurisdiction in Canada to use this innovative approach that features physician assistants in dual roles handling both clinical and teaching duties,” said Cockrill.

The goal of the new position is to help enable physicians to see patients in a timelier manner, reducing wait times. It will also allow physicians to spend more time with complex patients.  So far, the province already has four practicing physician assistants in Regina, Saskatoon and Meadow Lake.

Watch the video above to hear from Rachel Rosin, a Saskatchewan native and one of 20 students selected for the program.