MPAS Clinical Experiences Guideline

The purpose of this guideline is to outline the principles, processes, and expectations associated with clinical experiences completed during Year 2 of the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) Program.

The guideline is intended to support transparent, equitable, and consistent administration of clinical experiences while recognizing the complexity of distributed clinical education and the need to balance learner preferences, educational requirements, clinical capacity, and healthcare system needs.

This guideline should be read in conjunction with applicable University of Saskatchewan policies, Saskatchewan Health Authority requirements, clinical placement agreements, housing guidelines, travel guidelines, and other MPAS program policies and procedures.

Note: This page should be considered a living page – periodic updates will be made due to the dynamic nature of clinical rotations.

For the purposes of this guideline:

Clinical Experiences refer to all Year 2 experiential learning activities, including core clinical rotations, the Rural Longitudinal Clinical Experience, elective experiences, Academic Days, assessment activities, and other required learning experiences.

Urban Hub refers to the primary geographic location to which a learner is assigned for the majority of Year 2 clinical experiences.

Rural Longitudinal Clinical Experience refers to the required 11-week primary care-focused clinical experience completed within a designated rural Saskatchewan community.

Elective Clinical Experience refers to an approved clinical learning opportunity completed during Year 2.

Academic Day refers to scheduled program-directed learning activities occurring throughout the Clinical Year.

The MPAS Program is committed to:

• Providing high-quality clinical learning experiences across Saskatchewan;
• Supporting equitable access to clinical learning opportunities;
• Utilizing transparent and consistent processes for assignment of learners;
• Balancing learner preferences with educational and operational requirements;
• Supporting distributed medical education and workforce development throughout Saskatchewan;
• Ensuring clinical experiences meet program learning outcomes and accreditation requirements.

Clinical Year (MPAS 900.48) of the MPAS Program consists primarily of supervised clinical learning experiences occurring throughout Saskatchewan. It includes:

• Orientation Week(s);
• Seven core clinical rotations;
• One Rural Longitudinal Clinical Experience;
• Two elective clinical experiences (6 weeks total);
• Academic Days;
• Consolidation and assessment activities; and
• Longitudinal competency assessment through Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs).

The MPAS Program reserves the right to assign or reassign learners to clinical experiences, sites, or schedules where required to meet educational objectives, accreditation requirements, learner needs, site capacity, or healthcare system considerations.

Urban Hub Assignment

Each learner is assigned to an Urban Hub that serves as the primary location for the majority of their Year 2 clinical experiences.

Current Urban Hubs include: Saskatoon | Regina | Prince Albert

Prior to assignment, learners will be invited to submit Urban Hub preferences through the program's One45 learning management system. Urban Hub assignments are determined through a structured allocation process that considers:

• Learner preferences;
• Available site capacity;
• Preceptor availability;
• Educational requirements;
• Distribution of learners across sites;
• Workforce and community partnership commitments;
• Other operational considerations.

Where demand exceeds available capacity at a particular site, the Program will utilize a structured allocation process designed to support fairness, transparency, and equitable access to clinical learning opportunities.

While learner preferences are considered, assignment to a preferred Urban Hub cannot be guaranteed.

Assignment to an Urban Hub does not guarantee that all clinical experiences will occur within that location. Learners may be required to complete learning experiences at other approved sites throughout Saskatchewan.

Core Clinical Experiences

All learners are required to successfully complete the following core clinical experiences:

• Urban Family Medicine (2 weeks)
• Internal Medicine (6 weeks)
• Surgery (6 weeks)
• Emergency Medicine (4 weeks)
• Pediatrics (4 weeks)
• Women's Health (4 weeks)
• Mental Health and Addictions (4 weeks)
• Rural Longitudinal Clinical Experience (11 weeks)

Core clinical experiences are designed to ensure learners develop competence across the breadth of physician assistant practice and achieve program-level learning outcomes.

The majority of core experiences will occur within the learner's assigned Urban Hub; however, the Program may assign learners to alternative sites when required to meet educational objectives or address capacity limitations.

Requests for Review of Urban Hub Assignment

The MPAS Program recognizes that learners may experience circumstances that significantly impact their ability to participate in their assigned Urban Hub. Learners who experience significant medical, accessibility, family, compassionate, Indigenous cultural, or other documented circumstances that significantly impact a learner’s ability to participate in their assigned Urban Hub may request a review of assignment.

Requests must:

• Be submitted in writing;
• Clearly outline the circumstances requiring review;
• Include supporting documentation where appropriate;
• Be submitted as soon as reasonably possible after the learner becomes aware of the circumstances requiring review.

Requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Academic Director and Director of Faculty & Clinical Placements. While the Program will make reasonable efforts to accommodate requests, approval cannot be granted. Decisions will be based on the availability of suitable alternative placements and the Program’s ability to meet educational and operational requirements.

Rural Hub Longitudinal Clinical Experience

The Rural Longitudinal Clinical Experience is an 11-week primary care-focused clinical experience completed within a designated rural Saskatchewan community.

The purpose of the Rural Longitudinal Clinical Experience is to provide learners with opportunities to:

• Experience comprehensive primary care practice;
• Develop clinical reasoning skills in rural settings;
• Participate in continuity of patient care;
• Gain exposure to interprofessional healthcare teams;
• Understand healthcare delivery within rural and remote communities;
• Develop an appreciation for the unique opportunities and challenges of rural practice.

Learners may also participate in a variety of additional clinical experiences available within the community, including hospital-based care, emergency medicine, outreach clinics, procedural experiences, and specialty consultations.

Rural experiences may require temporary relocation from a learner's assigned Urban Hub.

The MPAS Program will coordinate and support housing arrangements for required Rural Longitudinal Clinical Experiences in accordance with MPAS housing and travel guidelines.

Clinical Rotation Assignment Process

The MPAS Program develops annual clinical rotation schedules in collaboration with educational leads, clinical departments, healthcare organizations, preceptors, and community partners throughout Saskatchewan.

Clinical experience schedules are developed based on:

• Curriculum requirements;
• Accreditation standards;
• Clinical site capacity;
• Preceptor availability;
• Required sequencing of learning experiences;
• Academic Day scheduling;
• Assessment and consolidation activities;
• Healthcare system considerations;
• Operational requirements.

Once annual schedules have been established, learners are assigned to a specific clinical experience schedule associated with their Urban Hub assignment. The Program utilizes a structured scheduling and allocation process designed to support equitable distribution of learners while maintaining consistency across sites.

Clinical experience schedules will be released to learners through the program's One45 learning management system.

The MPAS Program reserves the right to modify schedules, assignments, locations, or learning experiences where necessary due to operational, educational, clinical service, or unforeseen circumstances. Where changes occur on short notice (e.g., within 48 hours), impacted learners will be notified directly via email.

Requests to Modify Clinical Rotation Assignments

Following the release of clinical rotation schedules, learners may request a modification to an assigned clinical experience only through a direct, mutual exchange with another learner.

All requests must:

• Be submitted in writing to the MPAS Office;
• Clearly identify the assignments involved;
• Include a rationale for the request;
• Be supported and agreed upon by both learners involved in the exchange;
• Be submitted within two weeks of schedule release.

All requests will be reviewed and are subject to approval by the Director of Faculty & Clinical Placements. Approval of exchange requests is not guaranteed and will depend upon:

• Educational requirements;
• Clinical site capacity;
• Preceptor availability;
• Impact on other learners;
• Operational feasibility.

The Program reserves the right to approve or decline any exchange request based on these considerations.

Learners complete six weeks of elective clinical experiences during the Clinical Year.

The purpose of elective experiences is to:

• Explore clinical interests;
• Gain exposure to specialty areas of practice;
• Enhance clinical knowledge and skills;
• Support career exploration and professional development.

Elective experiences may occur within a learner's Urban Hub or at other approved Saskatchewan rural and regional locations. Electives may be completed at:

• Saskatchewan Health Authority sites;
• Other approved clinical settings authorized by the Director of Faculty & Clinical Placements.

Elective experiences outside Saskatchewan are not currently approved.

Elective Selection and Assignment

The MPAS Program works collaboratively with departments, divisions, clinical programs, and healthcare organizations to identify elective opportunities available to learners.

Elective opportunities are developed based on:

• Departmental interest;
• Clinical capacity;
• Preceptor availability;
• Educational suitability;
• Alignment with program learning objectives.

Available opportunities are compiled into an Elective Catalogue and distributed to learners.

Learners will be invited to rank elective preferences.

Elective assignments are determined through a structured matching process that considers:

• Learner preferences;
• Available elective capacity;
• Clinical site availability;
• Rotation schedules;
• Urban Hub assignments;
• Educational requirements;
• Operational considerations.

Every effort will be made to support learner interests; however, assignment to a preferred elective cannot be guaranteed.

Where remediation or additional support is required, the Program reserves the right to assign elective experiences that best support learner development.

Rural and Regional Elective Funding Support

To support learner participation in elective opportunities across Saskatchewan and to reduce potential financial barriers associated with temporary relocation, the MPAS Program may provide financial support for approved elective experiences in designated rural, regional, or underserved communities.

The purpose of this support is to:

• Enhance learner exposure to diverse clinical practice environments.
• Support distributed clinical education across Saskatchewan.
• Encourage exploration of practice opportunities in rural, regional, and underserved communities.
• Contribute to broader healthcare workforce recruitment and retention efforts.

Eligible elective experiences will be identified by the MPAS program and may include communities outside of the program's primary Urban Hubs.

The type and amount of support may vary based on factors such as location, travel requirements, accommodation needs, available funding, and program priorities. Support may be provided in the form of a stipend, reimbursement, arranged accommodation, or other approved mechanisms.

Funding availability, eligibility requirements, and administrative processes will be communicated to learners as part of the elective selection process. The MPAS program reserves the right to determine eligible locations and available support on an annual basis.

Learner-initiated Elective Requests

Learners wishing to arrange an elective opportunity not included within the Elective Catalogue may submit a written request to the Director of Faculty & Clinical Placements.

Requests should include:

• Proposed clinical site;
• Proposed supervisor;
• Learning objectives;
• Proposed dates;
• Rationale for the experience.

Approval is subject to:

• Educational suitability;
• Preceptor qualifications;
• Site capacity;
• Affiliation agreement requirements;
• Liability considerations;
• Program resources.

Approval must be obtained prior to any arrangements being finalized.

For required Rural Longitudinal Clinical Experiences (11 weeks), the MPAS Program will arrange and fund program-managed housing accommodations where applicable.

Learners are generally responsible for arranging and covering housing costs associated with elective clinical experiences in urban hubs.

Where housing support or financial assistance is available for approved rural or remote elective opportunities, information regarding available supports will be communicated to learners in advance.

Learners are expected to participate fully in all assigned clinical experiences and meet the requirements established by the University of Saskatchewan, the MPAS Program, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), and clinical placement sites.

Clinical placements are governed by the Saskatchewan Health Authority Clinical Placement Agreement and associated schedules, as amended from time to time, as well as applicable site-specific policies, procedures, and onboarding requirements. Learners are responsible for ensuring they meet all placement prerequisites and requirements before and throughout their clinical experiences.

Requirements may include, but are not limited to:

• Immunization and communicable disease requirements;
• Mask fit testing requirements;
• Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check requirements;
• Occupational health and safety requirements;
• Blood and body fluid exposure procedures;
• Privacy, confidentiality, and information security requirements;
• Site orientation and onboarding requirements;
• Clinical documentation requirements; and
• Professional conduct and workplace expectations.

Learners who do not meet applicable placement requirements may be unable to participate in certain clinical experiences until the requirements have been satisfied.

Insurance

University of Saskatchewan PA Trainees are covered under the U of S CURIE insurance policy during all MPAS clinical rotations, including electives. This includes blanket contractual liability, professional and malpractice liability, cross liability, and tenant’s legal and employer’s liability arising out of their clinical rotation duties. Coverage applies to any clinical rotations taken within Canada.

Workers' Compensation

PA trainees participating in electives or clinical placements (clinical work assignments) located on a First Nation in Saskatchewan, including Urban Reserves, may not be covered by the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB). The MPAS Program cannot guarantee access to the equivalency of Saskatchewan WCB and therefore encourages trainees to maintain insurance sufficient to meet their needs. Workers’ compensation provides coverage based on the average industrial wage for students; we, therefore, recommend that all PA trainees, even those covered by some form of workers’ compensation, obtain additional accident and disability coverage that matches their expected income upon graduation. PA trainees are recommended to speak to a provider/broker licensed to sell accident and disability insurance to determine their individual insurance needs.

Completion of required EPA assessments is an integral component of Year 2 clinical education.

Learners are responsible for actively seeking, completing, and documenting EPA assessments throughout the Clinical Year in accordance with program requirements.

EPA performance data contributes to ongoing assessment of learner progression and readiness for practice.

Concerns related to EPA completion, progression, or performance will be reviewed through applicable MPAS academic assessment and progression processes and may result in additional support measures, remediation activities, or other academic actions in accordance with College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (CGPS) and MPAS policies and procedures.

The Academic Director is responsible for overall oversight of clinical experiences within the MPAS Program. The Director of Faculty & Clinical Placements, in collaboration with the Program Manager and MPAS Office, is responsible for implementation, administration, monitoring, maintenance, and continuous improvement of clinical experience processes and associated procedures.

The MPAS Office is responsible for coordinating learner assignments, communication, scheduling, and operational support associated with Year 2 clinical experiences.

Clinical sites and preceptors are responsible for providing appropriate supervision, learning opportunities, assessment, and feedback in accordance with applicable program expectations and site requirements.

Learners are responsible for complying with all program, site, and placement requirements and for actively participating in their clinical education.