Physician assistant license

About

Physician Assistants (PAs) are regulated in Nova Scotia starting April 1, 2024. All PAs practising in Nova Scotia must be registered and licensed with the College.

To be licensed as a PA in Nova Scotia, you must:

  • have secured employment through one of Nova Scotia Health’s (NSH’s) physician extender programs
  • satisfy eligibility requirements as detailed in the Physician Assistant Licensing policy

Find out about certification or the PA profession in Canada through the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants.

Before you apply

  1. Ensure you meet all qualifications for licensure listed in the credentials checklist.

  2. Obtain a letter of offer from Nova Scotia Health for employment in an approved physician extender program in the province.

Credentials

Recognized degree

Graduate of a:

  • Canadian physician assistant program accredited by the Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (PACCC); 
  • American program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA); or
  • A physician assistant program accredited by the General Medical Council (GMC) in the United Kingdom (UK) or accepted for registration by the GMC.

Physician Assistant Certification

Certification with Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (PACCC), the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), or the Royal College of Physicians*.

If you have completed your training within the last five years but have not yet achieved certification, you will be considered for licensure if you remain eligible to challenge the exams. You will have two years to obtain certification following licensure in Nova Scotia.

*In the UK, the Royal College of Physicians administers the physician associate national examination (PANE) which will become the physician associate registration assessment (PARA) in September 2025.

Currency of practice

Complete at least 450 hours of clinical practice in the scope you intend to practice in Nova Scotia within the five years preceding your start date in Nova Scotia.

Completing your application

Complete the Physician Assistant licence application [PDF, 330 KB]

Upon submission, your Registration Agent will set up your application in the system. You will receive notification and access to a list of required documents to complete your application for licensure.

After licensure

NSH has an internal Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program for which you will need to remain current. Learn more about the College’s CPD requirements.

If you are certified with PACCC, make sure your certification is up to date.

Renew your licence with the College every year. Find details about annual renewal.

The College acknowledges that we are in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. This territory is covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship. We also acknowledge that people of African descent have been in Nova Scotia for over 400 years, and we honour and offer gratitude to those ancestors.