Licensing guide · Nova Scotia

How to Become a Physician Assistant in Nova Scotia

Last checked 1 source checkedNOC 31303

Do you need a licence?

Licence required

You must be registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia to work as a physician assistant in Nova Scotia or to use a protected title.

Protected titles
physician assistant, P.A.
Show the source
“All physician assistants practising in Nova Scotia must hold a Physician Assistant Licence. Only persons holding a Physician Assistant Licence may use the designation ‘physician assistant’ or ‘P.A.’ or any derivation or abbreviation of those designations.”

From cpsns.ns.ca/registrants/physician-assistants/policies/physician-ass..., checked October 10, 2026.

At a glance

Licence status
Licence required See the source
Routes
Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia
Annual fees
Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia

Your roadmap

The steps are not listed yet.

Check the current steps with College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia.

Requirements

Conditions the regulator sets on top of the roadmap steps.

Education

  • Applicants must be a graduate of a Canadian PA program recognized by PACCC, an American program accredited by ARC-PA, or a UK program accredited by or accepted for registration with the GMC.

    Source
    “Applicants must be a graduate of one of the following: - a Canadian physician assistant program recognized by the Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (PACCC), or - an American physician assistant 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.”
    cpsns.ns.ca/registrants/physician-assistants/policies/physician-ass...

Experience

  • To be considered current for practice, a physician assistant must have practised at least 450 hours within the last five years before the proposed practice start date in Nova Scotia.

    Source
    “To be considered current for practice, a physician assistant must have engaged in practice for at least 450 hours within the last five years to the proposed practice start date as a physician assistant in Nova Scotia.”
    cpsns.ns.ca/registrants/physician-assistants/policies/physician-ass...

  • Candidates must not have been out of practice for more than five years.

    Source
    “Candidates must not have been out of practice for more than five years.”
    cpsns.ns.ca/registrants/physician-assistants/policies/physician-ass...

Police check

Insurance

Good character

Other

Already licensed in another province?

Not stated

The pages do not state how someone already licensed in another Canadian province or territory can register in Nova Scotia.

Source
“A Physician Assistant Licence can only be registered on the Conditional Register maintained by the College.”
cpsns.ns.ca/registrants/physician-assistants/policies/physician-ass...

Processing time: Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia

Check a move between two provinces

Credential assessment

Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia

Exams

Language tests

Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia

Compare scores across provinces and professions

Canadian experience

Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia

Supervised practice

Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia

Demand and pay

Job Bank figures for NOC 31303, Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals. Wages for 2024 in Canadian dollars an hour; outlook for 2025-2027.

Job Bank wages and outlook in Nova Scotia and Canada
WhereLowMedianHighOutlook
Nova Scotia $34.24 $46.11 $58.81 Good (4 of 5)
Canada $24.09 $46.81 $60.26 —

Wages by region and job outlook in Nova Scotia

Wages in every province and territory

Physician assistants in other provinces and territories

Regulated in 3 of the other 12 jurisdictions checked so far. The rules differ from one place to the next.

  • British Columbia Not confirmed yet
  • Alberta Licence required
  • Saskatchewan Not confirmed yet
  • Manitoba Licence required
  • Ontario Not confirmed yet
  • Quebec Not confirmed yet
  • New Brunswick Licence required
  • Prince Edward Island Not confirmed yet
  • Newfoundland and Labrador Not confirmed yet
  • Yukon Not confirmed yet
  • Northwest Territories Not confirmed yet
  • Nunavut Not confirmed yet

Compare physician assistant licensing across Canada

Sources checked

Pages read on October 10, 2026.

  1. Physician assistant licence: requirements and conditions | College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia cpsns.ns.ca/registrants/physician-assistants/policies/physician-ass... · fetched October 10, 2026

Frequently asked questions

2

Do you need a licence to work as a physician assistant in Nova Scotia?

Yes. Registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia is required to practise in Nova Scotia, and to use the title physician assistant or P.A.

Which exams are required?

Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (PACCC) certification exam, National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) certification exam, physician associate national examination (PANE).

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