OVERVIEW
The Practice Ready Assessment – Manitoba – Family Practice (PRA MB FP) program provides an accelerated pathway to assessment and licensure for internationally trained physicians (ITPs) who have completed postgraduate training and are capable of independent practice in Family Medicine. Applicants to the program must have completed their postgraduate training and have prior experience practising independently outside of Canada.
Candidates are expected to demonstrate clinical competencies that meet the standards of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM) and align with the professional expectations for Canadian trained family physicians as defined by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC).
The PRA MB FP is an accelerated assessment program, NOT a training program. Candidates are expected to enter the program with the knowledge, skills, and professional attributes required for independent family practice in Canada and to demonstrate these competencies consistently throughout the assessment process.
A. CPSM APPLICATION SUBMISSION
Applicants are strongly encouraged to review all eligibility requirements prior to beginning the application process. Eligibility information is available on the CPSM website.
All applications for registration must be submitted through a PhysiciansApply account. Only applications that are verified as eligible by CPSM will be considered for referral to the University of Manitoba.
B. UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA SHORTLISTING
Candidates who meet CPSM eligibility requirements will be referred to the University of Manitoba for an internal review. Applications will undergo a structured shortlisting process based on program criteria, workforce needs, and assessment capacity.
C. INTERVIEWS and PRA MB-FP Admission
Highly ranked candidates will be contacted directly and invited to participate in an interview with a panel that includes interested Service Delivery Organizations (SDOs).
Following the interview process, candidates recommended for acceptance will receive a formal offer from an accepting sponsor, which includes a Return of Service (ROS) agreement outlining the terms and location of service following successful completion of the program.
Although not a requirement, we do recommend the following courses: ATLS, ACLS, AIME, BLS, procedural sedation, PALS, as preparation prior to the assessment and to facilitate privileging upon successful completion of the assessment program
D. ORIENTATION
All candidates must participate in a mandatory two-week orientation prior to the start of the Clinical Field Assessment. Candidates are expected to be fully available during this period. Several days of orientation will require in person attendance.
Orientation focuses on preparing candidates for assessment expectations, Manitoba’s health system context, documentation standards, and professional practice requirements.
E. CLINICAL FIELD ASSESSMENT
The assessment is designed to evaluate physicians in authentic clinical settings using competency-based assessment (CBA) principles. Over the course of the Practice Ready Assessment (PRA) period, physician assessors observe candidates in practice over time, gathering both direct and indirect evidence of performance. This includes how candidates manage patient care, communicate with patients and colleagues, document clinical encounters, and make clinical decisions.
Each candidate is issued an assessment license through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM) for the duration of the PRA, which typically spans 12 weeks. The assessment is divided into three (3) *4-week blocks, each completed at different assessment sites in Winnipeg as well as rural communities across Manitoba.
Clinical practice areas include:
- Clinic-based family practice
- Emergency medicine
- Hospitalist medicine
- Urgent care
- Personal care home practice
During this period, candidates practice in supervised clinical environments under the guidance of MCC-trained physician assessors.
Housing is arranged and provided to the candidate for the duration of the assessment period. Candidates are provided a salary as well as a travel stipend for travel BETWEEN the three assessment sites.
Candidates should be prepared to relocate between assessment sites, as each one month block is completed in a different clinical setting and community across Manitoba.
F. ASSESSMENT TOOLS
Using a digital platform, the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) provides assessment and reporting tools designed to support fair, standardized, and unbiased assessments.
The suite of assessment tools, together with a Key Task (KT) approach, focuses on clinical competence, and the ability to provide safe, high-quality patient care within Manitoba’s health system.
These tools are utilized by assessors and candidates to provide real time feedback throughout the assessment period. The assessment data is then collated and brought forth to the competence review committee.
G. RESULTS and COMPETENCE REVIEW COMMITTEE (CRC)
A formal, trained Competence Review Committee (CRC) meets regularly to review each candidate’s progress and assign a formal status. The CRC reviews aggregated assessment data to determine whether a candidate is suitable for endorsement for licensure.
To be deemed competent, candidates must demonstrate sufficient performance across the required competencies within their determined scope of practice, at a level of entrustment established by PRA-MB-FP’s CRC.
Possible CRC outcomes include:
Results are typically communicated to candidates within 4–6 weeks following completion of the assessment period.
H. PROVISIONAL LICENSURE
Successful completion of the Practice Ready Assessment does not result in automatic licensure. Candidates must separately meet all requirements for Provisional Registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba before being authorized to practice medicine in Manitoba.
I. SUPERVISED AND MENTORED PRACTICE
Following a successful Clinical Field Assessment and issuance of provisional licensure, candidates will commence practice in an underserviced community as outlined in their Return of Service agreement.
Ongoing supervision is provided by the College and Physicians of Manitoba and mentorship is provided by the University of Manitoba’s mentorship program to support physicians during the transition to independent practice in Manitoba.
Apply now to the PRA MB-FP program
Submitting an application does not guarantee admission to the PRA MB-FP. Incomplete applications or those that do not meet mandatory requirements will not be reviewed.
