The Nova Scotia Practice Ready Assessment Program (NSPRAP) is an assessment program to ensure that international medical graduates (IMGs) who wish to practice family medicine in Nova Scotia possess appropriate clinical skills and knowledge to provide quality patient care. NSPRAP operates under the auspices of the Dalhousie Department of Family Medicine with the financial support of the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, in collaboration with the Nova Scotia Health Authority and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia.
The NSPRAP requires experienced family physicians to be physician assessors of IMGs who have applied to the NSPRAP. Physician assessors work alongside and supervise these candidates for six-week periods in family practice settings to help determine whether they are ready to practice independently with defined licenses in Nova Scotia.
Primary Assessors - FAQs
- What is the NSPRAP?
The Nova Scotia Practice Ready Assessment Program (NSPRAP) is an assessment program to ensure that international medical graduates (IMGs) who wish to practice family medicine in Nova Scotia possess appropriate clinical skills and knowledge to provide quality patient care. NSPRAP operates under the auspices of the Dalhousie Department of Family Medicine (DFM) with the financial support of the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness (DHW), in collaboration with the Nova Scotia Health (NSH) and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia (CPSNS).
- How long is the time commitment?
As a Primary Assessor, you will work alongside and supervise these candidates in family practice settings for a 6-week period to help determine whether they are ready to practice independently with defined licenses in Nova Scotia.
- What do I have to do?
Primary Assessors receive mandatory training with respect to the evaluation tools and methods used in assessing candidates. Secondary Assessors are welcome to participate in the training, but it is not mandatory. As an assessor, you will be compensated at the current 2022/23 MSI sessional rate ($160.80) to attend 3-4 hours of asynchronous training (reviewing on-line modules) and approximately 6 hours of virtual synchronous training. This training is also useful for assessing undergraduate and postgraduate students. Training allows you to claim up to 6 hours of certified Mainpro credits.
Primary Assessors are responsible for performing the following activities:
- Providing an orientation of the candidate to the clinical field assessment (CFA) site including all available local and regional healthcare services.
- Providing exposure to clinical situations as appropriate for the purpose of candidate assessment in multiple clinical settings (i.e., office care, in-patient care, and long-term care).
- Assessing candidate’s practice readiness at the level of a Canadian trained new family physician entering practice. Assessors must become familiar with the CFPC Evaluation Objectives and Sentinel Habits and use, as needed, the training materials made available to them.
- Assessing candidate’s basic communication skills.
- Providing feedback to the candidate and completing the required daily assessment forms documenting their performance during the clinical field assessments.
- Completing all evaluation reports (i.e., field notes) are submitted electronically via One45 daily, at the end of 3 weeks (mid-point report); 6 weeks (final report) at the conclusion of the CFA.
- How much do I get paid?
There is remuneration associated with this role for the six weeks the candidate is placed in a CFA site. Compensation consists of a designated payment which is allocated by the primary assessor among all secondary assessors at the CFA site.
Each assessor will be paid at the 2022/23 MSI sessional rate of $160.80 for the following activities:
- Supervision - 2 hours per workday
- On call supervision - 2 hours per week
- Weekly evaluation - 2 hours per week to provide daily feedback and complete daily evaluation forms
- Reporting (mid & final) - 2 hours (primary assessors only)
Assessors can also bill for patients seen by the candidates because they are being supervised by assessors who remain the most responsible physician in the provision of care.
- What’s in it for me?
- How can I get more information about the NSPRAP?
For more information about being a Primary assessor please see the NSPRAP website.
- How do I sign up?
If you are interested in becoming a primary assessor, please contact Dr. Fiona Bergin at Fiona.Bergin@Dal.ca for further information or Gwen MacPherson at info@nsprap.ca for any inquiries.
