Non-Registered Specialist Assessment Program

Background: The NRSAP was developed at the request of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM) who wished to ensure that physicians arriving to work in Manitoba whose registration will be limited to a specialty field of training could meet Canadian/Manitoba standards.  The CPSM therefore approached the division of Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) and the department of Continuing Medical Education (CME) to develop this program.  Representatives from some of the major postgraduate departments were invited to form a working group committee to discuss how this might be done.

Purpose: The goal of the NRSAP is to organize and facilitate clinical assessments of physicians whose registration will be limited to a specialty field of training in order that they may meet CPSM requirements for licensure.  The NRSAP strives to standardize these assessments for each specialty and to ensure that they are carried out in a fair and unbiased manner.

While the purpose of your time at the University of Manitoba is assessment and not training, candidates who have gone through the program report that seeing “how things are done here” and how the system works is very helpful.  They have also appreciated the opportunity to interact with the colleagues that they may be referring to in the future.

Access to program: A program/department, recruiting Regional Health Authority (RHA) or similar bodies, will contact CPSM to ensure that the recruited physician's training meets the  entry to practice requirements as defined by CPSM.  Once the CPSM has approved both the credentials and the licensability of the candidate, the sponsoring institution (e.g. the RHA, university department, etc.) will contact the NRSAP coordinator.  The coordinator will proceed to set up an assessment period appropriate for the specific specialty.

While some of the larger departments are able to assess 2 or more candidates concurrently, most departments are only able to assess one candidate at a time.  This may mean that you will not be able to undergo your assessment at the exact time you would have wanted.

Some very small programs may not have the ability to carry out NRSAP assessments.  The Faculty of Medicine will be unable to provide or to facilitate an assessment service for such specialties.  Some departments, depending on resources, may be able to carry out assessments some years and not others.

Assessment period:  The College requires a minimum 3 month (13 weeks) period of assessment.  The assessment period is standardized within each specialty but may vary in length between specialties.  The duration of the assessment period may therefore vary from 3 months to 1 year and is determined by the individual department.  Most departments require a 3 – 6 month period.  Some departments require a short (several days) orientation period before the assessment proper begins.

You should allow at least a few days in Winnipeg before the assessment begins to facilitate the administrative preparation.  You will need to meet with the College of Physicians and Surgeons and to obtain CMPA (Canadian Medical Protective Association) coverage.  You will also need to meet with the NRSAP coordinator and to register with the PGME division.  At that time you will be asked to sign a letter of understanding (sample enclosed) with the university.  This letter outlines the duration and parameters of the assessment and clarifies that the university does not have any responsibility to provide, or to help you obtain, any further training to remediate any potentially identified deficits.

Please note that the NRSAP reserves the right to terminate an assessment after a period of one month if, in the opinion of the assessing department, the candidate is clearly unsuitable to continue the assessment period.  The criteria for such unsuitability may include the inability to work with colleagues, nursing, and/or allied health professional staff.  In the case of early termination, the NRSAP will have no further responsibility to the candidate or to the sponsoring institution.

Evaluation forms and final report: The format of the evaluation forms used and of the final report varies between departments and programs within departments, but is standardized within these programs.  The format includes evaluations by nursing and relevant allied health professionals.  It also includes evaluation not only of clinical knowledge, skills, and attitudes, but also of the multiple roles of a specialist consistent with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) CanMeds 2000 model.  (More information about CanMeds can be found on the Royal College website www.rcpsc.medical.org.)  The seven CanMeds roles are: medical expert, communicator, collaborator, scholar, health advocate, manager, and professional.

Prior to commencing the assessment, you may request to see a copy of the forms that will be used in your evaluation and to discuss departmental expectations with your assessors.

Assessment costs: The costs of the assessment are borne by the Regional Health Authority or the institution that wishes to hire you.  Costs include program costs, your salary, and your CMPA fees.  You will need a place to stay while you are in Winnipeg.  This should be discussed with whomever is hiring you; the NRSAP does not make housing arrangements.

Your salary and benefits during the assessment period are to be negotiated between you and the hiring RHA or institution.  However, your salary during the assessment period cannot be less than that of a PGY-5 resident (a postgraduate trainee in his or her 5th year of training) based on the current WRHA-PARIM agreement.

Questions and concerns: If at any time during the assessment period you have questions or concerns that are not being addressed by the assessing department or the RHA, you should contact the NRSAP coordinator at 789-3223.

CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS
College of Physicians and Surgeons (Ms. M. Miller): 774-4344
NRSAP program coordinator, CME (Dr. X. Li): 789-3260
Associate Dean PGME (Dr. I. Ripstein): 789-3290

NRSAP Release/Application and Sample Letter