Pathway 4 – New Zealand experiential
This pathway is for physician associates who have experience practising clinically in New Zealand.
Prerequisites
You can apply for registration through this pathway if you:
- hold a qualification approved by the General Medical Council for registration as a physician associate/assistant; and have successfully completed the Physician Associate Registration Assessment (PARA) or the Physician Associate National Examination (PANE); and hold current full registration as a physician associate/assistant with the General Medical Council; or
- hold a qualification accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) for state licensure as a physician associate/physician assistant in the United States of America; and have successfully completed the Physician Assistants National Certification Examination (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA); and maintained current certification with the NCCPA; or
- hold a physician assistant qualification accredited by Accreditation Canada and recognised by the Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (PACCC) and have successfully completed the Physician Assistant Entry to Practice Certification Examination administered by the PACCC, and maintained current certification with the PACCC
and
- have practised clinically for at least 36 months (working at 0.5 full-time equivalent or more) during the last 5 years, in New Zealand, United Kingdom, the United States of America or Canada, including at least 24 months’ practice in New Zealand immediately prior to application. This work must have been undertaken in the same or a similar area of clinical practice to the proposed position in New Zealand; and
- provide evidence of satisfactory completion – within 12 months prior to applying for registration – of a Council-approved induction programme that orientates physician associates to the New Zealand health environment.
Applying for registration
You can apply for registration via this pathway if you:
- meet all the prerequisites; and
- have a job offer that includes supervision.
Before you apply for registration, please refer to PA Checklist 4 to find out what documents you will need to submit for us to consider your application.
To make an application, you will need to email all application documents to physicianassociates@mcnz.org.nz in a single email.
You must work with your employer to complete your application, as there are documents that can only be completed by your employer.
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Application for registration as a physician associate in New Zealand.
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Checklist 4: New Zealand experiential - checklist for registration in New Zealand.
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Approval of position and supervision form
Primary source verification of documents
Before submitting your application for registration, you must send the required documents for primary source verification to the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates’ Credential Verification for Health Professionals (ECFMG CVHP) service. The verification process can take time, and we cannot start processing your application until we have received evidence that this process is underway.
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All physician associates applying for registration in New Zealand must have key documents verified from their primary source. Council uses the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates’ (ECFMG) Credential Verification for Health Professionals (CVHP) service to do this.
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Special instructions for physician associates applying for registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand
Registration meeting
The purpose of the registration meeting is to confirm your identity, complete registration formalities, and to discuss your supervision requirements while working in New Zealand.
Following the meeting and once payment for your practising certificate has been received, we will grant you registration within the Physician Associate Provisional scope and you will be issued with a practising certificate. Please allow three days after your meeting for your practising certificate to be issued. You cannot practise in New Zealand until your registration has been confirmed and you have a practising certificate. You can only work within the endorsement and any conditions specific to you noted on your practising certificate.
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All doctors and physician associates coming to New Zealand to practise for the first time must attend a registration meeting and be able to produce the information we have asked for.
Working under supervision
You must work under supervision while registered in the physician associate provisional scope of practice. Please see the link below for further information about supervision.
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Physician associates must only practise in a setting where onsite supervision is available whether registered in the Physician Associate Provisional or Physician Associate General scope of practice. This means that they must not be rostered to practise solo in any healthcare setting.
Variations
Your practising certificate will include an endorsement allowing you to work under approved supervision and employment.
You cannot work outside the requirements of your Physician Associate Provisional scope of practice and any specific requirements imposed by Council. You must apply for a variation to the endorsement on your practising certificate if your employment, supervision, position or location changes.
You need to apply for a variation via your myMCNZ portal at least 20 days in advance of your planned change. You must then wait for Council to confirm that the change has been approved before commencing work under the new arrangement.
Progression to Physician Associate General scope
Progression to registration in the Physician Associate General scope of practice is not automatic. You can apply for a change of scope once you have:
- completed 6 months (fulltime equivalent) working in the Physician Associate Provisional scope of practice; and
- received satisfactory supervision reports for the 6 months of practice completed immediately prior to applying for registration in the Physician Associate General scope of practice; and
- gained current advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) certification less than 12 months old at the standard of New Zealand Resuscitation Council CORE Advanced for physician associates working in hospital-based practice; or CORE Immediate for physician associates working in general practice (or an alternative certificate approved by Council); and
- been recommended for registration in the Physician Associate General scope of practice by your Council-approved supervisor, who has been your supervisor for at least 3 months immediately prior your application.
If you do not achieve these requirements within a 12-month period, you need to continue to work under supervision until you have.
Time limitation
Registration in the Physician Associate Provisional scope of practice is time limited to a maximum of 36 months from the date of registration in that scope of practice.
If you have not completed the requirements of the provisional scope of practice and successfully obtained registration in the Physician Associate General scope of practice within this time, your registration in the Physician Associate Provisional scope of practice will expire.
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Application for a physician associate general scope of practice