Important Updates
Starting June 1, 2026, there will be an important change to the currency of practice program requirement for the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA) program.
Current requirement (before June 1, 2026):
- Three (3) months of currency in the last three years
New requirement (starting June 1, 2026)
- Six (6) months of currency in the last three years
Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee selection. The SIPPA program is competitive, and only a limited number of applicants are accepted each year.
Effective January 2024, the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) will be offering 3 sessions of the Therapeutics Decision-Making (TDM) Examination per calendar year. TDM Examination dates can be found on the Medical Council of Canada website.
Candidates continue to have a maximum of four TDM Examination attempts, which includes a maximum of two pass results. Candidates who receive a fail result are ineligible to apply to the consecutive examination session.
Effective immediately, a PASS standing on the NAC Examination (NAC OSCE) will be accepted to meet the SIPPA pre-screen eligibility requirements. This change applies to all sittings of the NAC examination, March 2013* forward.
A PASS standing on either the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part II (MCCQE2) exam OR the NAC Examination (NAC OSCE)* will be accepted to meet this SIPPA pre-screen eligibility requirement.
Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on candidates and PRA programs, the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) and Practice Ready Assessment (PRA) programs have decided to extend the TDM Examination result validity period from two to three years for the exam sessions directly affected by the pandemic.
For a list of the exam sessions affected see MCC’s website.
Applicants to SIPPA will need to continue to meet all eligibility criteria. It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure expiring criteria, including the TDM, is in place during the CPSS assessment, up to and including the start date of the coming SIPPA iteration so they can continue to be considered for the program. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS) is aware of this recent change and will be in contact with you, please do not contact them.
Applicants to SIPPA should be aware that it is a competitive process and that achieving a pass standing on the TDM Examination does not guarantee selection for the SIPPA program.
SIPPA would like to provide an update regarding an upcoming change in how the supervision of physicians on a provisional license will be operationalized. While the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS) will maintain oversight for supervision, the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA) will become responsible for delivering all elements of supervision for physicians who successfully complete the Clinical Field assessment (CFA) and are issued a provisional license in January 2023 or later.
This change will promote continuity of the relationship that SIPPA builds with physicians who come through the Practice Ready Assessment program by extending through their supervision phase to the point when they attain their regular licensure. Beyond chart audits, physicians under supervision will be actively engaged in a continuing education program with regular feedback and coaching, meaningful support and a facilitated pathway to full licensure.
If you are currently on a provisional license and working with a CPSS-approved supervisor, nothing changes for you or your supervisor. Please continue to engage in your supervised practice and submit the supervision reports to the CPSS as per your supervision schedule. Current CPSS supervisors will have the opportunity to participate in future supervision through SIPPA and if interested are invited to contact the SIPPA office.
Effective March 01, 2022, SIPPA applicants who have not yet achieved the NAC OSCE requirement will be permitted to sit the TDM examination. All other requirements must be satisfied to be eligible for an invitation to sit the TDM. The TDM examination’s durability is two years.
Applicants will need to obtain the NAC OSCE and meet all other eligibility criteria as set out by saskdocs and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan and reach a Final Ruling in time to be selected for an iteration within those two years to be considered for SIPPA selection.
Applicants to SIPPA should be aware that it is a competitive process and that achieving a pass standing on the TDM Examination does not guarantee selection for the SIPPA program.
Candidates who have been deemed eligible by a PRA program to sit the examination will receive instructions on how to schedule their exam from the MCC, directly through their physiciansapply.ca account. Candidates may connect directly with the MCC through their physiciansapply.ca account or service@mcc.ca, where staff are available to answer questions.
The 2023 TDM Examination sessions are planned for January 11 and June 6.
For more information about the TDM Examination, please visit the MCC’s TDM Examination webpage.
Effective January 1, 2023 all applicants who sit the NAC PRA TDM Examination will pay a fee of $2355.