Important Updates

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.

Due to the discontinuation of the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part II (MCCQE2) exam, the NAC Examination (NAC OSCE) will continue to be an accepted examination to meet the current prescreen requirement of MCCQE2 or NAC OSCE. The required scores remain in effect. Detailed prescreen eligibility requirements can be found on the saskdocs website. 

Selection into SIPPA is a competitive process and meeting the minimum requirements, including achieving an acceptable pass standing on the NAC OSCE or MCCQE2, does not guarantee selection for the SIPPA program. Details about these examinations can be found on the Medical Council of Canada’s website at www.mcc.ca.

For the purpose of meeting Pre-Screen licensure eligibility requirements for the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA), the accepted NAC Examination (NAC OSCE) score for examinations written in October 2021, will be a minimum score of 1400. 

Effective December 9, 2021 the CASPer exam will no longer be a requirement for an applicant to be eligible for selection to the SIPPA program.