SIPPA: the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment

Requirements and how the program works

SIPPA is comprised of two parts, Orientation to Family Practice in Saskatchewan and the Clinical Field Assessment (CFA).

• There are typically three SIPPA iterations per calendar year

• Candidates who are selected for SIPPA are:

• Provided accommodation for the duration of the in-person orientation and assessment

• Provided stipend while participating in SIPPA

• Required to sign a three-year return of service agreement to provide service in a specific underserved rural community in Saskatchewan

IMGs residing in Saskatchewan can apply to a Saskatchewan government grant to have required SIPPA eligibility expenses reimbursed up to $6,000. This includes Medical Council of Canada (MCC) fees such as:

• Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE)

• National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) Examination

• Therapeutics Decision-Making (TDM) Examination

• Application for medical registration (AMR)

  AND

• English proficiency

• Review of qualifications of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS)

Only expenses incurred after December 1, 2022, are eligible for reimbursement. To apply for the grant, IMGs must register with the IMG Support Program.

Requirements and procedure

• Medical degree from a school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools

• Interview for sponsorship/ family practice suitability

• Enter SIPPA – Centralized Orientation and Clinical Field Assessment (CFA)

• Postgraduate training with a generalist scope. May include rotations in family medicine, emergency medicine, internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and psychiatry. Other postgraduate training will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• Successfully completed a postgraduate/internship/residency training program in family medicine that is a minimum of 12 months in duration. You require training or practice experience in the areas of general surgery, pediatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics & gynecology and psychiatry. If you are deficient in a rotation, you will need to be able to prove experience practising in the area of deficiency as an independently practising family physician.

• Completed three years of full-scope practice as a family physician if your post-graduate /internship / residency training program was less than 24 months in length

• Submit documents for source verification through the MCC’s physiciansapply.ca account

• Have a pass result on the MCCQE

• Have a pass result on either the MCCQE Part II (2021 or before) or the NAC Examination

• Pass the TDM Examination

• Obtain and maintain a preliminary ruling from the CPSS. Provided that your Review of Qualifications and supporting processes are successful you will be issued a Preliminary Ruling from the CPSS. The Preliminary Ruling will indicate that you are eligible for an Educational License and allows you to be considered for selection. Preliminary Rulings are subject to expiration if any of the time-sensitive requirements expire.

• SIPPA accepts most responsible physician (MRP) Family Medicine, licensed Clinical Assistant/Associate Physician work, and relevant additional post-graduate training as currency of practice, and will consider GP-Specialist practice.

• A Saskatchewan Health Authority family practice suitability sponsorship interview.

• Permanent residency is not a requirement, however if you are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, it is your responsibility to obtain a work permit.

Program structure and duration

• Orientation: This initial phase, lasting about five weeks, includes an introduction to the Canadian health care system

• Clinical field assessment: Typically lasts around 12 weeks. During this period, candidates are assessed on their clinical skills and competencies in a real-world health care setting in Saskatchewan

• Licensing and supervision: Candidates who successfully complete the Clinical Field Assessment will begin practice as a family physician in the community to which they were assigned for their return of service. Candidates also enter SIPPA supervision, while on a provisional licence, which spans approximately two years. Physicians under supervision are actively engaged in a continuing education program with regular feedback and coaching, meaningful support and a facilitated pathway to full licensure.