PA education in Canada or Australia, after that, working as a PA in US??

[aussiepharmer]

Hi, I am currently a pharmacy student in Australia and I am planning to move to North America after I graduate soon due to the negative stream of job prospects of pharmacists in Australia(huge saturation and very low salary!). I have also checked the pharmacist license requirements for both US and Canada, which are very tough.

One of my alternatives is applying for a PA program. However, according to my web search, it seems that many US PA programs require GRE or prerequisite subjects(that I have not taken in Australia) for admission. So I also thought about also applying to PA schools in Canada and even in Australia.
These are my questions:
1. What's the starting average salary range for PAs in Canada and Australia?

2. What is the procedure for becoming a PA in the US after you graduate from a PA program in Canada or Australia?

Thanks in advance for all those with inputs!

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[core0]

Hi, I am currently a pharmacy student in Australia and I am planning to move to North America after I graduate soon due to the negative stream of job prospects of pharmacists in Australia(huge saturation and very low salary!). I have also checked the pharmacist license requirements for both US and Canada, which are very tough.

One of my alternatives is applying for a PA program. However, according to my web search, it seems that many US PA programs require GRE or prerequisite subjects(that I have not taken in Australia) for admission. So I also thought about also applying to PA schools in Canada and even in Australia.
These are my questions:
1. What's the starting average salary range for PAs in Canada and Australia?

2. What is the procedure for becoming a PA in the US after you graduate from a PA program in Canada or Australia?

Thanks in advance for all those with inputs!

Given that there are around 8 PAs working in Australia its hard to tell what the salaries will be. The salaries that I have seen quoted have been in the $80k US range (give or take for the strength of the dollar). The Canadian Salaries seem to be in that same range. However, these are for very experienced US PAs. Not sure what a new grad would make in either place. There is a Canadian PA association which may have more information:
http://www.caopa.net/

As for working in the US. Currently to work in the US you must be certified by the NCCPA. The PANCE is only open to graduates of US PA programs. No suggestion that this will change in the near future. If you want to work in the US then you probably need to look at US schools.

David Carpenter, PA-C

 

[aussiepharmer]

Given that there are around 8 PAs working in Australia its hard to tell what the salaries will be. The salaries that I have seen quoted have been in the $80k US range (give or take for the strength of the dollar). The Canadian Salaries seem to be in that same range. However, these are for very experienced US PAs. Not sure what a new grad would make in either place. There is a Canadian PA association which may have more information:
http://www.caopa.net/

As for working in the US. Currently to work in the US you must be certified by the NCCPA. The PANCE is only open to graduates of US PA programs. No suggestion that this will change in the near future. If you want to work in the US then you probably need to look at US schools.

David Carpenter, PA-C

Thanks for the quick reply.
I also looked in to working as an anesthiology assistant in US. Do you have to graduate from a US institution for this career as well?
What are the salary ranges for this career in Canada and Australia?

 

[core0]

Thanks for the quick reply.
I also looked in to working as an anesthiology assistant in US. Do you have to graduate from a US institution for this career as well?
What are the salary ranges for this career in Canada and Australia?

I don't believe that the position exists in Canada or Australia. The Canadians use FPs with additional training in anesthesia. Not sure what the Australians use. AAs are pretty much a US construct. Scotland has a PA-anesthesia program but it has greater limits than the US AAs (no peds for example).

David Carpenter, PA-C

 

[RAMPA]

I don't believe that the position exists in Canada or Australia. The Canadians use FPs with additional training in anesthesia. Not sure what the Australians use. AAs are pretty much a US construct. Scotland has a PA-anesthesia program but it has greater limits than the US AAs (no peds for example).

David Carpenter, PA-C

Canadian AAs

http://www.michener.ca/news/archive/111005.php