Insights from a PRA assessor

Estimated read time: 3 minutes

Dr. Martins Agwaze has been a PCA assessor for CPSA since May 2022 and previously served as an SPA supervisor. Dr. Agwaze received medical training in Nigeria and South Africa before coming to Canada in 2009.

Tell us about your experience as a PRA assessor.

I’ve been involved in CPSA’s PRA process for many years now, and being an assessor has been a good experience for me. Having practised family medicine in both Nigeria and Canada, I’m in a good position to assess international medical graduates.

Why did you become an assessor?

I thought I knew a lot about family medicine practice, but when I came to Canada, I learned there were some areas that needed fine tuning. The setting is different, and while there are universalities among patients, each country tends to have uniqueness that must be understood and appreciated by physicians.

My own assessment was very useful in helping me integrate. I’ve been practising in Canada for 14 years now, and I’ve discovered there is a need for assessors. I decided I needed to step up and take on this role—it’s so important to help other IMGs integrate into the Alberta healthcare system, for both the IMG and patients across the province.

You have experience as both a PCA assessor and an SPA supervisor. Can you talk a bit about the differences in the two parts of the PRA process?

For assessors, the difference is more about the level of involvement with the IMG. At the PCA level, they are new to Canada and while they are already qualified doctors, they do not yet have experience and exposure to the Canadian health system. It’s like moving into a new house. Even though you’ve lived in other houses, the layout of the new house is different and takes time to learn. As an assessor, you are able to provide guidance to the IMG. This doesn’t involve training or teaching, but rather providing advice on practising in a new country.

When an IMG starts the SPA, it’s a good experience for them because they will have three months to practise independently. At this stage of the PRA, they’re nearly fully integrated into the system and seeing patients on their own, and the supervisor is simply observing the IMG in their practice.

What have you learned as an assessor?

When I was completing my family medicine training, one of the principles I learned is that a family physician is a lifelong learner. Even as an assessor or a supervisor, there’s always room to learn—you can never get to the peak of learning. I find the more I work with PRA candidates, the deeper I get to dig into the field of medicine. It helps to refresh the mind and open more space to acquire more knowledge. Acting as an assessor is a great way to improve oneself. 

What advice would you give to an IMG who would like to come to Alberta to practise?

The salient point is to have the necessary qualifications as required by the college for the jurisdiction the IMG wants to go to—in our case, CPSA. The IMG should find out what CPSA requires and make sure they have that. When working with IMGs, I tell them the practice of family medicine in Canada centres around two main components: communication and documentation. There is a need to strengthen these skills before they decide to come to Alberta or anywhere in Canada.

Are there any resources you recommend to IMGs to help them adjust to their new community?

There are multiple levels of preparing for an international move, the main ones being preparing for the work you’re going to be doing, and the life you’re going to be living. An IMG should ensure they have the credentials and training, and successfully complete exams and other eligibility requirements before beginning the PRA. It’s also important to prepare oneself and one’s family for the experience of joining a new community.

The language and cultural differences of a new environment can be quite sharp, so for the person to have decided to move out of their country they have likely developed the right mindset. Many communities have resources to help IMGs integrate. For example, in Stettler—where I practise—the town has done a lot of good work to welcome newcomers, such as connecting them to family-friendly resources like the recreation centre, library and playground. There are also many families that want to communicate and connect with newcomers. Integrating is a two-way effort between the community and the physician.

During the PCA, you assess a physician who will ultimately be practising in another community. Why is it important to support other communities in the process of bringing in IMGs?

It is very important we do so. In a situation where we have physician shortages across the province, we need to help one another. That’s one of the best ways we can facilitate the entry of IMGs into the system—by helping one another as communities, we help improve community-based access to physicians where we need it most.