Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Physician assistants, midwives and people in this group provide primary health care and treatment along with physicians and other health professionals.
Physician assistants provide a range of health services to patients. They also deliver preventive and continuous care toward managing patients' health.
Midwives provide full-course care to women and their babies during the pre- and post-natal period.
This group also includes professionals, such as genetic counsellors, orthoptists and pathologists' assistant who work with primary health occupations.
Genetic counsellors assess individual or family risk of genetic conditions and provide information to promote informed choice.
Orthoptists diagnose and treat binocular disorders. They work under an ophthalmologist.
Pathologists' assistants assist at autopsies and examinations of surgical specimens and may perform autopsies under a pathologist's supervision.
Job Titles
Duties
This group may perform some or all of the following duties:
Physician assistants:
- Conduct patient interviews, physical assessments and take medical histories
- Perform or order diagnostic tests and interpret results
- Formulate and implement treatment plans and monitor patients' progress
- Inoculate and vaccinate patients
- Perform and assist in minor surgery
- Provide health maintenance education
- May participate in research activities
Midwives:
- Provide primary, full-course, care to women and their babies during pregnancy, labour, birth and the post-natal period including monitoring the health of mother and baby
- Manage labour and spontaneous normal deliveries
- Care for, assess and monitor the health of newborns and refer infants to appropriate medical services as required
- Provide advice and guidance regarding care for newborns and young infants
Genetic Counsellors:
- Provide information and support to families affected by or at risk of a genetic disorder
- Gather and analyze family history and inheritance patterns, calculate risks of recurrence, and provide information about genetic testing and related procedures
- Develop action plans and refer individuals and families to other health professionals
- Design and conduct genetics training programs for other healthcare professionals or the public
- May conduct research in the field of medical genetics and genetic counselling
Orthoptists:
- Help ophthalmologists in the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders by performing specialized eye tests to measure and assess defective binocular vision or abnormal eye movement in patients
- Prescribe treatment such as eye exercises or patching
Pathologists' assistants:
- Prepare for autopsies by obtaining patients' medical records and arranging for radiographic examinations
- Assist with or perform autopsies and surgical specimen examinations under pathologists'
supervision - Assist with preparation of provisional autopsy report
- Dissect, examine, weigh and photograph organs and specimens, collect tissue samples for chemical analysis and record findings
- Discard specimens according to established safety procedures
- Clean and maintain instruments, equipment and supplies
- May prepare bodies for release to funeral homes following completion of autopsies
- Develop and maintain processes for laboratory quality control
- May supervise and train junior resident pathologists and morgue attendants
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
280% Employed Full Time
61%Physician assistants usually work in private practice, including group or team practices, hospitals and clinics.
Midwives work for hospitals, clinics, birthing centres or in private practices.
Genetic counsellors work in private practice, hospitals, clinic and research institutes.
Orthoptists work in private practices or clinics.
Pathologists' assistants work for hospitals and universities.
Career Pathways
Orthoptists may also be trained as ophthalmic technicians or technologists. Orthoptists often work as part of a medical team which includes ophthalmologists, opticians and other ophthalmic medical personnel.
There is no mobility between these occupations without further training.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
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For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
Physician assistants
- Physician assistants must complete a university degree in a physician assistant program
- Physician assistants must register with a regulatory body in Manitoba and New Brunswick
Midwives
- Midwives must complete an undergraduate university degree program in midwifery or its equivalent and a period of supervised practical training
- Midwives in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut must register with a regulatory body
Genetic Counsellors
- Genetic counsellors usually need a master’s degree in genetic counselling and certification with the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors (CAGC)
Orthoptists
- Orthoptists must have a bachelor's degree and must complete a two-year accredited training program
- Orthoptists must get certification with the Canadian Orthoptic Council
- Continuing education is required for recertification with the Canadian Orthoptic Council
Pathologists' assistants
- Pathologists' assistants usually need a master’s degree in a pathologists’ assistant program
- Employers usually need certification by the Canadian Certification Council of Pathologists’ Assistants, the American Society for Clinical Pathology – Board of Certification, or Pathologists’ Assistant Certification Examination
- Membership in the national association, Canadian Association of Pathologists, is voluntary, but may be required by some employer
Midwives who are certified for an occupation by a regulator elsewhere in Canada can apply for the same certification from the regulator in B.C. Under the terms of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), most applicants who are transferring their credentials from elsewhere in Canada will not be required to complete additional training or testing. However, the B.C. regulator may ask applicants to provide further information such as a letter of good standing, references, or criminal record check.
For those who trained outside of Canada and never received certification from any Canadian jurisdiction, a full assessment is likely needed. Most occupational regulators have a process for assessment and recognize internationally trained applicants.
Contact the BC College of Nurses and Midwives for details on how to apply for certification in B.C.
For information about labour mobility in Canada, visit www.workersmobility.ca.
View a list of Professional Regulatory Authorities in B.C.
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Registered Nursing (RN) Related
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
280Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 0 | 0.0% |
| Kootenay | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 170 | 60.7% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 0 | 0.0% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 20 | 7.1% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 70 | 25.0% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
140Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
| Kootenay | Not available | Not available |
| Mainland/Southwest | 90 | 1.9% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 10 | 1.8% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 40 | 2.1% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 130 |
| Educational Services | 10 |
Resources
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B.C. Ministry of Healthwww.gov.bc.ca/health
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British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM)www.bccnm.ca/Pages/Default.aspx
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Canadian Association of Midwives – Job Opportunitiescanadianmidwives.org/job-listings
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Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM)canadianmidwives.org
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Canadian Association of Physician Assistants (CAPA)capa-acam.ca
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College of Midwives of British Columbiacmbc.bc.ca
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Doula Services Association (Birth and Postpartum Doulas in British Columbia)www.bcdoulas.org
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Fraser Health – Careerscareers.fraserhealth.ca
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Health Match BCwww.healthmatchbc.org/
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Interior Health – Jobsjobs.interiorhealth.ca/
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Island Health – Careerswww.islandhealth.ca/careers
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Midwives Association of British Columbia (MABC)www.bcmidwives.com
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Northern Health – Careerscareers.northernhealth.ca/
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Provincial Health Services Authoritywww.phsa.ca/
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Vancouver Coastal Health – Careerscareers.vch.ca
Career Videos
Watch the video below to see what a day in the life of a midwife is like.
Watch the video below to see what a day in the life of a midwife is like.
