This isn’t a traditional classroom.

As a fully online, one-year program, IPM is designed for working professionals who want to apply their learning where it matters most: in their own communities, workplaces, and fields of practice.

You’ll complete interactive online coursework guided by experienced faculty, while also working one-on-one with a mentor to apply your knowledge in real time. Whether you’re leading a project, interpreting research, shifting your communication approach, or implementing new ideas in your organization, your learning is always grounded in the real-world challenges and opportunities of pain care.

Through reflection, dialogue, mentorship, and your Capstone Project, you’ll continuously deepen your understanding — and leave the program with not only new knowledge, but a new way of thinking, practicing, and leading.

The future of pain management depends not only on effective treatments, but on bold, critical thinkers who can educate, advocate, and lead across clinical, community, and policy settings.

As pain science evolves, so too must our approaches to care. Chronic pain, stigma, and the ongoing opioid crisis demand professionals who can critically evaluate evidence, communicate with clarity and empathy, and challenge outdated assumptions about what pain is — and who it affects.

Graduates of the IPM program are prepared to: 

• Think critically about what pain is and how it is socially and scientifically constructed
• Analyze and apply pain research in meaningful, equitable, and context-sensitive ways
• Advocate for better pain-related policy, services, and systems
• Improve communication and empathy in interprofessional and person-centered contexts
• Develop creative, theory-informed solutions to the real-world problems of pain

Throughout the program, you’ll be mentored by experienced professionals who model what it means to lead with empathy, curiosity, and integrity. You’ll learn to integrate those lessons into your own work — and prepare to mentor others in turn.

The IPM program is designed to fit alongside your professional life while offering a rich and rigorous graduate experience. Over the course of one year, students complete a combination of core courses, electives, and a year-long mentored Capstone Project — all delivered fully online through a mix of live (synchronous) and self-paced (asynchronous) learning.

You’ll complete:

• Four full-term core courses, including:
  • Special Topics in Interdisciplinary Pain Management
  • Advanced Topics in Interdisciplinary Pain Management
  • Critical Appraisal of Health Research
  • Advanced Professional Practice
• Three half-credit electives, selected from a curated list aligned with your interests and career goals – with opportunities for additional credentialling through the Certified Health Executive program or the Canadian Academy of Pain Management.
• A year-long Capstone Project, mentored by an expert in the field, where you’ll apply your learning to a meaningful real-world initiative (e.g., research, quality improvement, education, advocacy, or implementation)

Most students dedicate on average 10–15 hours per week to the program, allowing them to continue their employment while deeply engaging with the material and their peers.

Through a partnership with Canada’s only formally-recognized pain-focused clinical credential for medical and non-medical healthcare professionals, for a small additional fee students may elect to substitute one of the 3 elective half-credits to instead participate in the CAPM online learning modules and sit the credentialling exam to become a Diplomate of CAPM. The learning opportunity is administered entirely through CAPM and is open only to students who are (or are eligible to become) regulated health professionals.

Pain doesn’t respect professional boundaries — so this program transcends them.

The IPM program brings together learners and experts from a wide range of fields — including physiotherapy, nursing, social work, dentistry, psychology, medicine, chiropractic, massage therapy, and more — to explore pain from multiple perspectives.

You’ll engage in shared coursework where you not only learn the content but also see how it is applied across disciplines and contexts. As you grow in your own thinking and leadership, you’ll deepen your appreciation for how others approach the challenges of pain care — and discover new ways to collaborate across silos.

In addition to your peers, you’ll connect with:

• Expert guest instructors who consult with the class on specialized topics
• Renowned pain researchers and faculty at Western University
• Practice-based mentors who support your learning and Capstone development

The result is a graduating cohort that is not only deeply aware of current trends and topics in pain, but also interconnected, collaborative, and ready to lead change together.

By the end of the program, you won’t just know more about pain — you’ll be equipped to lead, advocate, and make meaningful change across contexts. Graduates of the IPM program demonstrate mastery in five core competencies:

• Interprofessional Collaboration
  Work effectively across professions, valuing diverse expertise to address the complex nature of pain.
• Self-Awareness and Reflexivity
  Examine your own assumptions, biases, and values — and understand how they shape your approach to care, research, and leadership.
• Critical Reasoning and Creative Problem-Solving
  Think beyond established protocols to develop thoughtful, context-sensitive responses to real-world challenges in pain care.
• Empathic Practice and Communication
  Build strong relationships rooted in empathy, ethical awareness, and effective dialogue with patients, colleagues, and communities.
• Pain Expertise
  Demonstrate a comprehensive, evidence-informed, and socially responsive understanding of pain and its many dimensions.

Mentorship is a cornerstone of the IPM experience. Throughout the program, you'll engage in meaningful, one-on-one mentorship that helps you translate learning into action — in your own context, on your own terms.

You’ll work closely with a team of experienced mentors, including frequent opportunities to engage with Dr. David Walton, a recognized pain expert, educator, and advocate at Western University. In addition, you’ll be paired with (or supported in identifying) a Capstone Mentor — someone you trust and respect as a leader, who will guide and support the development of your year-long Capstone Project.

Your mentor doesn’t need to be a pain specialist — they are someone who can help you connect ideas to action and serve as a thoughtful collaborator throughout your journey.

Mentorship is flexible and shaped around your goals and availability, with up to 100 hours of engagement over the course of the year. Whether through project work, dialogue, observation, or feedback, how that time is used is up to you and your mentor.

Your Capstone Project might involve:

• Conducting a small-scale research study or systematic review
• Creating advocacy or public education resources
• Developing or evaluating a new policy, pathway, or clinical document
• Coordinating a conference, roundtable, or community event
• Implementing a pain-related initiative within your organization

Program staff will support you in securing a suitable mentor, ensuring you’re well-positioned to make the most of this experience.

In the IPM program, learning isn’t limited to lectures or assignments — it’s woven into your practice, your community, and your professional world.

You’ll engage with graduate-level coursework, real-world projects, and mentorship experiences that help you apply knowledge in meaningful ways. Whether through scholarly activities, community-based initiatives, leadership roles, or collaborative projects, you’ll have the opportunity to demonstrate your growth across each of the program’s five core competencies.

To successfully complete the program, students must:

• Meet academic expectations in course-based learning
• Demonstrate mastery of all five core pain competencies
• Complete and present a year-long Capstone Project

How you meet these requirements will reflect your context, goals, and passions — and you'll be supported throughout the journey.

Graduation isn’t the end of the road. Many alumni continue to stay involved through mentoring new students or leading initiatives within the growing IPM network. It’s a community of changemakers committed to reimagining how we think about, respond to, and lead change in pain.

The IPM program is structured such that the majority of students will complete within a 12-month period running from September to the following August.

In addition to completing the online application, applicants are required to submit the field-specific supplemental materials outlined below. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all supplemental application materials are uploaded as part of their online application.

Applicants to the Pain Management program are required to submit the following supplemental requirements as part of the application:

• CV/Resume
• Academic Transcripts
• Proof of current registration to practice (if a healthcare professional) or proof of employment or routine professional alignment with an entity related to pain management.
• A statement describing the provisions in place to allow time for the requirements of the program
  
  • e.g. agreement from employer for some degree of protected time, some indication that work can be conducted in parallel with degree requirements
• A personal statement answering the question: "Why have you chosen to apply to this Interprofessional Pain Management program?"

• Applicants whose first language is not English must provide evidence of their proficiency in the use of the English language by a satisfactory achievement within the last two years in one of the following: 
  
  • The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum acceptable score is 105 (internet-based test); 620 (paper-based test); 260 (computer-based test). [Western's TOEFL ID is 0984]. 
  • The International English Language Testing Service (IELTS Academic). The minimum acceptable score is 7.5 out of 9. 
  • The Duolingo English Test.  The minimum acceptable score is 135.
• Applicants who are required to present evidence of proficiency in English must make their own arrangements to complete one of the above tests or programs and to have the official results sent directly to SGPS by the testing agency. 
• The English language proficiency requirements outlined above do not apply to students from Quebec 

Have questions about applying?

Email ahcp@uwo.ca.

To apply to the Interprofessional Pain Management program, students should:

• Visit the  online application website
• Follow the instructions on that page to access the application
• Select "Advanced Health Care Practice" from the program options in the application and select the appropriate field

Application Deadline

• Applications will open November 1^st and close June 15^th

The annual domestic tuition fee for this program is approximately $14,000 CAD including ancillary fees (plus $2,100 mentor fee i.e. $700 CAD/term***) which is payable over three terms (September, January and May).

The annual international tuition fee for this program is approximately $37,000 CAD including ancillary fees (plus $2,100 mentor fee i.e. $700 CAD/term***) which is payable over three terms (September, January and May).

These fees are subject to change and are set by Western University. Instructions for students paying tuition from a Canadian bank are available from the Office of the Registrar.

***Please note all fees including mentorship fees and course fees are currently under review and are subject to change and adjustment***

OSAP Eligible

I have not been in school for a while, what if I can’t acquire two academic references?

Students who have not been in school for more than five years may use a person who is not affiliated with a university (non-academic) reference for one of their letters.

What happens if I apply on time, but my references or transcript aren't available until after applications close?

• Applications will not be considered by the admission committee until they are complete
• Starting May 1, the limited spots that are available in the program will be filled by students who have provided complete applications
• Students are strongly encouraged to have applications complete at least two weeks prior to the deadline (May 1) to allow sufficient time for other requirements (transcripts, reference letters) to be delivered

Have you received a complete application from me?

Students may contact the AHCP Program Assistant ( ahcp@uwo.ca) at any time to check on the status of an application.

When can I expect to hear whether I have been accepted into the program?

The admission committee will review completed application files beginning mid-March each year. This committee makes recommendations for admission to the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS), which reviews required documents to confirm all requirements. Provided all requirements have been met, SGPS will send out a letter of offer of admission by email to the applicant directly. This typically occurs in late May.

Am I eligible to apply if I don’t have two years of clinical experience?

Students can still apply but the admission committee does consider the amount of clinical experience as a criteria for selecting successful applicants.

What constitutes advanced computer skills?

The Advanced Health Care Practice program is a course-based graduate program with many of the required courses delivered using online learning tools. Courses are comprised of several modules each of which include resources (readings, lecture notes, etc.), and learning activities (structured discussions, scheduled teleconferences, assignments, or quizzes). An orientation on how to access and use many of the online learning tools will be provided during the first residency period.

Are there any additional fees outside of tuition for the school year?

All AHCP students pay the same graduate fees. Those students involved in the mentorship program, are levied a fee in addition to graduate fees.

If English is not my first language, what do I need to do?

Applicants whose first language is not English must provide evidence of English language proficiency; the TOEFL or an IELTS is recommended. A minimum TOEFL score of 620 (paper-based), 105 (internet-based), 260 (computer-based) or an IELTS score of 7.5 is required.

Students who, after admission, show an inadequate command of spoken or written English must improve their proficiency to the satisfaction of the School of Physical Therapy.

Students may be asked to withdraw from the program if their command of English interferes with their ability to provide quality professional services.

Students who are required to present evidence of proficiency in English must make their own arrangements to write the TOEFL and to have the official results sent directly to the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

How do I provide proof of Malpractice Insurance?

Please bring a copy of your Malpractice Insurance with you on the first day of orientation.

Can I access computer resources after class hours?

Students have access to Elborn College and the computer labs at all times during residency periods.

How much time should I expect to devote to the program?

Students must be registered as full-time graduate students in the AHCP program. Students are encouraged to continue to work clinically (part-time) during the program in order to be able to incorporate new knowledge and skills into their clinical practice.

Students can expect to devote at least 20 – 30 hours/week to program related activities (i.e. studying, reading, assignments etc).

Can I enroll in courses to complete requirements for competencies?

Yes, students have the option to enroll in relevant courses to gain the required learning competencies. Students can choose from a number of graduate-level online courses in the Faculty of Health Sciences, pending consultation and approval from the AHCP program assistant.