In this online program, students work remotely with an experienced mentor to build individualized learning competencies within their own work environments. Throughout the program, students build an e-portfolio to demonstrate how they’re applying the knowledge they’re accruing, and to measure its effect on their practice. Through entrustable professional activities (EPAs) provided by the mentor, such as case studies and journal submissions, students are encouraged to continuously reflect on their learning and knowledge application.

As part of an emerging field, pain management experts are imperative in educating other clinicians on the importance of evidence-informed pain-management practice, and integrating that knowledge across healthcare environments.

Additionally, in a health landscape that is facing pain-management challenges like the current chronic pain crisis, advanced health care practitioners can engage in public health education and knowledge sharing, empower patients and advocate on their behalf. Graduates of the Interprofessional Pain Management program are prepared to face these challenges through learning activities that promote the development of their leadership, communication and public education skills.

Working with practice-based and clinical mentors provides students with the opportunity to observe how their mentor approaches their roles as a leader and educator, and recognize how these can be integrated into their own practice and their own future opportunities to become mentors.

Full-term courses in this program are not required but are available to help students build evidence of their competencies. Students are strongly advised to take a course in Critical Appraisal of Research and Special Topics in Pain Management, which involves weekly meetings with a Pain Management expert and program peers.

Through weekly online discussions, students hear from clinicians at the forefront of the pain management field, and engage in interprofessional discussion and collaboration with their classmates. Learners are exposed to different perspectives in pain management, and become familiar with the public education needs within the field.

This program encourages learners to share their knowledge and publish articles on a public education forum. Students have the chance to apply their communication and advocacy skills in practice. They are also asked to conduct research and make an oral presentation as part of the program, which prepares them to engage in thought leadership beyond their graduate education.

The Pain Management program is interdisciplinary by nature, bringing together clinicians from diverse backgrounds. Students learn content together, and explore how to apply it in different ways within their own practice. Throughout the program, students learn with, from, and about each other and share how pain management actualizes within their own profession and those of their colleagues.

Students also develop connections with the various experts that consult with the class, the leading pain management researchers at Western University and their clinical mentors. The result is a graduating cohort of advanced health care practitioners that are connected by their shared expertise, and able to leverage their interdisciplinary network to promote collaboration across professions. Some of the experts students will have the opportunity to interact with within the virtual classroom include:

Through successful completion of this program, students will have demonstrated mastery of five key competencies:

1. Interprofessional Collaboration
2. Self-Awareness and Reflexivity
3. Critical Reasoning and Creative Problem-Solving
4. Empathic Practice and Reasoning
5. Pain Expertise

A key component to this program is the academic/clinical mentorship requirement. Students will be assigned their own academic mentor with whom they will meet for standing meetings every two weeks. They will be expected to work with the academic mentor and the program to identify a suitable clinical mentor from whom they would like to learn. This clinical mentor need not necessarily be an expert in pain management, but should be seen as a trusted and respected clinician with whom the learner can engage for a minimum of 15 hours (five hours per term). The nature of this engagement may look different for different learners dependent on context and geographic accessibility. Examples would be discussions of complex patient cases, shadowing, direct mentorship in the clinic, discussions about new clinical knowledge, or learning of new clinical techniques. Learners will maintain a log of each mentorship session, and the clinical mentors will receive a small stipend for their provision of mentorship hours.

Satisfying the clinical mentorship requirement includes:

• Engagement with approved clinical mentors
• Submission of an engagement log at the end of each term demonstrating the hours completed and the nature of the mentorship
• A minimum of five hours per term (15 hours total) of direct interaction between student and clinical mentor
  • These critical interactions should also be captured throughout the student’s portfolio as evidence of mastery of one or more of the required competencies

Students are responsible for securing their own clinical mentor(s).

Although learners may elect to complete a course as a foundation for competency, this program recognized that learning can occur in far more contexts than the classroom. This program includes a series of entrustable professional activities that can be completed under real-world clinical contexts. These include recorded patient interactions and reflections, deep conversations with interprofessional colleagues and staff, capture and interpretation of clinical outcomes, creation of new clinical knowledge through rigorous case-based or N-of-1 type research, and oral conversations and defenses of ideas with experts and peers. Most of the evidence of mastery can be demonstrated in a routine clinical practice, the only difference is that during this program learners will be required to capture, interpret, and reflect upon much of what is traditionally lost as the 'data exhaust' of daily practice.

Instead of a thesis, through the program learners will add their growing evidence of mastery to an electronic (e-)portfolio. Through collaboration with the learner, academic and clinical mentors, the learning team will decide when enough evidence has been accrued for any of the 5 competencies, and that sub-portion of the e-portfolio will then be sent to an independent content expert examiner for review and a judgement of whether the information within demonstrates adequate mastery. There is no oral defense.

If the examiner deems that the content does not demonstrate adequate mastery, the learner has a second chance to bolster the evidence through additional learning activities and can resubmit one time.

This program allows students to progress through the program at their own pace, taking the necessary time to master each of the five key competencies. While enrolled in the program, students should expect to dedicate an average of 5-10 hours per week to learning activities. It is anticipated that the majority of students will accrue evidence of mastery of the five key competencies within 10-12 months of starting the program. The maximum time allowed to complete the program is 18 months.

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
• Proof of routine exposure to a clinical population
  • e.g. proof of employment in a clinical setting, if self-employed then some indication of the practice, like a sample daily caseload (de-identified), clinic website with clinician name listed, etc.
• 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 English language proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS is recommended)
• A minimum TOEFL score of 620 (paper-based), 105 (internet-based), 260 (computer-based) or an IELTS score of 8 is required
• Students who, after admission, show an inadequate command of spoken or written English must improve their proficiency to the satisfaction of the Faculty of Health Sciences
• 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
• The English language proficiency requirements outlined above do not apply to students from Quebec

Have questions about applying?

Book a one-on-one 15-minute call today or email ahcp@uwo.ca.

To apply to the Wound Healing 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

• June 1
  
• Applications may be accepted after that date if space is available
• Offers of admission are sent out beginning in late April and continue until the program is filled

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 8 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.

As a student in Advanced Health Care Practice master's program, you're eligible for advanced standing toward the Certified Health Executive (CHE) designation.

The CHE is Canada's top professional leadership designation for healthcare leaders looking to expand their institutional leadership career.

Western is now a LEADS Canada certified learning provider supporting the CHE designation. The LEADS framework was established by the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL) and addresses health leadership for individuals, organizations, and broader systems.

If you opt in to the CHE, you must complete the following:

• Submit a detailed project proposal by mid-September, 2023
• Complete APPLHSCI 9001 (required) and APPLHSCI 9015 (elective)
• Complete a LEADS 360 Assessment and 90-minute debriefing
• Complete a CHE-designed capstone experience that includes:
  • Meeting regularly with your CHE mentor
  • Developing an organizational change, strategic planning or program evaluation project
  • Organizing and facilitating a program-wide leadership day in collaboration with the other CHE students

For more information, email: ahcp@uwo.ca