Episode #10: Allie Penrose, Dalhousie MPAS Graduate | Pioneering the PA Path in Nova Scotia
Following the success of the 2019 Nova Scotia Health PA pilot in Orthopaedic Surgery, the Physician Assistant role expanded into emergency departments and primary care across the province.
“Dalhousie announced the program and it felt like the perfect timing for me to switch it up and start my career as a PA.”
- Allie Penrose, Dalhousie MPAS Graduate
In January 2024, Dalhousie University launched its two year, full time Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program, welcoming an inaugural cohort of 24 students.
Episode Summary
In this episode, we’re joined by Allie Penrose, a Dalhousie MPAS graduate who takes us through her transition from a niche background in organ and tissue donation to becoming one of the first PAs trained in Nova Scotia.
If you’re planning to apply to the Dalhousie MPAS program, this conversation is a great roadmap for navigating the PA Admissions process and learning about life as a student in the PA Education Program
What We Cover in This Episode:
Finding the “Right” Fit: Why Allie chose the PA profession over other paths like OT or med school after a deep dive into her career options.
Dalhousie MPAS Admission Requirements: A look at the stats, including the 3.0-3.7+ GPA scale, prerequisite courses, and the specific residency requirements for Atlantic Canadians.
Leveraging Your Pre-PA Background: How Allie used six years of healthcare experience in organ donation and cell therapy to build a competitive application.
Life in the Didactic & Clerkship Year: Allie describes Dalhousie’s case-based learning model, working in cadaver labs, and the intensity of a January-start curriculum.
The “First Face” Pressure: What it’s like to be the first PA many rural and urban Nova Scotia providers have ever met.
Advice for future PA Students: Tips on managing Imposter Syndrome, prepping for the MMI, and why "being comfortable with the uncomfortable" was her motto for PA school.
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1. Allie’s Pre-PA Journey
04:49 Getting exposure: networking, hospital jobs & role clarity
06:51 PA awareness in Nova Scotia: advocacy & pioneering the role
2. Dalhousie PA Admissions
08:05 Dalhousie PA admissions breakdown: prereqs, GPA, seats & residency
14:44 Finding Health Care Experience: shadowing & connections
24:13 GPA vs the ‘whole picture’: what really makes an applicant stand out
3. Dalhousie MPAS Student Experience
31:09 Studying Smarter: Cutting Down Resources & Setting Time Limits
32:42 Clerkship Reality Check: Unpredictable Schedules + Being the First PA Face
34:44 Can You Work During PA School? Sleep, Exercise, and Burnout Tradeoffs 3
5:30 City vs Rural Rotations: Where You Learn the Most (Nova Scotia Placements)
37:22 After Graduation: Licensing, Starting Family Medicine, and Job Hunting as the First Cohort
37:57 Did PA School Prepare You? Confidence, Clinical Skills, and Knowing Your Limits
39:16 How to Explain What a PA Does: The Elevator Pitch + Value to Employers
4. Advice for future PA Students
On Pioneering the PA profession in Nova Scotia:
“You’re really the first interaction that anyone has had with a PA. So you ready to advocate, educate and stand up for the profession. It was never a deterrent for me.
It was more like, ‘okay, let’s put on the advocacy hat and show everyone how amazing PAs can be as part of the team’”
-Allie Penrose, Dalhousie MPAS Student
Key Takeaways
Journal and self-reflect to ensure your values align with the PA professions scope of practice, competencies and collaborative nature
Finding strong health care experience hours: Especially in tight knit communities like Halifax, reaching out for shadowing any health care provider is helpful for understanding the day to day reality of working in a clinical environment
About Our Guest
Allie Penrose, MPAS, CCPA
My name is Allie Penrose and I grew up in Halifax, NS. I’ve always been involved in sports and wellness, and from a young age knew I wanted to work in healthcare. I completed my undergraduate degree at Acadia University in Biology and Psychology (Neuroscience), then worked at the QEII Regional Tissue Bank assessing donor eligibility and assisting with surgical tissue retrieval.
Working closely with a variety of healthcare professionals helped me identify the path that best aligned with my long-term goals, and when Dalhousie University launched its Physician Assistant program, it felt like the perfect fit.
Outside of school, you’ll usually find me at the gym, spending time with friends and family, reading, or planning my next trip!
Connect with Allie
Instagram: @alliepenrose_
Connect with Dalhousie MPAS:
Instagram @dal.mpas
Ask a Dal PA Student: askadalpas@gmail.com
General inquires: mpas@dal.ca
Admissions: pa.admissions@dal.ca
