For anyone interested in the Physician Assistant (PA) profession in Canada. Especially if you are preparing to apply to PA school, a current PA student or those working alongside PAs and wanting to understand the role better. Featuring practicing PAs and current PA students, we talk about what the job actually looks like, how people get into the profession, and the realities of training and working as a PA in Canada.
37: Justin Lautenbach | From Orthopaedic Surgery PA to Aesthetic Injector
Justin Lautenbach is a McMaster-trained PA who has spent over a decade building a multi-specialty career that spans outpatient Orthopedics, chronic pain, and now aesthetic medicine under his own brand, Hamilton Botox (http://hamiltonbotox.ca/).
What you'll learn:
How to move from a PA student in clinical clerkship to a licensed, practicing PA in Orthopaedic Surgery
What milestones are required to co-found and manage an outpatient medical practice
How to master ultrasound guided injections, procedures through pattern recognition and expert feedback
What the physician-directed model looks like for PAs in the business of aesthetic medicine
View full episode show notes & resources: canadianpa.ca/podcast/37 (canadianpa.ca/podcast/37)
Follow Justin:
Instagram: @HamiltonBotox (http://www.instagram.com/hamiltonbotox)
Visit Justin's Website: hamiltonbotox.ca (hamiltonbotox.ca)
EPISODE OUTLINE
PA SCHOOL & EARLY CAREER:
00:00 Introduction: Meet Justin
04:51 Justin's First Job as an Orthopaedic Surgery PA
BUILDING A PRACTICE
09:18 ArthroBiologix: Co-Founding an Outpatient Orthopaedic Practice
16:24 Finding PA Mentorship through Networking
PROCEDURAL MEDICINE & ULTRASOUND
17:41 Building Competency in Procedural Medicine & Ultrasound-Guided Injections
28:50 Orthopaedics vs. Chronic Pain: Differences in Approach
AESTHETIC MEDICINE
34:39 From Botox for Migraines to Aesthetic Medicine
39:30 Founding Hamilton Botox: Running a PA-Led, Physician-Directed Aesthetic Business
41:06 How PAs Can Get Started in Aesthetic Medicine
43:05 Aesthetics: The Business Side of Medicine
WORK-LIFE & CAREER SUSTAINABILITY
48:26 Managing Multiple Clinical Roles without Burning Out
54:36 OrthoPA Network: Building a Community of PAs
PA ADVICE & THE FUTURE OF THE PROFESSION
56:12 Advice Justin Would Give to His New PA Grad Self
58:34 Challenges of Pioneering the PA Profession in New Provinces & Territories
FOR PA EMPLOYERS: WORKING WITH PAs
1:00:49 The Business Case for Hiring a PA
1:06:17 How to Advocate for Your Own Learning
1:08:23 Final Notes
13 Mar 2026
36: Allie Penrose, Dalhousie MPAS | Pioneering the PA Path in Nova Scotia
Allie Penrose is a graduate of the inaugural Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) cohort at Dalhousie University and part of the first group of Physician Assistants practicing in Nova Scotia. Prior to PA school, she spent six years in specialized clinical roles at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, working in organ and tissue donation and stem cell transplantation. This experience provided direct exposure to high-acuity care, surgical environments, and longitudinal patient interaction, reinforcing her decision to pursue clinical medicine through a non-physician pathway.
Before committing to the PA profession, she evaluated multiple healthcare roles including respiratory therapy, occupational therapy, anesthesia assisting, and physiotherapy. In this episode, she outlines her approach to the Dalhousie MPAS application process, including managing a compressed timeline and preparing for the MMI with limited lead time.
She also discusses first-year workload and burnout, second-year clinical training, and the realities of entering practice in a province where the PA role is still emerging.
View full show notes, resources and transcript:
👉 canadianpa.ca/podcast/36 (http://canadianpa.ca/podcast/36)
IN THIS EPISODE:
Part 1: Allie’s Pre-PA Journey
00:22 Meet Allie
01:28 Discovering the PA profession
04:49 Getting healthcare exposure
06:51 PA awareness in Nova Scotia
Part 2: Dalhousie PA Admissions
08:05 Dalhousie PA Admissions overview
14:44 Building strong healthcare experience
16:55 Staying organized during PA Apps
19:56 MMI interview prep
24:13 Does GPA determine competitiveness
Part 3: Inside Dalhousie PA School
25:46 Inside Dalhousie MPAS
31:09 Study strategies that worked
32:42 Clerkship as the first PA student
34:44 Can you work during PA school
35:30 Rural vs urban rotations
37:22 Licensing and first PA jobs
37:57 How PA school prepared Allie
39:16 Explaining the PA role to employers
Part 4: Advice for Future Applicants
41:44 Advice for Pre-PA students
43:33 Study tools and apps
45:25 Final thoughts
CONNECT:
Instagram
@alliepenrose_ (http://instagram.com/alliepenrose_)
@dal.mpas (https://www.instagram.com/dal.mpas/)
@canadian.pa (http://instagram.com/canadian.pa)
@canadianpapodcast (http://instagram.com/canadianpapodcast)
RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED
Recommended Books for MMI Preparation (/prepabooks)
Dalhousie MPAS Admissions Information (https://medicine.dal.ca/departments/PAStudies/admissions.html)
Nova Scotia PA Pilot Project (https://www.nshealth.ca/news-and-notices/successful-pilot-orthopedic-physician-assistants-leads-permanent-roles-and)
Practicing as a PA: College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia (https://cpsns.ns.ca/registrants/physician-assistants/physician-assistant-resources/) (CPSNS)
PA Resource Page: CPSNS (https://cpsns.ns.ca/registrants/physician-assistants/)
Celebrating PAs in Nova Scotia for PA Day (https://physicians.nshealth.ca/news/celebrating-physician-assistants-across-nova-scotia)
LEARN MORE ABOUT PAs IN CANADA
Free Canadian PA Admissions Comparison Chart 👉 http://canadianpa.ca/admissionspdf (http://canadianpa.ca/admissionspdf)
List of PA Programs in Canada 👉 http://canadianpa.ca/paprograms (http://canadianpa.ca/paprograms)
What is a PA? 👉 http://canadianpa.ca/whatisapa (http://canadianpa.ca/whatisapa)
CANADIAN PA COMMUNITY
Facebook Group 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadaprepa (https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadaprepa)
Discord Community 👉 canadianpa.ca/discord (http://canadianpa.ca/discord)
Join the Community 👉 canadianpa.ca/join (http://canadianpa.ca/join)
6 Jan 2026
35: Sonya P, Calgary PAS2 | Success after 3 PA Admission Cycles
Sonya P. is a first-year student at the University of Calgary’s MPAS program who gained acceptance into PA school in her 3rd round of applications. In this video, she shares how she navigated rejection, what changed the second time around, and what life’s been like in her first year of PA school.
View full episode show notes:
canadianpa.ca/podcast/35 (http://canadianpa.ca/podcast/35)
IN THIS EPISODE:
Part 1: Discovering the PA Path
00:42 How Sonya Found the PA profession
03:26 Shadowing PAs First Time
04:10 Sonya’s Pre-PA Stats
07:01 Her Acceptance Journey
Part 2: Sonya’s Experience with PA Admissions
07:50 Reapplying After Rejection
13:14 Applying Out-of-Province
14:46 Inside Calgary Admissions
16:49 CASPer Test Strategy
19:43 References That Matter
Part 3: Inside PA School
22:50 Starting PA School
23:47 Calgary MPAS Program Structure
27:44 How PA Students Study
30:58 Best Study Tools
Part 4: Real PA Student Life
34:54 Day in PA School
38:00 Balancing School and Life
40:02 What Second Year Brings
Part 5: Advice for Applicants
42:28 Preparing for PA Practice
44:13 Advice for Pre-PAs
45:14 Fixing Application Weaknesses
47:30 Managing Application Deadlines
CONNECT WITH CANADIAN PA
IG @canadian.pa (http://instagram.com/canadian.pa)
IG @canadianpapodcast (http://instagram.com/canadianpapodcast)
YT: youtube.com/CanadianPA (http://youtube.com/CanadianPA)
Canadian PA Community:
Pre-PA Facebook Group
Pre-PA Discord Chat
Subscribe to the Canadian PA Community
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