Introduction: Physician assistant (PA) students present unique challenges and opportunities for support in a health sciences academic library. This cohort often comprises of learners with diverse educational backgrounds, ranging from undergraduate to advanced degrees. In Fall 2024, the University of Manitoba physician assistant program significantly expanded, doubling its enrollment. As part of their academic journey, every student must complete a capstone project, which requires meeting with a librarian to support an in-depth literature review. To meet this growing demand and enhance the effectiveness of librarian consultations, a search template form was developed.

Description: The search template was designed as a step-by-step worksheet to provide help in developing a search in a health sciences database. The template discusses the important components of the search strategy, including concepts, keywords, controlled vocabulary, database syntax, and links to external resources at every step.

Outcomes: This tool was distributed to PA students prior to the librarian consultation to provide a structured guide for building complex searches in health sciences databases. The aim was not only to equip students with essential skills for conducting systematic searches but also to facilitate more productive consultations with librarians by creating a shared framework for discussions. With the increase in students and diminished librarian capacity, the template became instrumental to adequately supporting this program.

Discussion: In this presentation, we will share how the search template form has been integrated into our instructional and consultation practices, providing tailored support to physician assistant students as they navigate the complexities of their capstone projects.