Masters degrees in Physician Assistant Studies train postgraduates to work under the direct supervision of a doctor, performing examinations, diagnosing illnesses and analysing test results.
Related subjects include Physician Associate Studies and Clinical Education. Entry requirements typically include an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject such as Nursing or Medicine.
Physician Associate (formerly known as Physician Assistant) is a rapidly growing healthcare role in the UK, working alongside doctors in hospitals and in GP surgeries. Physician Associates support doctors in the diagnosis and management of patients. They are trained to perform a number of roles including: taking medical histories, performing examinations, analysing test results, and diagnosing illnesses under the direct supervision of a doctor.
To understand what a Physician Associate does on a day-to-day basis, Health Education England have produced this informative Day in the Life of a Physician Associate video.
We also run a flexible MSc Physician Associate programme for those who already have their Postgraduate Diploma from a UK or Irish institution.
Please note: the British Physician Associate programme does not qualify you to work in the USA.
The University of Birmingham has been training Physician Associates (formerly Physician Assistants) since January 2008. As one of the longest running programmes in the country, we are delighted to offer this opportunity to graduates to make a valuable contribution to the nation’s health. We work in partnership with hospitals and practices in the Midlands and beyond.
The development of the profession has been led by the Department of Health and has involved the Royal Colleges of Physicians and of General Practitioners as well as the profession itself through the former UK Association of Physician Associates (UKAPA) which is now the Faculty of Physician Associates at the Royal College of Physicians. University of Birmingham staff have taken a key role in the development of the programme at a national as well as a regional level in response to need identified by local healthcare providers. Successful completion of the programme will qualify you to practise as a Physician Associate in the UK.
Please note: the UK PA training programme does not qualify you to work in the USA.
The course
The course leaders regard integration of theory and practice as fundamental to clinical learning.
Regulation
All students will be registered with the Faculty of Physician Associates at the Royal College of Physicians. Graduates currently join a Managed Voluntary Register.
This is a very intense course with a large amount of knowledge and skills to acquire in a relatively short time. You will need to dedicate at least 50 hours each week to learning, much of it by yourself and with your learning set.
At the University of Birmingham we believe in very close integration between the theory learning (‘the hip is a ball and socket joints and the femur anatomy is as follows’ and clinical learning (‘when people fracture their hips it happens like this, they present like this, and your understanding of the hip anatomy enables you to understand why and how hips fracture’). You will also link theory and practice by learning, say, how to examine a hip on each other, on a simulated patient and (often) on a real patient before you see such a patient in a clinical environment.
Birmingham-trained Physician Associates have been very successful in the NHS jobs market with most of our graduates on NHS Agenda for Change Band 7 (starting at £31,383 p,a.) or higher.
Our graduates are working all across the UK (although about half have stayed in the West Midlands) and in a wide range of specialties including: general medicine, acute medicine, cardiology, paediatrics, breast surgery, trauma and orthopaedics, mental health, emergency medicine and General Practice. Many have also chosen to go into teaching and research (part-time while maintaining clinical duties), with five of our graduates currently teaching here at Birmingham.
The number of NHS Trusts and Practices seeking Physician Associates (and the average number working for each Trust/Practice) has increased rapidly throughout the last few years, and we would expect that number to continue to increase at a similar pace over the next few years.
Start your career early while saving a year of tuition through this combined degree program that awards a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences and a Master of Physician Assistant Studies in just six years. During the pre-professional phase, you’ll begin where leading physicians, professors, and other health care practitioners all initiate their careers—by studying how living organisms function, survive, adapt, and evolve.
After you successfully complete the first three years of the pre-professional phase, you may transition to the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies.
Thanks for your interest in the Life Sciences, B.S./Physician Assistant Studies, M.S. program.
The combined program will enable you to achieve B.S./M.S. degrees in six years. It includes a three-year phase of undergraduate courses and a three-year phase of graduate courses.
This is a top-up programme designed for students who have already graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Physician Assistant/Associate Studies from a UK or Irish university. This a flexible programme so you can work professionally while studying for your Masters.
You will identify a research project in liaison with a Birmingham academic. You will then be supervised through gathering the data and analysis and write-up and hopefully publication.
A Masters qualification for a PA is an important step into the higher echelons of the profession, especially for those aiming for leadership roles in the NHS or in academia.
Careers Support for Postgraduate Students
Careers Network – We can help you get ahead in the job market and develop your career
We recognise that as a postgraduate student you are likely to have specific requirements when it comes to planning for your next career step. Employers expect postgraduates to have a range of skills that exceed their subject knowledge. Careers Network offers a range of events and support services that are designed for all students, including postgraduates looking to find their niche in the job market. The Careers Network also have subject specific careers consultants and advisers for each College so you can be assured the information you receive will be relevant to your subject area. For more information visit the Careers Network website.
Physicians Associates support doctors to diagnose and manage patients mostly in hospital settings but you may also work in busy GP practises. Currently PAs work in England and Scotland in a wide range of speciality areas. Physician Associates were brought into the medical profession to meet the demands of the NHS. They were introduced in 2015 to tackle workload pressures of GPs. The Faculty of Physicians Associates is currently working to gain statutory registration for PAs. The Secretary of State has mandated that there should be 1000 PAs working in Primary Care by 2020.
At Aberdeen you will be trained to provide a thorough range of PA duties and you will often diagnose, take medical histories, perform examinations, analyse test results and develop management plans. You will have the chance to choose general surgery, emergency medicine, reproductive health and paediatrics as a specialism. The university has a long established history in teaching medicine. It is ranked 7th in the UK for medicine (Guardian University Guide 2016).
The role of Physicians Associate is a relatively new area and it is designed to supplement the diagnostic needs within busy medical settings which involve specialist hospital doctors so that they could concentrate more on specialist consultancy and other areas of work. You have employment options across the UK. If you want to be a Physicians Associate this programme gives you the knowledge, skills and attitudes to practice in the UK in many different clinical settings as part of multidisciplinary healthcare teams. This programme is offered in partnership with NHS Grampian.
Year 1
Year 2
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
This programme is intended for existing health care practitioners or graduates with a science background who wish to work as part of the anaesthetic team.
The Physicians' Assistant (Anaesthesia) is a health professional who will expand the anaesthetic service and make operating theatres work more efficiently. You will work alongside other members of the anaesthetic team and under the supervision of your anaesthetist.
The programme will develop a practitioner role that enables the anaesthesia team to have more staff working differently. Presently in the UK only doctors who have had specialist training in anaesthesia can administer anaesthetics.
The PA(A) is a health professional who will expand the anaesthetic service and make operating theatres work more efficiently. You will work alongside other members of the anaesthetic team and under the supervision of your anaesthetist.
The programme is studied over 27 months full-time which includes 24 months of academic study and clinical training, followed by 3 months of supervised practice.
Students who have satisfactorily completed the 120 taught credits of the Postgraduate Diploma: Physicians’ Assistant (Anaesthesia) will have the option of transferring to the Physicians’ Assistant (Anaesthesia) MSc Programme. Award of the MSc will require the completion of an additional 60 credit Dissertation module, which would take the form of a research project of their own choosing. The MSc is self funded costing £1980 in 2014/2015 (subject to change each year).
Related links
For further information about the role of PA(A)s, training and entry requirements please visit the Royal College of Anaesthetists website: http://www.rcoa.ac.uk
Although they have very similar names the Physicians' Assistant (Anaesthesia) and the Physician Associate programme are very different programmes. If you are interested in joining the Physician Associate Postgraduate Diploma please visit the web pages for more information.
The programme is made up of 12 two-month blocks of teaching. Each block lasts for approximately 35 days to allow for holidays and is broken down as follows:
A typical week may consist of:
The blocks are as follows:
This programme is part of a structred training programme for the role of Physicians' Assistant (Anaesthesia) or PA(A).
This programme of study, skills development and placement experience allows you to build upon a first degree in biosciences, life sciences or health sciences in order to function as a qualified physician associate.
The programme teaches you to assess, diagnose and manage medical problems competently, consulting with patients presenting with a variety of specified conditions on behalf of, and under supervision of, a senior experienced doctor.
By the end of the programme, you will be able to deliver holistic medical care and treatment to a standard defined by the National Examination for Physician Associates, which will enable you to work in either Primary or Secondary Care.
The programme consists of eight taught modules.
On successful completion of the programme, students will receive a Post Graduate Diploma in Physician Associate Studies, but will also need to sit a National Examination comprising a written paper and OSCE examination, set by the Faculty of Physician Associates at the Royal College of Physicians, in order to be able to practise in the NHS.
On passing the National Examinations, the graduate can be registered on the National Register (currently a Voluntary Register but awaiting accreditation and appointment of a Regulatory Body). The graduate can only work as a physician associate in the NHS if he/she is on this National Register.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
Physician associates support doctors in the diagnosis and management of patients. As a physician associate, you might work in a GP surgery or be based in a hospital, but wherever you work, you'll have direct contact with patients.
You’ll be trained to perform a number of day-to- day tasks including:
You can find further information on the role through the Faculty of Physician Associates at the Royal College of Physicians (FPARCP) or the NHS careers website.
To understand what a physician associate does on a day-to- day basis, Health Education England have produced this informative Day in the Life of a Physician Associate video.
This programme will be delivered through collaboration with Health Education Kent, Surrey and Sussex and engagement with Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), Canterbury and Christchurch University (CCU) and the University of Kent.
The majority of teaching, however, will be conducted by Surrey staff and local NHS clinicians. The four HEIs (including Surrey) may share facilities in areas of individual specialist expertise, although teaching will be conducted by Surrey staff.
Working with local NHS Trusts (primary and community care, acute, secondary care and mental health) will enable elements including work-based assessments and summative assessments (the clinical OSCEs).
The University of Surrey is part of the Surrey Health Partners Alliance, bringing together NHS Trusts in Surrey with the University to enhance learning and teaching, research and clinical practice.
The local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs, covering GP practices) and NHS Health Trusts (covering hospitals, community care and psychiatric care) are all represented fully within Surrey Health Partners.
Following successful graduation from this Diploma course, you will need to sit the National Assessment for Physician Associates, set by the Faculty of Physician Associates at the Royal College of Physicians, London.
Passing the National Assessment will allow you to be put onto the National Register for Physician Associates, so that you can practise clinically in the UK.
The predicted growth of the physician associate role across the NHS to fill an important resource gap indicates strong continued employment prospects for graduates. Physician associates will pursue a profession that is supported by the NHS and the Department of Health: over 30 hospitals currently employ PAs across the UK and the numbers are growing fast.
Health Education Kent, Surrey and Sussex aims to produce PAs who can work in primary as well as secondary care.
The overarching educational aim of the programme is to train graduates with a first degree in Biosciences, Life Sciences or Health Sciences, or suitable approved programme, to Post Graduate Diploma level, to function as a qualified physician associate (on passing the National Examination).
Physician associates will be able to:
This training includes the necessary knowledge, skills and professional attitudes needed to work to the medical model, demonstrating safe medical practice, medical competence, compassion, reflective and critical thinking in diagnostic reasoning and clinical management.
Graduates will be able to assess, diagnose and manage medical problems competently, consulting with patients presenting with a variety of specified conditions on behalf of, and under supervision of a senior experienced doctor.
They will be able to understand and demonstrate the principles of safe and effective prescribing.
Graduates will be trained to a standard defined by the National Examination for Physician Associates that will enable them to work as physician associates in the National Health Service, with appropriate accreditation and regulation once these have been decided and implemented.
This course is suitable for graduates with a life science degree or similar qualification. It enables you to build on your previous studies and gain a healthcare professional qualification.
Physician associates are a growing group within the UK and are seen as one of the solutions to recruitment challenges within medicine, particularly in general practice. There are excellent job prospects for qualified physician associates as the role continues to evolve in response to changing healthcare needs.
The course provides you with opportunities to develop expert medical knowledge and skills in taking medical histories, examining patients, providing a diagnosis, analysing results and developing management plans and pathways. The course meets the expectations of Competence and Curriculum Framework for the PA (DH 2006, revised 2012) (CCF).
Learning takes place in the classroom, in simulated clinical learning suites and whilst on clinical placement. We give you the unique opportunity to work with students on other healthcare professional courses, such as nursing and physiotherapy.
You complete over 1,600 hours of clinical placements during the two year course. You learn in general hospital settings in medicine and surgery, as well as specialised areas such as paediatrics and mental health, and in primary care in GP surgeries. You attend clinical placements within a month of starting the course, and placements are integrated throughout the two years so that you are able to apply theoretical learning to the real world of practice and the care of patients. Your first and final placement take place in the same GP surgery and you are able to maintain a relationship with your GP supervisor throughout the two years for mentoring and support. A final three month placement in general practice also provides you with an ideal environment to prepare for the National Examination at the end of the course.
After successfully completing the course, you are able to apply for innovative roles throughout the UK, joining a growing body of physician associates in rich and varied employment.
Full-time – typically two years
Starts January 2018. You are required to attend a compulsory study day in November 2017 (date to be confirmed).
Course content
The course meets the expectations of Competence and Curriculum Framework for the PA (DH 2006, revised 2012) (CCF)
The curriculum content is structured into modules which develop your skills in professional practice, clinical assessment and treatment and underpinning knowledge. Learning takes place in the classroom, in clinical simulation suites and in the real world of healthcare.
In addition you have access to online/distance learning resources to support and enhance your learning experience.
Assessment
It is expected that graduates from this course will have access to a wide range of healthcare roles, working under the supervision of a medical practitioner. For example, there are physician associates employed in GP surgeries in the Yorkshire region, in medicine and surgery settings in acute healthcare and in specialised areas of medicine.
Typically, graduate physician associates are employed on band 7 in NHS posts and can progress to band 8. For more information about a career as a physician associate visit the NHS Careers website.
