**What is a Physician Associate?**
Physician Associate 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.
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. Successful completion of the programme will qualify you to practise as a Physician Associate in the UK.
We also run a flexible MSc Physician Associate programme for those who already have their Postgraduate Diploma from a UK or Irish institution.
**The course**
The course leaders regard integration of theory and practice as fundamental to clinical learning.
•This course is two, full time, calendar years in duration, each lasting approximately 48 weeks, plus an additional month. You can expect to be studying 50+ hours per week.
•Theory is learned mostly through case/problem based learning and you will experience medicine in both hospital and community attachments.
•The rich ethnic and socio-economic diversity of the 5.5 million strong West Midlands population offers unrivalled opportunities for clinical learning, with placements seeking to optimise this.
•Right from the beginning, you will have contact with patients, as during the first term, students are placed for up to five days of clinical experience within a General Practice in either the West Midlands or beyond.
•This is followed by a fourteen-week hospital attachment in the second term, and a further few days of General Practice in the third term Students will use the cases collected during the second term as the basis of their learning within the third term.
•The second year continues the problem-based learning approach and integrates further learning and placements in Acute and Emergency Medicine, Child Health General Practice, Mental Health, Reproductive Health and Surgery.
•Throughout the course, you will receive teaching in a variety of forms, including lectures, seminars, tutorials, group work, and bedside demonstrations.
•Simulation is fundamental to this course, using simulated patients (who will teach you communication and examination skills, including gynaecological and urological examination). Simulation aims both to prepare you for the clinical world and to train you in a safe, non-threatening environment.
•Progression exams are undertaken at the nine months mark, and again at twenty-three months into the course. Students are required to pass both sets of examinations prior to entry into the National Assessment.
•Assessment types will include Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) paper(s), Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE), Case Write-Ups, Presentations and Professional Behaviour sign-offs.
**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.
**Applications**
All applications for the postgraduate diploma programme must be made through UCAS before the deadline stated below.
Course Details - Modules
For more information about the programme and the clinical placements taken, please see https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/med/physician-associate.aspx
Course Details – Assessment Method
Assessment Methods are not listed for this Course.
Course Details – Professional Bodies
Professional Bodies are not listed for this Course.
How to Apply
26 January This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application Codes
Course code:
B600
Institution code:
B32
Campus Name:
Main Site
Campus code:
Points of Entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
Year 1
Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry (Year 2 and Beyond)
Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry are not listed for this Course.
International applicants
Standard Qualification Requirements
You will need to have a 2:1 in a life sciences degree (or equivalent international qualification). For full details of acceptable degree subjects and international requirements, please see https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/med/physician-associate.aspx#EntryRequirementsTab
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Minimum Further Information are not listed for this Course.
English language requirements
Test
Grade
AdditionalDetails
English Language Entry Requirement Information are not listed for this Course.
Unistats information
Student satisfaction :
76%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs):
65%
Go onto work and study:
85%
Fees and funding
England
9810.0
Year 1
Northern Ireland
9810.0
Year 1
Scotland
9810.0
Year 1
Wales
9810.0
Year 1
Republic of Ireland
9810.0
Year 1
EU
17160.0
Year 1
International
17160.0
Year 1
Additional Fee Information
For more detailed information on available funding and fees for postgraduate courses please visit: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgt/pgt-fees/pgfees.aspx
Provider information
Edgbaston
Address2 are not listed for this Course.
Address3 are not listed for this Course.
Birmingham
B15 2TT
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