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Full Time: 24 months
Start date: September 2021
Our MSc/PGDip Physician Associate programme provides essential training for entering an exciting new career as a healthcare professional.
This course is suitable for life science graduates or those with significant healthcare experience.
You will receive training in the classroom and experience a wide variety of teaching methods. You will engage in workplace-based learning in NHS Primary and Secondary Care environments, allowing you to develop your skills and knowledge as a healthcare professional in real settings. All curriculum content is delivered in close partnership with practicing clinicians. Our course provides over 100 more clinical hours than the national minimum requirement, with around 350 hours of clinical placements in first year and around 1,350 in second year.
Our teaching staff include a practising physician associate and medical practitioners who are able to support you, not only in your clinical learning, but also in the practicalities of working within the NHS. You will also encounter many of our past graduates on your clinical placements who have gained employment with our placement partners.
The oversight of education and training of physician associates is currently shared by the Department of Health, the Physician Associate Schools Council (PASC) and the Faculty of Physician Associates (FPA) from the Royal College of Physicians. Graduates who pass the Reading MSc or PGDip programme must then pass the Physician Associate National Certification Examination and then will be able to register with the FPA who maintain the Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR).
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Entry requirements
What will you study?
How much will it cost?
New UK/EU students: £9,000 (PGDip) per year / £9,500 (MSc) per year
New international students: £18,760 (PGDip) per year / £19,760 (MSc) per year
Please note
New international students
International (non EU) applicants: Please note that (due to UK Home Office rules on placements) the MSc programme is open ONLY to international applicants who already have the right to work in the UK. That is, the University is NOT able to provide Tier 4 Visa sponsorship for this programme.
Additional costs
These course fees cover the cost of your tuition. This course will require you to travel to placements in primary and secondary care settings throughout the programme and you will need to fund your own travel. You will need to have a professional standard stethoscope, these cost approximately £90-£160. The Physician Associate National Certification Examination takes place outside of Reading and will therefore incur additional travel expenses.
You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Financial support for your studies
Health Education England have agreed a single, national funding model for Physician Associates. Students joining our PA programme in 2019 will receive:
- A training grant of £5,000 per student. This payment will be paid in two instalments (£2,500 per annum) via the University of Reading. This payment can be used against course fees, travel or similar costs incurred during the programme.
See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
The fees given are for entry in the academic year starting in September 2021, and will be confirmed in your offer letter. You can find more information on fees and funding, including for part-time study, through our dedicated fees and funding page.
What career can you have?
A Physician Associate (PA) is a healthcare professional trained in the medical model who works as a member of a medical team under the supervision of a doctor or surgeon in a wide variety of workplaces (including GP practices, community health services and all types of hospital care). PAs support doctors in the diagnosis and management of patients and are trained to perform a number of roles including:
- taking medical histories
- performing examinations
- diagnosing illnesses
- analysing test results
- developing management plans
The PA role is flexible and is being developed across the NHS to meet major staffing strategies. A lack of trained PAs in the UK means that career prospects for graduates are excellent. The predicted growth of the PA role across the NHS to fill an important resource gap indicates strong continued employment prospects for graduates.