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  • Physician Associate

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MSc Physician Associate

  • Year of entry
    2023/24
  • Course duration
    Full Time: 24 months
  • Year of entry
    2023/24
  • Course duration
    Full Time: 24 months

Our MSc Physician Associate programme provides essential training for entering an exciting new career as a healthcare professional.

Applications for this course can be submitted from 09:00 on Monday 23 January 2023. The closing date for applications is 17:00 on Friday 28 April 2023.

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 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).

97% of our research is of international standing (Research Excellence Framework [REF] 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy). For more information, please visit the Pharmacy website.

Overview

Our MSc Physician Associate programme provides essential training for entering an exciting new career as a healthcare professional.

Applications for this course can be submitted from 09:00 on Monday 23 January 2023. The closing date for applications is 17:00 on Friday 28 April 2023.

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 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).

97% of our research is of international standing (Research Excellence Framework [REF] 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy). For more information, please visit the Pharmacy website.

Entry requirements

IELTS: 7.5 overall with no element less than 7.0 (or equivalent).

Entry requirements: Normally a good undergraduate honours degree (2.1 or above), or equivalent from a university outside the UK, in a relevant life sciences subject – for example, biological sciences, biomedical sciences, biochemistry, pharmacy, psychology. Applicants with a good lower second-class honours degree (2.2) combined with other relevant practical healthcare skills and experience (or qualifications and experience considered to be equivalent to the above) will also be considered.

As part of the application process for this programme, you will be required to attend an interview.

Demand for places on this course is high and all successful applicants will be required to pay a £1,000 deposit to hold their place on the course.

Structure

  • Year 1

In your first year, half of your time will be spent undertaking clinical placements within the NHS alongside on-going learning at the university. You will gain an understanding of the basic medical sciences (anatomy, biochemistry, histology, genetics, microbiology, pathology, physiology) together with the principles of patient consultation.

Your second year will build on your core knowledge, integrating academic learning with block rotational clinical placements. You will be supported to exercise initiative and personal responsibility, undertake decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations and continue to develop the independent learning ability required for continuing professional development.

Throughout your studies you will complete formative of knowledge and its application to clinical scenarios. Summative assessments will include written examinations, such as multiple-choice questions, and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE). These assessments will prepare you for the Physician Associate National Certification Examination, which takes the same format.

You will be required to complete the "Research methods" and "Research project" modules. This research should be carried out in the workplace with support from research staff at the University.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £12,100

New international students: £25,800

Tuition fee information

International 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. The University is not able to provide student route visa sponsorship for this programme.

Please note

The fees listed are for one year of full-time study, unless otherwise stated. Fee information will be confirmed in offer letters sent out to successful applicants. You can find further information, including information for part-time study, through our dedicated fees and funding page.

EU student fees

With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.


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 to £160. The Physician Associate National Certification Examination takes place outside of Reading and will therefore incur additional travel expenses.

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. 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

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Careers

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.

Overall, 100% of graduates from Pharmacy are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation; of those in full-time employment, 100% are in graduate level roles. (Based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2022, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20; includes postgraduate [taught] Pharmacy responders)

The PA role is an exciting new way to practise medicine. When I visited the Department, I got a strong sense that they understood how to transform a science graduate into a healthcare professional. They were really enthusiastic and passionate about this new role in the NHS. The Physician Associate role provides endless job opportunities because you can make of it what you want.

Samantha Bautista
Physician Associate graduate

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  • Healthcare
  • Physician Associate
  • Pharmacy

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