Physician Associate MSc

Do you have a scientific background, and would you like to work with patients?

Working in the healthcare profession can be inspiring and rewarding. A career as a Physician Associate (PA) will mean that you’ll support doctors in the diagnosis and management of patients. This might be in a hospital or a GP surgery. You’ll be part of a growing profession in the NHS where vacancies currently exceed the supply of skilled professionals.

Our experienced lecturers will prepare you with all the skills you need to provide care and treatment to patients. You’ll learn to carry out a range of medical activities such as physical examinations, medical histories, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. You’ll also learn how to request and interpret test results, diagnose illness and develop treatment and management plans.

At Brunel, we have great links with some of the most highly-regarded health providers in London, so you’ll add exceptional work experience to your CV. Your Physician Associate qualification includes over 1,800 hours of professional practice, so you’ll be equipped with the experience and expertise to give you an excellent start to your career as a Physician Associate.

Health Education England, has launched a national funding strategy for all Physician Associate courses in England. For September 2020 entry, students will receive a training grant of £5,000 per student, per programme via their university; it's not expected that they will be required to make an application for this allowance. Payments are to be made via two instalments of £2,500 per annum, subject to receipt of allocated places to Brunel, from Health Education England.

Successful completion of the Physician Associate MSc programme provides eligibility to sit for the Physician Associate National Examination and join the Managed Voluntary Register, until regulation by the General Medical Council (GMC) comes into effect. Please note, the Physician Associate qualification may not currently be recognised in some countries e.g. USA.

The NHS Values are shaped by patients, public and staff have helped develop this expression of values that inspire passion in the NHS and that should underpin everything it does. Individual organisations will develop and build upon these values, tailoring them to their local needs. The NHS values provide common ground for co-operation to achieve shared aspirations, at all levels of the NHS.

If you are considering studying the Physician Associate MSc Programme at Brunel then you're committed to working jointly with the NHS to demonstrate the values and beliefs of the constitution.

Got a question about this course? Please view our Frequently Asked Questions. 

The part-time programme is only available from September 2022.

Your course will be delivered over a period of 45 weeks in year one and 48 weeks in year two. The programme is exciting, innovative and also intense, usually requiring you to study on campus from 9am to 5pm, five days a week. You’ll have significant contact hours.

Your first clinical placement will start in the first term of year one with weekly one day GP placements. In year two the majority of your time will be spent on clinical placements in a variety of practice settings. You’ll adopt the working patterns of your supervising clinician so you’ll be working roughly a 40 hour week.

Please note, regulation of Physician Associates in the UK by the General Medical Council (GMC) is in a consultancy phase. Following regulation (late 2021 / early 2022) there may be some changes to the programme to meet GMC requirements. Information will be updated for applicants when further details are available.

This course can be studied 2 years full-time, starting in September.

Your varied clinical placements will equip you for the working world. In fact, the positive relationships made on your placement can often lead to the offer of permanent employment on completion of your MSc.

On your placements, you’ll have the opportunity to work in the following areas:

• Accident and Emergency
• Acute Medicine
• General Practice
• Mental Health
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Paediatrics
• Surgery
• Electives

Whilst on clinical placements, you’ll be supervised by doctors and physician associates. All clinical placements are organised on the student's behalf by the clinical co-ordination team. This allows us to provide you with a balanced clinical experience both in terms of the specialities/patient groups you work with and the range of healthcare settings you work in. At Brunel, we recognise the importance of ensuring you're exposed to a variety of health settings which are reflective of current clinical practice.

We're sympathetic to your needs when we assign clinical placements. However, we're unable to guarantee your clinical placements will be located close to your home, or term-time address, and you may have to commute or live away from home for the duration of a placement or two. We do try to give special consideration to students whose personal circumstances fall within specified criteria, ie they have young children, are a main carer, or have a declared disability etc.

After successful completion of your course, you’ll be eligible to sit for the Physician Associate National Examination and currently join the Managed Voluntary Register – the mark of a fully qualified and approved Physician Associate. Please note, the General Medical Council (GMC) is due to take over the regulation of Physician Associates - when this happens, the Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register will no longer exist. 

You’ll be joining a growing profession where there are currently plenty of vacancies. Typically, Physician Associate salaries start in band 7 of the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale. However, some Physician Associate roles where an internship is offered, fall within band 6. 

Physician Associates work in a variety of clinical settings and specialties including GP surgeries, hospital inpatient wards, and A & E departments. Please see the FAQ page of the Royal College of Physicians Faculty of Physician Associates (RCPFPA) website for more information. The RCPFPA’s most recent census information can be viewed at Census Results.

For additional information regarding the Physician Associate profession please explore:

Royal College of Physicians Faculty of Physician Associates

Matrix Specification of Core Clinical Conditions for the Physician Assistant

NHS Jobs

Watch this video 'A Day in the Life of a Physician Associate'.

Undergraduate degree

A UK first or 2:1 Honours degree, or equivalent internationally recognised qualification, in a Life or Health Sciences subject area (i.e. Anatomy, Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Medical Sciences, Medical Engineering, Nursing, Operating Department Practice, Paramedic Pharmacy, Physiology).

Applicants who hold a UK (2:2) Honours degree, or equivalent internationally recognised qualification, with relevant work experience will be considered on an individual basis.

Postgraduate degree

We also accept applicants who have a Master's degree graded Merit or above in a Life or Health Sciences related subject

All applicants must have a minimum of GCSE English grade 4/C or above or equivalent qualification.

Personal statements

Two personal statements of no more than 500 words each are required for both of the following statements:

1. Describe your motivation to become a physician associate detailing your experience, qualifications, and personal qualities as they pertain to becoming a member of the profession.
2. Discuss how the physician associate role might fit into the UK healthcare system.

References

One satisfactory reference is required to support your application dated within the last year. The reference must be academic reference if studied in the last 3 years. Your referee should know you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education. We do not accept references from family, friends, partners, ex-partners or yourself.

Meeting the minimum entry requirements does not guarantee an invite to a Selection Day or a place on the programme.

How to apply

You can apply online using the 'Apply Now' link. 

The deadline to apply for this programme is the 15th of April 2021. Applications received after this date may not be considered.

Health screening

Successful applicants will have a satisfactory health clearance and are required to undergo appropriate blood tests and immunisations such as hepatitis B, MMR, TB, chicken pox, tetanus and polio (please note, this list may be updated).

Disclosure and Barring Service

Successful applicants are required to have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (formerly a Criminal Records Bureau check). More information

Professional registration

If you are a current healthcare professional or a member of a registered professional body, we ask that you provide details of your registration.

• IELTS: 7.5 (min 7W, 7L, 7R, 7S)
• Pearson: 73 (64 in all subscores)
• BrunELT: 75% (min 70% in all areas)

From lecturers with over 25 years’ experience of working as a Physician Associate to an examiner for the national exams at the Faculty of Physician Associates for the Royals College of Physicians, you’ll benefit from the expertise of our highly regarded academic team when you study at Brunel. Our lecturers have taught, worked or carried out research across the world and this feeds into their teaching. Your learning experience will be a mixture of classroom based, problem/evidence-based, peer-assisted team based learning, clinical practice, independent and e-learning and assimilated learning in clinical labs.

Should you need any non-academic support during your time at Brunel, the Student Support and Welfare Team are here to help.

You’ll be assessed on single best answer/multiple choice questions, written short answer questions, papers and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) to begin early preparation for the National Examination. Other assessments will include written assignments, oral presentations, reflective writing and a portfolio of evidence.

You will be assessed on placement by your supervising clinician(s). The assessments from clinical placement modules will contribute to your final degree classification.

All modules must be passed in order to proceed through the course. Normally you’ll be given two attempts at passing each assessment.