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 (HEE), has launched a national funding strategy for all Physician Associate courses in England. For September 2021 entry, eligible 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. Please check if you are eligible by clicking here. Please note this funding is subject to annual review by HEE and may not be available in the future

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.

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.