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Physician Associate Studies

Overview

Intensive 2-year PgDip/MSc to train Physician Associates to support and work as part of the medical team in the diagnosis and management of patients.

Summary

Study Physician Associate Studies at Ulster University in the United Kingdom.

A Physician Associate is a healthcare professional trained in the medical model to work with the medical team in order to deliver medical care to patients. PAs work under the supervision of a doctor in a range of specialities across medicine in both primary and secondary care. PAs are trained to take medical histories, carry out physical examinations, formulate diagnosis, request and interpret tests and investigations, undertake procedures and develop treatment and management plans.

The PgDip/MSc Physician Associate Studies aims to ensure students receive the required education and training in line with requirements of the Competence and Curriculum Framework, enabling graduates to be successful in completion of the programme and the PA National Exam. It also aims to ensure that graduates are safe and competent clinicians, at the point of qualification.

This intensive programme is delivered over 2 years. Year 1 is mainly theoretical and University based (5 days per week) with 1 day per week in general practice. Year 2 is mainly spent on clinical attachment with one day every 3-4 weeks back in University. Students will develop a sound knowledge base in clinical medicine and develop comprehensive clinical examination skills which form the basis of their generalist medical education enabling them to enter work in any medical speciality. From that point, they develop the specialist knowledge required to progress their careers and care for patients

Students must pass all elements of the programme to be eligible to sit the National PA Exam for entry into professional practice.

About

The course is designed to ensure that graduates have the relevant clinical knowledge and skills in order to be successful in attaining their professional qualification and in their subsequent professional working life as a Physician Associate.

Please note this information is provisional and subject to change.

Year one specifically concentrates on the basic medical sciences that support the teaching and application of clinical medicine. In conjunction with this, a significant of time is spent on communication and clinical examination skills as these form the basis of the skills that the PA will use throughout their clinical working lives. In addition to this, the PA student will spend 1 day per week in clinical attachment (General Practice) to rehearse and fine tune their skills.

Work placement / study abroad

Clinical placement is a core element of this programme and is delivered over both years. It is fundamental ensuring that students are able to practice application of their newly acquired clinical medical knowledge and skills. In year one students spend one day per week in a general practice environment and in year two will complete the following placements. Please note this information is provisional and subject to change.

Clinical Attachments:

12 weeks Acute Medicine

6 weeks A&E

12 weeks GP

3 weeks Obstetrics and Gynaecology

3 weeks Surgical

3 weeks Mental Health

3 weeks of various clinical settings placement

These placements will be based in and around Northern Ireland and students may be required to travel distances to their placements.

Entry requirements

Entry Requirements

Applicants must be graduates with at least a 2:2 degree classification (or equivalent overseas qualification) in a life science or health-related subject (which must contain significant elements of basic medical sciences), normally obtained within the last five years. Applicants must also have experience of paid or voluntary work with people, preferably in a health or social care context; a pass in GCSE Maths and English Language grades A-C; evidence of English language attainment if English is not the first language.

Applicants with non-standard entry qualifications which do not meet all the above criteria may be considered for entry at the discretion of the Course Director/Committee. These potential applicants may be asked to submit a transcript from their undergraduate degree programme or asked to take some further modules in basic medical sciences to meet the required levels of sciences required for application to the PA programme.

Offers are made on the basis of the written application and an interview/assessment process held on campus in Northern Ireland. You will also be required along with your application to submit a short personal statement outlining why you are applying for the course. Due to the nature of the programme you will be expected to undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, police checks in line with NI law and occupational health screening. Offers are conditional, based on the successful completion of these processes.

Applicants must declare if they have been on another PA programme or a medical/healthcare professional register as per the application form and reasons for leaving the programme or register (where applicable). Failure to declare this will result in termination of the application or place on the programme. If you are already a registered healthcare professional you will be required to provide details of your registration.

English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 7.0 with no element score less than 7.0.

Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

Exemptions and transferability

There is no accreditation of prior learning (APL) or accreditation or prior experiential learning (APEL) for this programme.

Duration

Attendance

This is a full-time 2-year intensive programme running over 90 weeks from January to December in both year one and year two of the programme. Students are expected to attend 100% of the time to all sessions both in University and when on clinical attachment.

Careers or further progression

Career options

Whilst the PA profession is established and growing rapidly in the UK with a variety of jobs across a range of primary and secondary care specialities, this is the first PA programme in Northern Ireland. As such it presents its own challenges in the form of employment opportunities. However there have already been jobs advertised in Northern Ireland for PAs and in preparation for the programme the University have been working with the local Trusts seeking clinical attachments and scoping the potential for employment of PAs. The evidence from early PA programmes in England indicates that all of their students secured employment as PAs with many offered jobs before qualification. This continues to be the trend in the UK and the University are confident that this will be the same in Northern Ireland.

Once qualified, PAs can work across a range of specialities throughout medicine. There are also opportunities to work in education and as potential future leaders of the PA profession.

The qualification is not recognised in the USA and currently graduates who train in the UK may only be able to work in the UK. This may change in time.

Further enquiries

Course Director: Professor Tara Moore
T: +44 (0)28 7012 4577
E: t.moore@ulster.ac.uk 

For admissions and application enquiries contact the Faculty Office:
E: science@ulster.ac.uk 
T: +44 (0)28 7012 4159

Subjects taught

Weeks Theme

3 Introduction

4 Cardiovascular

4 Respiratory

3 Gastrointestinal

2 Ear Nose and Throat/ Ophthol

2 Neurology

2 Female Health

1 Male Health

1 Sexual Health

2 Renal and GU

2 Endocrine

2 Haeme/Oncology

2 Musculoskeletal

2 Care of the Elderly

2 Mental Health

3 Paediatrics

2 Infectious Disease

2 Dermatology

Year two begins with 3 weeks of special topics which are skills and knowledge that you will require prior Acute Hospital Placement. You will spend the majority of this year in clinical placement with 1 day back in University every 3-4 weeks.

Modules

The PgDip consists of 7 taught modules which total 120 credits and a Clinical Competence Module. These modules occur throughout the PA programme with some modules running over the 2 years.

Foundations of Clinical Medicine 1 (30 credits)

Personal and Professional Development 1 (15 credits)

Applied Pharmacology for Physician Associate Studies (15 credits)

Research Methods for Physician Associate Studies (15 credits)

Evidence-Informed Decision-Making for Physician Associate Studies (15 credits)

Foundations of Clinical Medicine 2 (15 credits)

Personal and Professional Development 2 (15 credits)

Clinical Competence in Physician Associate Skills Pass/Fail assessment

To exit with the PgDip in Physician Associate Studies, students will be required to pass assignments relating to the modules in Foundations of Clinical Medicine 1, Applied Pharmacology for Physician Associate Studies, Research Methods for Physician Associate Studies and Evidence-Informed Decision Making for Physician Associate Studies in Year 1. Students must also pass the assessments associated with the GP placement and an objective structured clinical examination for the Personal & Professional Development 1 module in order to progress to year 2. In year 2 students will be required to pass the Foundations of Clinical Medicine 2 and Personal & Professional Development 2 modules. The Clinical Competence in Physician Associate Skills module will assess the core competencies and core procedural skills in the Competence and Curriculum Framework for Physician Assistants and has been designated Pass/Fail, rather than having credit value. This competency assessment will be undertaken prior to taking the UK Physician Associate National Certification Examination at the end of Year 2. A pass in all taught modules of the programme and in the UK PA National Certification Examination will be required for the award of the PgDip in PA Studies.

This is a complex and very intensive programme and involves the establishment of a new suite of student placements and assessments, therefore, in the first instance, the course team do not intend to offer the masters programme and only intend to offer the PgDip. Once the programme has been established then the team will roll in the possibility to complete the masters by completion of the 60 credit Service Improvement Project module. This 60 credit module can either be taken alongside the second year of the full-time taught modules that comprise the PgDip or it can be taken part time over 3 semesters of a third year as a top-up.

Students who fail the assessment associated with the Personal & Professional Development 1 module but who have passed the module Foundations in Clinical Medicine 1 and passed other modules totalling at least 30 academic credits may exit with the lower award of Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Sciences (noting that students must pass all modules in year 1 to progress to year 2). A student who fails the Clinical Competency assessment/UK PA National Examination but who has passed all of the other elements of the programme can exit with a PgDip in Medical Sciences or if they have successfully completed the Service Improvement Project, an MSc in Medical Sciences.

Assessment method

Teaching and learning assessment

The programme uses a variety of teaching methods to deliver the curriculum. Students will learn through classroom, problem, peer assisted and practice based learning. Students will also be expected to be independent and self-directed in their studies using all of the opportunities available to practice and revise. Students are required to participate in sessions particularly clinical exam skills and must be motivated to engage.

The programme uses both formative and summative methods to assess students. These are in the form of essays, reflections, case histories, single best answer MCQs, short answer questions, and OSCE examinations.

The course content will be delivered by appropriately qualified healthcare professionals who are expert in their fields and understand the role of the PA.

Enrolment and start dates

Start date: January 2018

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