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PGDip Physician Associate Studies

As one of the longest running programmes in the country, we are delighted to offer this Physician Associate Studies course from University of Birmingham to graduates to make a valuable contribution to the nation’s health. We work in partnership with hospitals and practices in the Midlands and beyond.

Quick Facts

  
Full-Time Duration: 25 months
Starting in: September
Tuition Fee: £26,640 per year
Location: Birmingham, United Kingdom

Physician Associate (formerly known as Physician Assistant) is a rapidly growing healthcare role in the UK, working alongside doctors in hospitals and in GP surgeries. Physician Associates support doctors in the diagnosis and management of patients. They are trained to perform a number of roles including: taking medical histories, performing examinations, analysing test results, and diagnosing illnesses under the direct supervision of a doctor.

The development of the profession has been led by the Department of Health and has involved the Royal Colleges of Physicians and of General Practitioners as well as the profession itself through the former UK Association of Physician Associates (UKAPA) which is now the Faculty of Physician Associates at the Royal College of Physicians. University of Birmingham staff have taken a key role in the development of the programme at a national as well as a regional level in response to need identified by local healthcare providers. Successful completion of the programme will qualify you to practise as a Physician Associate in the UK.

Programme Structure:

  • This course is two, full time, calendar years in duration, each lasting approximately 48 weeks, plus an additional month. You can expect to be studying 50+ hours per week.
  • Theory is learned mostly through case/problem based learning and you will experience medicine in both hospital and community attachments.
  • The rich ethnic and socio-economic diversity of the 5.5 million strong West Midlands population offers unrivalled opportunities for clinical learning, with placements seeking to optimise this.
  • Right from the beginning, you will have contact with patients, as during the first term, students are placed for up to five days of clinical experience within a General Practice in either the West Midlands or beyond.

“The transition from undergrad to postgrad can be a big step up in terms of workload and what is expected of you, but there is so much support available to you as a postgrad student, from academic writing support (if you’ve been out of education for a few years or just want a bit of extra help) to mental health and wellbeing services. The careers support is fantastic – the uni puts on employer fairs throughout the year and you have access to one on one support from the Careers Network team, who can help you develop your skills ready for your next step!”

Emma Sutton // PhD Psychology

Careers

Graduates of the Physician Associate Studies course from University of Birmingham are working all across the UK (although about half have stayed in the West Midlands) and in a wide range of specialties including: general medicine, acute medicine, cardiology, paediatrics, breast surgery, trauma and orthopaedics, mental health, emergency medicine and General Practice. Many have also chosen to go into teaching and research (part-time while maintaining clinical duties), with five of our graduates currently teaching here at Birmingham.

The number of NHS Trusts and Practices seeking Physician Associates (and the average number working for each Trust/Practice) has increased rapidly throughout the last few years, and we would expect that number to continue to increase at a similar pace over the next few years.

Requirements

  • 2:1 in a Life Sciences Degree – we want our students to start the course with a good knowledge of biological processes, cell functions and cell interactions. Some examples of degrees we regard as generally suitable are:
    • Anatomy
    • Biology
    • Biochemistry/Medical Biochemistry
    • Biomedical Science
    • Dentistry
    • Human Biology/Physiology/Pharmacology
    • Medical Science
    • Pharmacy
    • Physiotherapy
    • Podiatry
    • Psychology (with a biological orientation)
    • Radiography
    • Zoology
  • A 2:2 in a Life Sciences Degree may be considered with considerable clinical experience. If you have a Health Sciences diploma (e.g. Nursing) with extensive clinical experience, we may also consider you.

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