Physician Associates provide crucial support to doctors, and work as part of multi-disciplinary teams in the diagnosis and management of patients.
While still a relatively new profession in the NHS, numbers of Physician Associates are increasing across the UK, and with that comes the recognition of the vital role they play in delivering high quality care. This is supported by professional regulation of Physician Associates by the General Medical Council.
Our MSc in Physician Associate Studies is a two year, intensive professional Masters programme, developed to meet the requirements of the General Medical Council (GMC) pre-qualification educational framework. This well-established and robust programme, externally validated and quality assured by the GMC, equips you with the knowledge and skills required to succeed in the modern NHS.
On completion of this programme you will be eligible to sit the Physician Associate National Examination (PANE), administered by the Royal College of Physicians, to gain entry into the profession and begin practice.
Taught by practising clinicians and healthcare professionals, including Physician Associates, you will be trained to diagnose and treat according to the medical model so you will be well prepared to complement the clinical team, but also work independently with appropriate supervision.
Physician Associate students will mostly be based at the University of Hull and study in the award winning Allam Medical Building at the heart of the University’s £28 million health campus. Procedural skills teaching takes place in our dedicated teaching facilities at Castle Hill Hospital and Hull Royal Infirmary, part of Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, where you will learn and practise medical procedures.
Hands-on experience
You will experience a diverse range of clinical placements throughout the Yorkshire and Humber region, beginning in week three of the programme - including one or more of the main hospital sites at Hull, York, Scarborough, Scunthorpe and Grimsby. You will gain a huge breadth of experience, whether that be in the major trauma centre of Hull Royal Infirmary, or in a rural GP surgery outside Scarborough. These experiences will be invaluable in shaping you as a resilient, knowledgeable, empathetic and highly skilled health professional, enabling you to meet the challenges ahead.
In your second year, you will also undertake a quality/service improvement project. Experience in carrying out this type of project is highly sought after in the NHS. Your project provides you with the opportunity to apply the research and critical appraisal skills you have developed throughout your course to recommend approaches to improve quality within a healthcare setting.
You will also complete a 5-week Elective clinical placement at the end of Year 2, enabling in-depth study in an area of personal interest embedded in a clinical team, which provides excellent preparation for clinical practice.
This MSc is intensive and challenging but ultimately hugely rewarding. You will be assigned a Personal Academic Supervisor who will support you throughout the two year programme, regularly reviewing your performance and progress. This regular feedback will help inform your learning and ensure you get the most out of your academic studies and clinical placements. In addition to the student support services at the University of Hull, we also have our own dedicated student support team providing a range of pastoral services.