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Physician Associate Studies at Brighton and Sussex Medical School - UCAS

Course summary

The Physician Associate MSc is taught by UK trained PAs, doctors, pharmacists, nurses, midwives and paramedics. You learn from the multidisciplinary team that you will work with in the future. It equips you with the skills to take a medical history, perform physical examinations, request and interpret investigations, diagnose and develop treatment and management plans. The integrated curriculum ensures our graduates are optimally prepared for the PA Registration Assessment(PARA). It includes significant time in local and regional clinical placements and simulation facilities. The PA programme launched in 2016, with the first graduates exiting in 2018. We have a 100% pass rate on the PA National Exam. The student experience is at the heart of how we deliver the course and we encourage an open and honest dialogue with our students throughout their two years. It is a very challenging but ultimately very rewarding experience. At a time of significant change in the NHS, PAs are playing a valuable role supporting doctors and the wider team in the diagnosis and management of patients. For further information on Physician Associates, please visit the Faculty of PAs at the RCP website here. To understand what a Physician Associate does on a day-to-day basis, visit the NHS ‘explore roles’ page where you will find more information and videos. You can also keep up-to-date with our own BSMS PAs Twitter channel @BSMSPAs. The course has a full-time schedule across the week with additional study required at evenings and weekends. There is very little opportunity to undertake work alongside the course. Travel expenses to GP placements in year 1 (once a week) and secondary care placements throughout year 2 will also be payable by the student. Currently we are not able to offer accommodation at placement sites. Please consider this carefully, together with the fees and funding information, before applying.

Modules

Year One: Biomedical and Clinical Sciences for PAs – A (includes problem-based learning) (60 credits); Clinical Skills for PAs – A (includes communication and physical exam skills) (30 credits); Clinical Practice for PAs – A (GP placements) (15 credits); Pharmacology and Prescribing for PAs (15 credits); PA as a Professional Evaluation Report (PAPER) – A (10 credits) Year Two: Biomedical and Clinical Sciences for PAs – B (15 credits); Clinical Skills for PAs – B (15 credits); Clinical Practice for PAs – B (clinical placements in regional secondary care trusts and GPs) (70 credits); Preparation for Practice (student selected placement within affiliated trusts) (10 credits); Evidence Based Practice (3000 word dissertation) (20 credits); PA as a Professional Evaluation Report (PAPER) – B (10 credits).

Assessment method

Assessments are designed in a way to best prepare students for the PARA national exam. They comprise of written papers (Single Best Answer (SBA)), dissertation submission, portfolio submissions, presentation and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs).


Entry requirements

Applicants require a 1st or upper second-class (2:1) degree in life sciences or another health-related undergraduate degree within the past five years. Applicants should also have some healthcare related experience in the form of work or shadowing. For non-native English speaking students an IELTS score of 7.5 or above (no single element below 7.0) is required in addition to the academic requirements


Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Please refer to our website for up to date fee information as some course fees vary: https://www.bsms.ac.uk/postgraduate/index.aspx Due to visa restrictions, international students requiring a student visa (including EU/EEA who require a student visa) are eligible to apply for BSMS full-time Masters courses only. Part-time Masters courses, all PGDip and all PGCert courses are open to UK and Irish students and international students (including EU/EEA) who have an alternative visa/immigration permission to stay in the UK (such as settled/pre-settled status, Tier 2/work visa, indefinite leave to remain etc).
Physician Associate Studies at Brighton and Sussex Medical School - UCAS