Modules

Year 1: PG Dip and MSc Physician Associate Studies students will take the following units: Introduction to Medicine for the Physician Associate: Explore the role of the Physician Associate. Develop skills in taking a medical history and examination and become competent in performing a wide range of core procedural skills. The pathophysiology of common acute and chronic conditions in General Medicine will be explored using cases and clinical consultations. Further Medicine & Emergency Care for the Physician Associate: Learn to diagnose and manage medical and surgical emergencies, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation. You will gain insight into assessing and managing patients with urgent problems and injuries in the Emergency Department, Urgent Care Centres and Out of Hours. Mental Health & Communication Skills for the Physician Associate: Develop skills in taking a psychiatric history, performing a mental state examination and interpreting the findings. You will critically explore common mental health problems and their management using cases and clinical consultations. Year 2: PG Dip and MSc Physician Associate Studies students will take the following units: Women’s Health & General Surgery for the Physician Associate: Develop skills in gynaecological and obstetric history and examination. You will critically explore common gynaecological and obstetric problems and their management using cases and clinical consultations. Child Health for the Physician Associate: Learn to assess and examine young people and children of all ages, including babies and infants, and how to recognise the sick child. You will study child development, child safeguarding and common and serious paediatric illnesses. Primary Care & Chronic Disease Management for the Physician Associate: Diagnose and manage unselected patients with any medical problem under the direct supervision of a GP. Develop skills in taking a focused clinical assessment and complex medical decision-making, while learning about the common acute and chronic conditions managed in Primary Care. On successful completion of the course you will be eligible to sit the Physician Associate National Examination (also known as the Physician Associate Registration Assessment) and join the General Medical Council Physician Associate Register. MSc Physician Associate Studies students will also take the following units: Exploring and Evaluating Evidence for the Physician Associate: Critically appraise research evidence, explore various approaches to enquiry and knowledge production, and consider how different philosophical assumptions shape claims to knowledge. Critically Reviewing Practice for the Physician Associate (Final Project): You will research and write a final project related to any aspect of the Physician Associate role. This must focus on quality improvement within any area relevant to Physician Associates’ work in healthcare that is of interest to you. The focus could be a systematic literature review, audit, original research project not requiring NHS Ethics, or service evaluation. For the full breakdown of the modules please visit the course page on our website.