Course summary

Physician associates are in demand because of a shortfall in the number of doctors. If you have a first degree in life or health sciences, our Physician Associate Masters degree course will train you in a wide range of clinical skills vital to the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients in primary and secondary care. As the availability of work placements in the UK health service is limited, our course is open to UK and EU applicants only. As a physician associate, you’ll fill an important clinical role. You’ll be able to take a patient’s history, perform physical examinations and request and interpret diagnostic test results. You’ll be able to diagnose illnesses; develop treatment and management plans; perform therapeutic procedures; and undertake patient education, counselling and health promotion. From year one you’ll undertake integrated primary care placements in GP surgeries. In year two you’ll be on placement for the entire year as well as producing a Quality Improvement Plan for the NHS. Our Physician Associate Masters degree will help you develop a range of skills relating to the cardiovascular, respiratory and gastro-intestinal systems; the eyes, ears, nose and throat; the skin; and the renal, genitourinary, male and female reproductive systems. You’ll learn to become a caring, capable, knowledgeable and research-aware Physician Associate, with high-level clinical and communication skills. At ARU, your study will be divided equally between theory and practice, employing the medical model of teaching, learning and assessment. Besides lectures, tutorials, practical workshops, role play and simulated skills work on campus, you’ll complete a programme of clinical placement rotations in general practice, hospital wards and outpatient settings across the East of England in the following clinical specialties (total hours, over 2 years in brackets): Community-based medicine (440 hours) General hospital medicine (480 hours) Front Door Medicine (A&E) (360 hours) Mental health (120 hours) General surgery (120 hours) Obstetrics & gynaecology (120 hours) Paediatrics in an acute setting (120 hours) You’ll spend the majority of your second year in rotational hospital placements. At ARU you’ll have a choice of being placed in Essex or being placed in Peterborough with Northwest Anglia Foundation Trust (NWAFT) which comprises Hinchingbrooke and Peterborough City Hospital. In your personal statement please make reference to your preference for your 2nd year placements. All teaching in Year 1 and 2 will take place at the School of Medicine on our Chelmsford campus. This is an intensive and challenging course – but one which offers its own, significant rewards.