Physician Associate MSc

Our Physician Associate Master's course is an exciting and innovative modular programme, delivered full-time over two years. Applicants should be aware that the programme is delivered over a period 45 weeks in Year 1 and 48 weeks in Year 2. In addition the course is intense, with significant contact hours. Students should expect to be studying on campus from 9am - 6pm five days a week. All students must be ready to assume responsibility for their own learning.

Clinical placements will start in the first term of Year 1 with weekly one-day GP placements. In Year 2 the majority of time will be spent on clinical placement in various practice settings. You should broadly expect to adopt the working patterns of the supervising clinician (clinical educator). Generally, you are expected to complete 42 weeks of clinical experience. You should expect to be working roughly a 40-hour week whilst on placement.

Below you will find a brief description of each of the modules.(Please note that all modules are compulsory.)

Foundations of Clinical Medicine (Year 1 & 2)
This module will provide you with the knowledge and clinical reasoning skills of the fundamental elements of clinical medicine which include the presentation, diagnosis and management of disease and health conditions.

Personal and Professional Development for the Physician Associate (Year 1 & 2)
This module will enable you to develop communication and clinical examination skills required for the Physician Associate role and to develop self-awareness and reflection appropriate for professional practice as a Physician Associate.

Applied Pharmacology (Year 1)
This module will enable you to develop a greater knowledge and understanding of how the mechanisms of drug action are related to therapeutic and adverse effects. This will enhance practice, as you will be able to monitor and assess more effectively overall drug response, with resultant benefit to patient care.

Principles and Practice of Evidence-Based Healthcare (Year 1)
This module gives you the opportunity to examine recent literature and to consider its contribution to evidence-based practice. You will explore the types of information that are collected about health and will critically evaluate research material from a range of study designs.

Approaches to Research (Year 1)
This module allows you to develop your knowledge and critical awareness of a variety of research methods, enhance skills for designing research studies, and to develop your knowledge of appropriate methods of data analysis.

Dissertation (Year 1 & 2)
The module will enable you to work with an academic supervisor to design and conduct a piece of research on a topic relevant to medical practice.

PA Applied Clinical Knowledge & Skills (Year 2)
This module will provide you with the opportunity to develop and apply your basic skills of examination, assessment and treatment in real-life clinical environments to a variety of health disorders relevant to the placement specialty. It also allows you to participate in the health care of patients across their lifespan with a diversity of presentations. Finally, it also provides the practical experiences essential to inform your dissertation.

For the award of MSc Physician Associate, students must pass the UK Physician Associate National Certification Examination.

Read more about the structure of postgraduate degrees at Brunel and what you will learn on the course.