St George’s, University of London is committed to being a respectful place of study where every student should feel safe, supported and free from any form of discrimination or intolerance, including professional discrimination.
An anonymous post submitted to our online student feedback board, Unitu, on Sunday 28 April asked, “Why is the MBBS graduation held at the same time as the Physician Associate graduation?” The post was reported and taken down as it did not abide by the content policy.
In addition, we have seen several negative posts on social media, including X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit, discussing graduation ceremonies in the context of wider, long-running discussions about the role of Physician Associates (PAs).
We are incredibly proud of our PA course and its talented staff and students. PAs are essential in supporting the care of patients alongside doctors and other health professionals in a broad range of NHS settings. PA and MBBS graduations have happened together for many years, wherever possible. This serves to recognise the complementary nature of our courses, the importance of cross-disciplinary working, and mutual respect for colleagues within the NHS and beyond, as laid out in university and healthcare regulatory frameworks. Kindness, courtesy, and respect towards current and future peers, including celebrating their achievements, are expected within both university and healthcare communities.
The General Medical Council (GMC) are consulting on the rules, standards and guidance for Physician Associates until 20 May 2024. We suggest students contribute to the official consultation, as a more constructive approach than posting comments online.
Most importantly, we ask all students to be respectful and compassionate towards your peers in all your interactions.
Best wishes,
Jenny Higham, Vice-Chancellor
Jane Saffell, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education)
Hannah Cock, MBBS Course Director, Vice-Chair, London Medicine
Pippa Tostevin, Head of the Centre of Clinical Education
Amy Donaldson-Perrott, Master’s in Physician Associate studies, Course Director
Tripti Chakraborty, Master’s in Physician Associate studies, Deputy Course Director
Eshan Sabesan, Students’ Union President for Education
Erin McNamara, Students’ Union President for Welfare