Physician Associate Studies

• A minimum of a 2:2 (lower second class) Honours degree in a life sciences or other health-related subject

• Must be completed, awarded and certified by 1 August 2020.

If you have a degree that matches the criteria (or an accepted equivalent) that was awarded more than five years ago, you are encouraged to apply for the course. The academic team will review your personal statement and evidence of relevant work experience and invite suitable candidates to complete an academic qualifying essay.  For further information, please email pgdmissions@sgul.ac.uk

If you have a 2:2 Honours degree (or accepted equivalent) in a subject that is not a life sciences or health- related, you will need to complete some life science modules at a 2:2 standard or above. Physiology is a necessity for those not holding a life science degree. Alternative evidence of recent life/health science academic study (NVQ Level 4 and above) will be considered. Please send your academic transcripts and the course specification to pgdmissions@sgul.ac.uk for review before applying.

Please note that graduates of UK Physician Associate Studies programmes are not eligible to work as Physician Associates in other countries (or vice versa).

If your native language is not English, you will need to provide evidence of your English language ability.

English language tests are valid for only two years. If you took a test more than two years ago, you may be required to complete another. Applicants are only permitted a maximum of two test attempts within a one year period.

• IELTS: Overall 7.5, with 7.0 in all components (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking)

Health screening

Candidates accepted onto healthcare courses are required to pass an occupational health screening. When admitting a candidate to study and practise as a health practitioner, St George’s has an obligation to patients and students. If you are concerned about a health issue we strongly advise you to contact us prior to applying. All offers of places at St George’s are subject to satisfactory health clearance and an agreement to undergo appropriate blood tests and immunisations.

All candidates will be asked to be immunised against Hepatitis B for personal safety. If you firmly accept an offer made to you by St George’s you will be sent a confidential health questionnaire and further information about the Hepatitis B screening process.

Police screening

This course will include work with children and vulnerable adults so you are required to have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. More information about this process will be sent to you as part of the admissions process.

Professional registration

If you are a current healthcare professional or a member of a registered professional body, we ask that you provide details of your registration. If you have had your professional registration suspended or revoked, or undergone a disciplinary/fitness to practise investigation, you will be required to provide further information if selected for an interview. You may also be asked to provide full copies of related documentation.

Previous enrolment on a clinical course

If you have previously enrolled on a Physician Associate Studies or other clinical course which you did not complete, you must declare this on your application and provide information about the circumstances.

The first year is dedicated to ensuring you have a good grounding in the sciences underpinning health care. Communication and clinical examination skills are a key part of the first year curriculum. You will spend four days a week on campus and one day on clinical placement, which will be organised in a GP practice.

Year 1 teaching is system- or theme-based, following a brief introductory period. We begin with the ‘big three’ systems: cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal. Most themes are covered in two- or three-week blocks, with a large amount of information delivered in each block.

Information is often delivered across multiple modules (see below).

In the second year you will begin with special topics weeks covering skills such as ECG interpretation and suturing, before beginning your hospital placements. You will then be on campus one day every three weeks as the emphasis shifts towards clinical work and placements, with 36–39 weeks being spent in hospital and six to nine weeks being spent on a GP placement.

This module lays the basis for future prescribing activity and ensures you have a good understanding of common drugs and their effects. (Please note that PAs do not yet have prescribing rights in the UK. However, strong pharmacology knowledge is essential for PA practice.)

This module enables you to locate and evaluate evidence underpinning decision-making in healthcare and to develop your skills in critically appraising this evidence.

This module covers integrated body systems, pathology, differential diagnosis skills, models of decision-making, and applications of the underpinning sciences to patient conditions. It also provides an overview of the clinically relevant elements of human anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, immunology and pathology.

This module runs across both years of the course and addresses the common and pertinent investigations relating to the clinical practice of a Physician Associate. You will learn about the role of clinical investigations and their relevance in relation to common and important presentations in clinical practice. It will involve analysis of common investigations performed in primary and secondary care.

This module runs throughout the two years. Your achievement of core clinical competencies, procedural skills and work with specific clinical conditions will be documented. Developmental reviews support the practical learning achieved during this module.

This module facilitates the application of clinical knowledge and examination skills with appropriate supervision from suitably qualified and skilled clinicians in real clinical environments, preparing you for entry into professional practice.

Problem-based learning

Given a clinical problem, you will use self-directed research to make a diagnosis and suggest an appropriate course of action. Problem-based learning encourages learning in context, self-motivation, and deep rather than surface understanding.

Self-directed study

This course requires a significant amount of self-directed study, outside of teaching hours. In the first year, lectures are complemented by group work, designed to develop clinical and communication skills. You are allocated a clinical supervisor who is a General Practitioner and will support you in developing your skills development throughout your GP placement.

In the second year, you'll continue community placements, as well as rotating through a number of acute clinical placements, including:

• general medicine

• paediatrics

• obstetrics and gynaecology

• emergency medicine

• mental health

• geriatric medicine.

Assessments are designed to prepare you for the PA National Examination and will be a mixture of written papers, written examinations and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations.

A portfolio of your development of the core clinical skills and competencies is monitored throughout both years and is submitted for assessment at the end of each year. Written coursework assignments and/or presentations are set for the modules in Personal and Professional Development, and Foundations of Clinical Medicine.

1. Click ‘Apply’ above.

2. Create an account.

3. Complete the application form and upload any relevant documents. You can save a partly completed form and return to it later. Please make sure you complete all sections. Please make sure that the information you provide is accurate, including the options you select in menus.

4. Add pgadmissions@sgul.ac.uk to your address book to ensure you do not miss any important emails from us.

5. When you have checked that your application is complete and accurate, click ‘Submit’.

You can track your application online.

Please provide two references to support your application. These must be submitted using the Reference Request Form.

One must be a recent academic reference. The other should be either a second academic reference or a professional/employer reference. They should cover your suitability for the course and your academic ability. (See the form for more detail on what the references should cover.)

Your referees should know you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education. We do not accept references from family, friends, partners, ex-partners or yourself.

They should be dated no more than a year before the date of your application, and must be uploaded within two weeks of making your application.

Download the reference request form (Word)