Hi, this is a really interesting question for me as I am a UoB trained PA working abroad. As things stand, UK PAs cannot practice medicine outside of the UK despite PAs being common practice in the US and large parts of Europe. This may change in the future, but it is best not to gamble with this idea. Once qualified as a UK PA, your main options for working abroad are in academia (such as myself), the Pharma industry or any other scientific or medical role which is non-clinical in nature. For me, working abroad was one of the best decisions I have made and I take comfort in the fact that I can always return and practice in the UK should I ever wish to do so. If you are adamant that you want to work as a PA in clinical practice in other countries, I believe studying to become a PA in the US would enable you to practice internationally, including of course in the US and the UK, but you should do further research to confirm this. In summary, while your UK qualification ties you to clinical practice in the UK, there are lots of exciting work opportunities for you abroad if that is something which you wish to consider in the future! All the best!

I qualified back in 2016 when the PA profession was not nearly as big or as established as it is now. At that time there were not many job listings on NHS jobs as there are now (now there are often several pages of PA jobs compared with one or two listings during my studies!). I was fortunate to be offered a position in general practice by the GP partners where I had my community based medicine placement and subsequent elective placement. When you are nearing the end of your studies, it is always a good opportunity to show motivation and drive on your clinical placements and speak directly to the team about work opportunities thereafter, having showcased yourself. Furthermore, as mentioned above, there are a lot more job listings on NHS jobs these days which is a clear bonus, but of course this increased demand correlates with an increased supply from an increased number of PA students and graduated PAs.

Hi, congratulations on your recent graduation! I think the main consideration here is that there is a reason why clinical experience is considered an essential component to almost all PA/ med schools. The fact is that experience in healthcare really helps us to make informed decisions about our future (clinical) careers and therefore I would advocate for volunteer work in a healthcare facility which you can then incorporate into your personal statement and discuss how this has helped shape your desire to be a PA. There are still many unknowns around the role of PAs in the NHS and therefore shadowing a PA would be the most ideal work experience for your chances of admission and your future clinical career. I went from my undergraduate degree in a similar field (Human Biology) to PA school within less than a year, however during that time I worked on a ward in the NHS. While it was a non-clinical role, I was working closely with the healthcare team gaining valuable insights which confirmed my desire to work in healthcare. All the best!

Hi, specific questions relating to admissions should be sent to the UoB admissions department. Best wishes!

Hi, at UoB, you must first complete your PGDip in PA studies prior to enrolling on the MSc. The MSc is useful for senior PAs to progress in their career, in hospital medicine but even more so in academia. Hope this helps!

Hi, when I was a PA student at Birmingham university, the hospital placements did vary in location somewhat. That being said, the faculty always did their best to accommodate special requests (to remain local) but I imagine it is still the case that given hospitals cannot be completely guaranteed. Some placements did require some further travel for many students. All the best

Hi, this is a post-graduate course which requires a strong scientific and fundamental background knowledge in the form of a scientific or healthcare-related undergraduate degree. If you are set on becoming a PA then a healthcare related degree such as nursing, physiotherapy or pharmacy would stand you in good stead and also demonstrate a commitment to medicine. Best wishes

Hi, as a post-graduate mentor I'm afraid I can't really help too much with this specific enquiry. I would recommend getting in touch with the UoB PA admissions team who will be able to advise further or point you in the right direction of relevant departments. All the best with your ambitions for your elective placement. Best wishes

Hi, congratulations on being shortlisted for interview. I can only advise as a previous student of UoB and a qualified PA so your question regarding a work permit would be best directed to the UoB PA admissions department. Regarding the interview, you should demonstrate a continued commitment to the medical field and demonstrate knowledge of the PA profession in the UK. It is also worth keeping in mind that you can 'top up' your PGDip to an MSc through UoB at a later date should you wish to do so. Best wishes

Hi there, your BSc in occupational therapy will be considered advantageous, in terms of the content covered, your clinical experience and a commitment to healthcare. With regard to how the pandemic is effecting the taught component, I would recommend discussing this directly with the PA admissions team (via UoB website) who will be able to advise you further or put you in touch with the relevant department as I completed my studies prior to the pandemic. All the best!

Hi, the PA programme requires 50 hours per week of participation/self-study/placement. I therefore do not recommend trying to balance this commitment with part-time work. While part-time work may be possible for some students with prior medical knowledge and significant experience, you should keep in mind that during this programme, you should aim to learn as much as possible, not only for your exams but for your future clinical career and patients and therefore the course should be your main focus. I understand that there may well be a need to fund the programme, in which case I would recommend building up some more funds prior to starting the course rather than trying to balance with with a very intense curriculum.

The MSc is only open for students who have first obtained the PGDip in PA studies. Campus life is engaging and I enjoyed the interaction with my colleagues but this may of course be interrupted at the moment due to the pandemic. The course is an intense and challenging two year programme where you will study via PBL and CBL and there is significant emphasis on self-study. I recommend you spend some time shadowing PAs and discuss further with them how they have found their studies and clinical careers thereafter.

Hello, thank you very much for your question and apologies in the delay getting back to you. My name is Emma from the Postgraduate Recruitment team, and I am replying on behalf of the mentor as they have not yet answered it.

I can't speak for personal experience but you can view employability information on our website: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/med/physician-associate.aspx#EmployabilityTab

If you have more questions, please email paadmissions@contacts.bham.ac.uk to speak to a member of staff from the relevant department.

I also found this page on Prospects which gives a good overview of the course and careers: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/physician-associate

Best wishes, PG Recruitment

Hi, I understand your concerns. I would recommend that you obtain as much healthcare experience as possible to demonstrate that you are committed to studying medicine and pursuing a career in medicine. In some cases, this may be considered where applicants do not quite meet the academic requirements.

Hi, I am more than happy to provide you with some first-hand experience here. The programme is very intense, you will study to the medical model during the PA programme (and no longer the nursing model). Your education and experience in healthcare will be very valuable but there will be a lot of new content. It is indeed expected that students will spend 50 hours per week studying throughout the entire programme although this will vary slightly depending on the individual and the prior experiences. I would strongly recommend not counting on part-time work. It may be the case that you can rarely pick up a nursing shift, but it would not be wise to rely on this as a form of part-time income as it would more than likely be overwhelming to try to juggle both. I speak from experience when two members of my cohort were previously trained nurses. The hours you work after qualification will largely depend on your contract and whether you decide to work in primary or secondary care. In my experience, it is easier to negotiate hours that suit you personally in a general practice setting. The key here is to realise that this is an intense, challenging 50-hour per week programme but it is also incredibly rewarding and sets you up for a career as a medical professional. I strongly recommend some time shadowing PAs and having some more in-depth conversations with them about their studies and clinical careers. All the very best

Hi, your experience in a cardiac centre and your post-graduate qualification in cardiac anaesthesia technology will certainly be very helpful if you go on to study the UoB PA curriculum. The PA curriculum is a generalist curriculum that will prepare you to enter any common medical speciality. I personally very much enjoyed my PA studies but you should be aware that it is an intense and demanding programme. I enjoyed the problem-based learning sessions where students learn from one another and their respective experiences (you would surely be an asset to a PBL team). It is however worth noting that you will have a limited number of lectures and there is a significant emphasis on guided self-study. There are simulation sessions both at the university and on the clinical placements. Clinical discussions will take both on placement and as part of PBL and CBL cases. All the best with your future endeavours

Hi, you can expect a challenging and engaging curriculum. You should note that problem-based and case-based learning forms the majority of the learning methodology and you should ensure that you are comfortable as a self-regulated learner and are comfortable working in groups as frontal lectures are not the main methodology for this programme.

Hi, regarding your first query, the UoB PA programme is one of the most established programmes in the UK and you can expect a challenging and engaging curriculum. You should note that problem-based and case-based learning forms the majority of the learning methodology and you should ensure that you are comfortable as a self-regulated learner and are comfortable working in groups as frontal lectures are not the main methodology for this programme. Regarding being an international student, it would be best to discuss this with the UoB PA admissions department.

UoB is a flagship university for the PA programme and as such it is a competitive entry process. You will need a relevant undergraduate degree to a good standard as well as healthcare experience to demonstrate that you are making an informed career decision. These two factors will be the most influential in your application.

Hello, thank you very much for your question and apologies in the delay getting back to you. My name is Emma from the Postgraduate Recruitment team, and I am replying on behalf of the mentor as they have not yet answered it.

The PGDip Physician Associate Studies is what qualifies you to become a Physician's Associate - once you have this qualification you can take the MSc course which is a top-up and just consists of a research project to get up to the 180 credits required for a Masters.

I hope this helps! PG Recruitment

Hi, you should expect that both the university days and the clinical days will be full working days. Expect to be on placement or studying for a minimum of 8 hours. This is an intense programme where one should expect to study 50 hours per week so often you will exceed 8 hours of study time per day.

Hello, thank you very much for your question and apologies in the delay getting back to you. My name is Emma from the Postgraduate Recruitment team, and I am replying on behalf of the mentor as they have not yet answered it.

The beauty of postgraduate study is that you can come back to it at any age, so I would try not to worry about your age going against you!

With regards to your previous experience, unfortunately I don't have detailed knowledge of the course content, but as the mentor has not replied to you, I would advise that you make an enquiry to the relevant team. At the bottom of the course page (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/med/physician-associate-msc.aspx) there is an 'Email us' button. Submitting a question there will send it to someone on the team, who will hopefully be able to help!

Best wishes, PG Recruitment

Hello, thank you very much for your question and apologies in the delay getting back to you. My name is Emma from the Postgraduate Recruitment team, and I am replying on behalf of the mentor as they have not yet answered it.

It's great to see you thinking so far ahead! Our entry requirements for Physician Associate Studies can be found here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/med/physician-associate.aspx#EntryRequirementsTab - and you can see employability information on the employability tab at the top. I can't give much more specific information unfortunately as I don't know the course in detail, but you can email the PA team at paadmissions@contacts.bham.ac.uk if you want further clarification.

I hope this helps, PG Recruitment

Hi there, this question is better directed to the University of Birmingham admissions team for the Physician Associate programme. This can be found via the university website. Best wishes

Hi, I completely understand your situation and with your background I imagine you would be a good fit for the PA programme. The single best thing you can do in my opinion to make an informed decision is to obtain experience shadowing PAs (and doctors). This will not only help guide your decision but will be very valuable when it comes to the admission process of your desired path.

Hello, thank you very much for your question. My name is Emma from the Postgraduate Recruitment team, and I am replying on behalf of the mentor as they have not yet answered it.

Unfortunately I don't have detailed knowledge of the course content or of employability prospects, but as the mentor has not replied to you, I would advise that you make an enquiry to the relevant team. At the bottom of the course page (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/med/physician-associate-msc.aspx) there is an 'email us' button. Submitting a question there will send it to someone on the team, who will hopefully be able to help!

Best wishes, Emma

Hi,

We don't offer a joint programme unfortunately. The application process is detailed here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/apply-pg/index.aspx

The only pre-requisites are the entry requirements. These are a 2:1 in a Life Sciences Degree so that our students can start the course with a good knowledge of biological processes, cell functions and cell interactions. This includes the Pharmacy degree you have. A 2:2 may be considered with considerable clinical experience.

Unfortunately you would be required to meet the English Language requirements unless you have been resident in the UK permanently for the past three years. Our language requirements are detailed here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgt/requirements-pgt/international/index.aspx

Best wishes, Tom

I was fortunate enough to be offered employment by the practice where I carried out my clinical based medicine and elective placements. This meant that towards the end of my studies, I was able to focus on my national exams and not have to worry about the additional burden of applying for jobs. This was a real bonus for me and I worked at this surgery for two years post-qualification.

This course has confirmed a life-long ambition to study medicine. It has enabled me to work in a career whereby I am in the privileged position of being able to make a positive difference to people’s lives, but also to help them in their moment of need. There is not much more in the way of job satisfaction than what you can achieve as a clinician.

Top of my list has to be the people that I have met: classmates and tutors. My classmates come from a diverse array of scientific, clinical and cultural backgrounds and we have all learnt so much from one another, which is the fundamental basis of our group work. I have also met tutors with impressive accolades, and careers to which I aspire to be able to compare mine one day. It's also a special feeling walking into the Medical School every day and I have really enjoyed the challenge of the programme.

My motivation for postgraduate study was a combination of two reasons. Firstly, I have always had a desire to study medicine and this course enabled me to do this in an intense two-year programme. Equally important perhaps, I felt that the personal development of postgraduate study would help me to grow as an individual. I also hoped to expand my social network by meeting like-minded individuals. This was certainly the case. I was surrounded by people who loved what they were studying, which really helps to motivate one another day to day.

The University of Birmingham is a world-class institution. Growing up in the local area, I always hoped to study at UoB one day. During my undergraduate degree I had begun to believe that this might not come to fruition, but my acceptance onto this postgraduate course has made this dream come true. The history behind one of the few redbrick universities was a key attraction, as was the relationship with the Russell Group, which funds some truly exciting research in the medical and scientific community.

After graduation, I started working in primary care as I felt strongly that I wanted to deepen my medical knowledge and set a broad platform for any future specialities that I may wish to pursue. Having worked in primary care for more than three years, I have now moved to working in medical education to help train the next generation of doctors and PAs.

Without revealing any specific information about the interview, I would say that it is important to be well read and ideally have first-hand experience of shadowing or working with a PA. I advise that you are up to date with current medical issues in the media and areas of ongoing medical research. Further to this, it is important to know in your own mind what the PA programme and what life as a PA will entail (and be able to demonstrate that you have put a lot of thought into this). It is also worth considering medical ethical scenarios.

Hi, the course is very intense and runs for a little over two years. Some of your weekends can be kept free if you really optimise your self-study during the week and work late after placement. Remember that this course is designed to train you as a medic within just 2 years and therefore holiday's are much shorter than other medical courses and often involve revision or coursework. I hope this answers your question.

Hi, it is nice to hear that you are keen in becoming a PA. Please keep in mind that training to be a PA from a UK accredited course will only entitle you to work in the UK as a PA. Best wishes.

Hi there,

I am in my third year of being a PA and I really enjoy my role in General Practice, which is where I have worked since qualifying.

It is important to understand that a PA works under the supervision of senior doctors and therefore if you work in a hospital setting you will always have limited opportunity to manage patients your own way. In General Practice, you often have more autonomy, especially once you are senior and confident in the role. Ultimately though, you are technically still working under supervision, although this supervision is often dependent on the PA to seek help or advice as required, especially in a primary care setting.

I strongly recommend you undertake some work experience with a PA as this is the best way to find out if the role is for you. Best wishes.

Hi, there are lots of placements throughout the course and it forms a key part of the student competencies and learning hours. Placements can be local or further afield and flexibility is required on the side of the student. The PA job market is currently booming and I have never had any issues with finding work! Best wishes,