How do I train to be a PA in the South East?
If you wish to train for an exciting career as a Physician Associate in Thames Valley, Wessex, Kent, Surrey and Sussex, you have a choice of excellent post-graduate education programmes.
In the South East, Physician Associate Courses (MSc/PG Dip/MPAS) are offered by:
These postgraduate training courses are intensive, full time, 2 year programmes delivered over at least 45 weeks per year. Entrants are typically biomedical/life science graduates with a minimum of a 2:2 degree. As of 2022, there are 35 university programmes across the UK. The University of Reading is the second provider in the UK to offer the 4 year integrated undergraduate Masters MPAS course. In order to be considered for the course you should have some work experience within a healthcare setting but is not necessary to have shadowed a PA.
The curriculum is delivered using a combination of lectures, problem and case-based learning and supervised placements in various clinical settings, including general practice, mental health, A&E, paediatrics, obstetrics & gynaecology, surgery, and acute and general medicine. The previous curriculum adheres to the recommendations outlined in the Department of Health’s Matrix of Conditions and Competence and Curriculum Framework which specify training should include at least 1600 hours of direct teaching and 1600 hours of clinical placement.
The pre-qualification education framework for PAs and AAs was published in September 2022. It consists of overarching learning outcomes and an outcomes-based curriculum. This new framework is expected to be implemented by universities from 2023, with the first graduates from programmes using this updated curriculum from 2025.
