About Physician Associate Studies, Postgraduate Diploma - at University of Birmingham

Physician Associate (formerly known as Physician Assistant) is a rapidly growing healthcare role in the UK, working alongside doctors in hospitals and in GP surgeries. Physician Associates support doctors in the diagnosis and management of patients. They are trained to perform a number of roles including: taking medical histories, performing examinations, analysing test results, and diagnosing illnesses under the direct supervision of a doctor.

The course leaders regard integration of theory and practice as fundamental to clinical learning. Theory is learned mostly through problem-based learning and you will experience medicine in both hospital and community attachments. The rich ethnic and socio-economic diversity of the 5.5 million strong West Midlands population offers unrivalled opportunities for clinical learning, and placements seek to optimise this.

From the first semester, you will have contact with patients as you are attached for 5 days of clinical experience to a General Practice in the West Midlands. The second year continues the problem-based learning approach and integrates mental health in community medicine, Reproductive and Child Health, Surgery, GP, Emergency Medicine A&E and Acute Admissions. Throughout the course, you will receive teaching in a variety of forms; lectures, seminars, tutorials, laboratory work, and bedside demonstrations. Simulation is fundamental to this course, using simulated patients (who will teach you communication and examination skills, including gynaecological and urological examination) and, when appropriate, high tech simulation methodologies such as Harvey and SimMan. Simulation aims both to prepare you for the clinical world and to train you in a safe, non-threatening environment.

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Entry requirements for this course

Contact University of Birmingham to find course entry requirements.

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