Courses

MPAS (Hons)

Physician Associate Studies

www.uclan.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/physician-associate-studies-mpas

D U R ATION STA R T

4 Years September 2023

U C A S C OD E D ELIVER Y

BB96 Campus Taught

The integrated Master’s in Physician Associate Studies provides an exciting opportunity for you to
become a Physician Associate, a medical associate profession, combining university study with practical
work-based placements.

This four-year degree takes you through a rigorous training programme to exit with a professional qualification and a master’s
degree. The role of a Physician Associate includes interviewing and examining patients, ordering tests and making decisions
about patient management.

PAs are trained to be generalist medical practitioners with opportunities to work in numerous specialties. Our programme
teaches the fundamentals of medical sciences in interactive groups, practical sessions and lectures. These are supported by
case-based learning and clinical placements, enabling you to consolidate and contextualise your knowledge. In Phase I (Years
1 and 2) you'll study alongside MBBS students, with a slight variation in each year. Whilst in Phase II (Years 3 and 4) you'll
study alongside our postgraduate entry MSc Physician Associate Practice students. Phase I will largely be based at the
Preston campus whilst Years 3 and 4 may involve both the Preston and Westlakes campus. The clinical placements in a wide
variety of locations will help prepare you for a career as a qualified Physician Associate.

From the start of the course clinical and communication skills are taught using our state-of-the-art facilities, volunteer patients
and simulated role players. Utilising a spiral curriculum, knowledge will be revisited and clinically applied to direct patient care,
preparing you for clinical practice.
Please note, with the General Medical Council’s (GMC) ongoing regulatory developments, we can confirm this programme
(modules and content) will be aligned to the new curriculum for September 2023.

Why Study With Us

• A unique programme, the first of its kind in the UK that leads to an integrated undergraduate master’s degree and ability to
practice as a Physician Associate.

• Our School of Medicine is ranked as the Top Medical School in North West England (The Guardian University Guide 2021)
What You’ll Do
Employability in the NHS for qualified PAs, once you have passed the National Exam as well as the programme at university, is
currently 100% as demand is far in excess of supply.

50% of the final two years of the programme is spent in clinical environments. These clinically based placements will help to
illustrate how teams work within the NHS.

Develop a career in the medical team, providing direct medical patient care.
Module Overview

Year 1

Compulsory modules

UM1010: Integrated Science and Clinical Medicine 1

UM1030: Medical Skills and Quality Care 1

UM1080: Fundamentals of Medical Research

UM1010: Integrated Science And Clinical Medicine 1

In this module you will learn how to study and apply biomedical scientific knowledge to the subject of medicine and develop
your skills in team working, self learning and practical scientific skills.

UM1030: Medical Skills And Quality Care 1

The aim of this module is to build the attributes and behaviours which are expected of a safe and effective clinician and
demonstrate the concept of professional practice within the healthcare team. It will develop your initial skills to communicate
effectively with patients, carers and healthcare professionals and guide you to demonstrate initial competence in the practical
procedures and clinical skills required of trainees outlined in GMC Tomorrow’s Doctors 2009 appendix 1.

UM1080: Fundamentals Of Medical Research

This module aims to introduce you to the fundamentals of medical research, ranging from basic research to clinical practice
guidelines. Facilitate your general academic development. You are also expected to gain an understanding of the importance of
continuing professional development, and the appropriate ways with which this can be achieved

Year 2

Compulsory modules

UM2010: Integrated Science and Clinical Medicine 2

UM2030: Medical Skills and Quality Care 2

UM3080: Evidence-based Population Health

We aim with this module to build on the knowledge and skills you have developed in your previous study and further your
biomedical scientific knowledge and skills which is relevant to studying the subject of medicine.

UM2030: Medical Skills And Quality Care 2

This module will build the attributes and behaviours which are expected of a safe and effective clinician and demonstrate the
concept of professional practice within the healthcare team. You will develop skills to communicate effectively with patients,
carers and healthcare professionals.

UM3080: Evidence-Based Population Health

This module aims to introduce you to the concepts of evidence-based healthcare and the use of research to promote health and
inform the treatment of illness within society. It also aims to examine how the population-level, sociological and psychological
concepts around health, illness and wellbeing are applied.

Year 3

Compulsory modules

UM4001: Medical Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours for Patient Care 1

UM4602: Professional Placement (Physician Associate Studies) I MPAS

UM4001: Medical Knowledge, Skills And Behaviours For Patient Care 1

This module will enable you to develop evidence-based knowledge, skills, attributes and behaviours that are expected of a safe
and effective Physician Associate in training and demonstrate the concept of professional practice within the healthcare team.

UM4602: Professional Placement (Physician Associate Studies) I MPAS

This module aims to enable you to apply and build on the knowledge and skills studied during UM4001 in a variety of adult
medicine-focussed clinical settings. You'll be exposed to multi-professional working in a team environment and continue to
develop your research skills and methods.

Year 4

Compulsory modules
 UM4002: Medical Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours for Patient Care 2

UM4702: Professional Placement (Physician Associate Studies) II MPAS

UM4002: Medical Knowledge, Skills And Behaviours For Patient Care 2

This module will enable you be critically apply the evidence-based knowledge, skills, attributes and behaviours that are
expected of a safe and effective Physician Associate in training, when working in specialist clinical areas. You'll appraise the
concepts of clinical and professional practice within the healthcare team as outlined in the current Competence and Curriculum
Framework, Matrix Specification of Core Clinical Conditions and regulatory body requirements.

UM4702: Professional Placement (Physician Associate Studies) II MPAS

This module will provide you with practical experience of working in a variety of clinical settings commensurate with the module
content for UM4002; Female Health, Sexual Health, Paediatrics, Mental Health, Surgery (general and orthopaedic) and Front
Door/Emergency Medicine, and enable you to implement the skills acquired. You'll also be exposed to collaborative working in a
multi-professional ‘specialist’ team environment.

Course Delivery

Following the pandemic, we have found that some courses benefit from a blended learning and teaching approach. Therefore,
the majority of your teaching will be face-to-face on campus aside from a small amount of online teaching where we have learnt
it works best.

80% 20%
Face-to-face Online

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes
are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation
of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject
benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback.
We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of
students.

Future Careers
Employability in the NHS for qualified Physician Associates is very strong, and demand has historically exceeded supply.

As a PA you will have the opportunity to work in a number of medical specialties, and also have opportunities in research and
academia.

As a generalist practitioner, jobs are typically based in acute medicine, surgery and GP practices along with some more
specialised areas such as paediatrics and elderly health.

Many qualified PAs undertake further studies such as a DProf (professional doctorate) or proceed to teach in universities and
conduct research.
 Entry Requirements

We will consider your educational achievements, predicted grades, work experience and personal statement. If you
don't meet the grades for your chosen course, we will consider you for other programmes.

We know that many factors can influence the grades you achieve in school or college. If your life experience has
affected your academic studies, we can take this into account. Use the UCAS Points Calculator below to check
whether you are eligible.

Unsure if you meet our entry requirements? Contact our friendly Course Enquiries team to talk through your options.

• UCAS: AAB at A2 including Chemistry a further science and an academic subject

• Pass Access: Higher Education at 136 points including 15 Level 3 Chemistry at Distinction and 15 Level 3 in second
science at Distinction

• GCSEs: 5 at grade C/4 including Maths and English

• Applicants are required to attend a selection day when they will be interviewed for the course

• A satisfactory Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland) and Occupational Health clearance are required for
this course.

This course will involve you working with vulnerable groups of individuals, this may include children. In order to ensure that the
University offers places on their programmes to suitable candidates you will be required to obtain a satisfactory Enhanced
Disclosure and Barring Service clearance (formerly termed CRB).

We will be able to guide you through this process once you have been offered a conditional place of study at the University of
Central Lancashire.

It is important to note that should your Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prove to be unsatisfactory for the
purpose of the course you have applied to, your offer of a place for that course may be withdrawn. If you have already enrolled
on a course and your DBS check subsequently discloses a criminal conviction, you may be required to withdraw from the
course even if you have already started. If you are aware that your DBS check will disclose a previous conviction, please
contact the course leader for advice as not all convictions may preclude you from continuing with the course.

All offers of a place on this course are subject to satisfactory health screening. It is important to note that should your health
screening not be satisfactory your offer of a place on this course may be withdrawn.
If you have already enrolled on the course prior to completion of your health screening, or if your health screening clearance is
revoked or changes during the course, you may be required to withdraw from the course even if you have already started.

If you would like to discuss or seek advice in respect of the health screening requirements for this course, please contact the
course enquiries team.
Fees And Funding
2022/23

UK

Full-time £9250 per year

International

Full-time £28000 per year

Course Specific Optional Costs

As part of your course, there may be additional optional costs to consider that are not included within your tuition fees. You can
find out more by following the links below:
2023/24

UK

Full-time £9,250 per year

International

Full-time £30,000 per year

Course Specific Optional Costs

As part of your course, there may be additional optional costs to consider that are not included within your tuition fees. You can
find out more by following the links below:
Scholarships And Bursaries

Care Leaver Bursary

Our Care Leaver Bursary is for students who need extra support because they have been in care or are estranged
from their parents.

Estranged Student Support

Estranged Student Support Bursary is for students who need extra support because they are estranged from their
parents.

Dependants Bursary

Students with financially dependent children may be eligible for our Dependants Bursary as part of our financial
support package.

Contextualised Admissions Bursary

We recognise that the last two years have been very challenging for young people and learning has been impacted.
To help support students eligible for a contextualised offer we are offering a bursary of £250 in their first year of
study.

Learning And Assessment

Please note that the MPAS (Hons) Physician Associate Studies is an undergraduate Integrated Masters and therefore
lasts four years (whereas traditional undergraduate degrees last three years). Also, the final two years are not traditional
university semesters – rather, they involve a 46-week teaching programme with six weeks of holidays a year only.

Whilst there is much traditional teaching as would be expected at university, the teaching and learning strategy is more than just
this. You will have access to state-of-the-art Human Anatomy Resource Centres with a virtual dissection table (anatomage) and
to modern clinical skills areas; simulation, typical ward environments, single consultation rooms, paediatric facilities, operating
department areas.
Regular cases help to frame each sub-module area of learning, eg respiratory focus, or neurological. Whilst developing
teamwork and leadership skills through these sessions, you are directed to focus your learning in a thoughtful and intelligent
manner.

The assessment strategy for the programme is varied and includes examinations (eg single-best answer multiple-choice
questions and short answer questions), written assignments and clinical examinations (eg objective structured clinical
examinations and direct observed procedural skills) as examples of our different approaches.

Industry Links

The NHS, teaching with excellence, and provision of clinical placements, ensures rich and fulfilling relationships across the
sectors from the full geographical area. These relationships can facilitate clinical practitioners from the NHS coming into the
classroom to help deliver frontline, up to date health care materials, which is essential in training future Physician Associates,
enabling them to enter straight into work on successful graduation.

Further Information

Our programme teaches the fundamentals of medical sciences in interactive small groups practical sessions and lectures.
These are supported by case-based learning, providing an opportunity for you to consolidate and contextualise your knowledge.
From the start of the course clinical and communication skills are taught using our state-of-the-art facilities, volunteer patients
and simulated role players.

During the first two years of the programme, you will be learning alongside students who are enrolled onto the MBBS
programme. The final two years will employ a spiral curriculum principle to enable continuation of developing confident and
competent students to begin their career in the healthcare arena.

Outside of the classroom environment, the provision of clinical placements includes a full spectrum of opportunities: urban and
rural, specialised hospital and general practice; single-handed or multi-disciplinary. Please be aware that some placements
could be during evening and night shifts. Teamwork is an essential quality of being a PA. As a new member of the healthcare
team you will be able to influence teamwork, within the support framework of your clinical supervisor, to enhance patient
outcomes.

The clinically based placements will help to illustrate how teams work within the NHS. The geographical location of the
University is ideal to enable this amazing combination of clinical opportunities, of which we are very proud.
This course is based in the School of Medicine located in the Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences

For information on possible changes to course information, see our essential and important course information

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at the University of Central Lancashire on our student contract page

For more information on studying with the University of Central Lancashire, or for advice and guidance on how to apply visit
uclan.ac.uk/study or call our course enquiries team on 01772 892400

Date of publish: 03 06 2023

Course Disclaimer: https://www.uclan.ac.uk/legal/course-disclaimer