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The Physician Associate role is fairly new in terms of the NHS’s long history. It was first established in 2003. Now, in 2024, there are more than 4,000 PAs working across general practice and primary care, with a view to increasing this number to 10,000 by 2036/37. As demand on healthcare services grow, PAs play a vital role in meeting patients’ needs and supporting the overall functioning of the NHS.
Physician Associates are skilled medical professionals who work under the supervision of qualified doctors; often bridging the gap between GPs, consultants, registrars and patients. Their role is a highly collaborative one, working with a broad sector of healthcare professionals across multidisciplinary teams to ensure continuity of care.
These highly skilled professionals work to enhance the quality of patient care and are trained in a wide range of medical skills and knowledge. Often at the forefront, they work closely with doctors, performing numerous clinical duties such as taking medical histories, conducting physical examinations, diagnosing and treating common ailments; thus, helping to reduce waiting times and freeing up doctors for more complex medical issues. They are involved in follow-up appointments, monitoring a patient’s progress, adjusting treatment plans and ensuring patients receive coordinated care within the health service.
Their role is not to replace doctors, but to work alongside them, providing support in clinical settings. As well as working on hospital wards, Physician Associates are often found in general practice, due to their wide-ranging medical knowledge and training. In addition to this, Physician Associates play a pivotal role in the education: training and mentoring other medical professionals, many of whom split their time between delivering lectures at a university with hands on clinical practice; sharing their knowledge and expertise with the next generation of medical professionals.
To get into this profession, you will need a good undergraduate degree in a related field such as health, biomedical science or life sciences, followed by two years postgraduate studies as a Physician Associate. The course involves both theory and practical experience. Students will undergo training in a variety of clinical settings from hospitals to clinics and general practices. Placements enable students to apply their theoretical knowledge in real-life settings. Finally, upon graduation, you will sit the Faculty of Physician Associates national certification examination before you can practice in the UK. Once you have passed the exam, you will need to register with the Faculty of Physician Associates Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR). However, as demand for Physician Associates within the NHS continues to grow, so do study pathways. Some universities now offer undergraduate degrees in Physician Associate programmes, including an integrated Master of Physician Associate Studies (MPAS); these are four-year courses.
As with all medical professions, this is a vocation. However, it is also an ideal role for someone who has a passion for medicine and science, great communication skills, but also wishes to maintain a work-life balance with a more predictable timetable and not experience the somewhat all-consuming demands faced by many NHS doctors. Bearing in mind, you will still be working closely with patients, with the inevitable emotional toll this may entail; ultimately, decision making will fall upon a supervising qualified doctor. Therefore, making the role slightly less pressurised than that of a qualified physician, yet none the less valuable in terms of patient care, sensitivity, compassion and bedside manner. Hence, why communication skills and emotional intelligence are integral to this role, as well as medical and scientific acumen.
Should you wish to develop your career further, there are numerous pathways for progression including in areas of leadership and management; advanced practice or specialisation in areas such as cardiology, orthopaedics, dermatology; research and education and so on. How far you take your learning and professional development, post your Physician Associate accreditation, is at your discretion; however, the course offers you the foundations for a rewarding and fruitful career as a PA or the possibility to expand your knowledge and take on more challenging roles within healthcare. This is a versatile and ever evolving career, offering great job security, a stepping stone to further professional development, while also allowing you to deliver holistic care to people in their time of most need.
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