I want to be a Physician associate!!

I'm looking at doing a biomedical degree or a healthcare science degree in order to become a physician associate. After doing a biomedical or healthcare science degree I will need to do a postgraduate qualification n physcian associates!

I need help with choosing work experience for these degrees. Has anyone any ideas how I need to go about getting work experience for my chosen degrees and what sort of work experience I should look for? I've done no work experience in the NHS but have had 4 weeks work experience in a vets and I have worked in a vets for 2 years.

I'm looking at doing a biomedical degree or a healthcare science degree in order to become a physician associate. After doing a biomedical or healthcare science degree I will need to do a postgraduate qualification n physcian associates!

I need help with choosing work experience for these degrees. Has anyone any ideas how I need to go about getting work experience for my chosen degrees and what sort of work experience I should look for? I've done no work experience in the NHS but have had 4 weeks work experience in a vets and I have worked in a vets for 2 years.

Here's exactly what I posted not too long ago, with some addition.

I am a Biomedical Science graduate, I would not advise you do Biomed unless you want to go back to University for further study, as you won't start at Band 5 in the NHS, but rather as a Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA). The pay is not good at all. If you still decide to go for Biomedical Science, then start applying for jobs in year 2 and be certified of a job before starting year 3. Gain plenty of laboratory experience as it will be required.

You can do a Bsc in Biomedical Science, get a 2.1 or first and apply for a 2 years post graduate diploma in Nursing or go for Bsc Nursing. I would not advise anyone or OP to do a Physician Associate degree. There are hardly any job vacancies for it and it is not very recognised. If we were in the US, I would advise one to go for it, however not in the UK. Op, rather than Physician Associate, I would advise you go for Allied Health professional jobs, particularly nursing as the pay is good, there are always jobs, you can do over time to earn more, good career progression, and you are more likely to get a job here in the UK and around the World, with Physician Associate not so much. With Physiotherapy, there are not many jobs as well and you will require more study to earn more.

There's a shed load of PA jobs, it's an up and coming profession being newly integrated. It was only 2.5 years ago that they began setting up the courses.

I would not recommend BSc Healthcare Science purely on that fact that it is a course to directly become a Biomedical Scientist. Although there is nothing stopping you progressing from it to PA, I strongly see it as a waste of a space.

I'm looking at doing a biomedical degree or a healthcare science degree in order to become a physician associate. After doing a biomedical or healthcare science degree I will need to do a postgraduate qualification n physcian associates!

I need help with choosing work experience for these degrees. Has anyone any ideas how I need to go about getting work experience for my chosen degrees and what sort of work experience I should look for? I've done no work experience in the NHS but have had 4 weeks work experience in a vets and I have worked in a vets for 2 years.

What makes you think it's a dead end career? Also there seems to be a misunderstanding about the number of PA jobs available because:

1. Most PA jobs are set up between students and their placement supervisors, so a fair amount never go on NHS jobs in the first place.
2. In the last census 131/150 PAs were employed in primary or secondary care. That is a very high percentage for a profession that is really...only 3 years old. This will undoubtedly increase and I look forward to seeing this year's census.
3. There are already a large amount of jobs in NHS Jobs alone and this isn't counting the huge number of jobs that will come up in the north once the first cohorts of students graduate from the 7 universities up there.

The inability to prescribe makes the PA job disadvantageous though. Nurses are allowed to prescribe although narrowly, however, PAs are not. PAs will always need a doctor to prescribe medicines.

Trust feedback has been that it isn't that disruptive. Doctors are frustrated by our inability to prescribe because they see that we have the knowledge to, yet are hindered by lack of regulation. We can choose which medications to give, write them up etc we just need the doctor to sign and review (review less and less as the trust grows in the doctor-PA relationship).

Prescribing rights will come with regulation, which has already been proposed in parliament. PAs are taught safe prescribing and have a list of core medications. It will come with regulation.

I agree it will come with regulation, but it is not regulated now. On the plus side, I quite like the PA job being a post graduate qualification, how they can change specialities and how many other Universities across the country have started the PA course, however, I feel the prescribing right puts the course down.
Can you answer these questions below if you don't mind me asking.
How did you find the PA course?
How were the exams and assignments like?
What degree did you do prior to starting the PA course?
Can I also send you a PM?, I would like to know more about the course, thanks.

There isn't a shed load of PA jobs available. It is a dead-end career. A basic NHS search will show this. Most of the PA jobs require 2 to 5 years post qualification experience as well. All the best getting this experience due to the extreme competition. PA is good on paper, not in practice. You need to have done a strong scientific Bsc degree such as a Life science or other health related subject e.g. Biomedical science, biology, biochemistry, biomedical sciences, medical sciences, medical engineering, nursing, Operating Department Practice, Paramedic Pharmacy or Physiology before applying for PA, because it IS a post graduate/ masters qualification.

Sounds like you get rejected for the course to me as nothing you've said is true.

I found out from a friend of mine who knew a PA in London.

I am still doing it, am halfway through the first year. It is good. Exciting to learn medicine. Dynamic and exciting especially on placement. But intense. Very intense. Theory and also placement as you have to dive in.

Assignments and exams vary from course to course. Each course has to abide by a carriculum but how they choose to achieve this is up to them. This is an area you would have to play close attention to. Ask other students at that uni about the course because they vary a lot in delivery methods. In mine, assignments are a mixture of OSCEs and case study assignments. MCQ exams are practice only.

I did Biomedical Science 6 years ago. Trust me when I say it will help you if you have experience of full time employment prior to the course.

Yes feel free to PM me.

There isn't a shed load of PA jobs available. It is a dead-end career. A basic NHS search will show this. Most of the PA jobs require 2 to 5 years post qualification experience as well. All the best getting this experience due to the extreme competition. PA is good on paper, not in practice. You need to have done a strong scientific Bsc degree such as a Life science or other health related subject e.g. Biomedical science, biology, biochemistry, biomedical sciences, medical sciences, medical engineering, nursing, Operating Department Practice, Paramedic Pharmacy or Physiology before applying for PA, because it IS a post graduate/ masters qualification.

Someone mentioned earlier that PAs won't make more than 40k - is this true?

You are seriously joking, right? And it's got* not get* You just made a false accusation of me I did not even know there was a course as a Physician Associate. Stop your accusations, you are not showing yourself in a positive light.
I am now more knowledgeable of the PA job prospects role after @IIir1989 reply, which was polite unlike yours.

Obviously it's got, well done.

You've posted on various topics slating the PA position, you clearly have/had an agenda on it otherwise you wouldn't have put time into posting on more than 1 topics. You're the worst kind of poster, those that attempt to impose their opinion onto others. Lead people to reach their own opinion, don't force your own.

Hi @RosieGirl,Just in a quick note, I am unsure what stage of PA career progression IIir1989 is, and all the best to him/ her, however I am currently a PA and I and making almost 50k. If you wish to only practice as a PA then you will probably not make much over 50k, you can do part time in GP or lecture at a university (with further qualification of course) and make more. From previous comment by IIir1989, it is true if you are looking to make over 70k, then perhaps PA is not the correct career path