Not sure whether to go for Physician's Associate or Children's Nursing

I'm a graduate with a master's and have been working for a pharmaceutical company in a corporate role. However, I have been wanting to pursue a career in healthcare and finally decided to bite the bullet and just go for it.

I was planning on making some last minute applications for BSc Children's Nursing on UCAS as I'll receive a student loan and help with living costs. However, I've also started wondering about the Physician's Associate course which is only 2 years and will give me a higher salary once I qualify. The only issue is I would have to apply for September 2024 as the courses I would be interested in are all full now or have their applications closed for 2023. I have already had a postgraduate loan so would need to self-fund this which will be expensive, and I won't have any help with living costs (luckily I can live with parents).

I'm not sure what to go for. My ideal job would be working as a practice nurse or a Physician Associate in a GP surgery.

Does anyone have any advice or has had to make a similar decision and, if so, which did you go for and why?

Reply 1

normaw

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

19

Original post by blossomx

I'm a graduate with a master's and have been working for a pharmaceutical company in a corporate role. However, I have been wanting to pursue a career in healthcare and finally decided to bite the bullet and just go for it.

I was planning on making some last minute applications for BSc Children's Nursing on UCAS as I'll receive a student loan and help with living costs. However, I've also started wondering about the Physician's Associate course which is only 2 years and will give me a higher salary once I qualify. The only issue is I would have to apply for September 2024 as the courses I would be interested in are all full now or have their applications closed for 2023. I have already had a postgraduate loan so would need to self-fund this which will be expensive, and I won't have any help with living costs (luckily I can live with parents).

I'm not sure what to go for. My ideal job would be working as a practice nurse or a Physician Associate in a GP surgery.

Does anyone have any advice or has had to make a similar decision and, if so, which did you go for and why?

I'd recommend you try and get some work/shadowing experience of both roles in a GP surgery to see which job appeals to you the most. You could also look into level 7 apprenticeships for physician associates.

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/medical-associate-professions/roles-medical-associate-professions/physician-associate

By delaying your application until next cycle, you will be able to continue earning for a year to help with funding. You might also be eligible for a £5,000 allowance from HHE for studying a physician associate masters:

https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/physician-associates

Reply 2

taulaqi1

1

Does HHE give an allowance to students studying PA

Reply 3

normaw

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

19

Original post by taulaqi1

Does HHE give an allowance to students studying PA

You will need to clarify what funding is available with the unis you are thinking of applying to. For example, on Worcester's website it states:

Scholarships, bursaries and loans. The funding arrangement for September 2021 entry are as follows:

Health Education England, has provided a national funding strategy for all Physician Associate courses in England, where students received £5,000 towards tuition fees, split equally across the two years of the course. You will not need to apply for this separately.

You may be eligible for a postgraduate loan for Masters study. It will be at your own discretion whether the loan is used towards fees, maintenance or other costs. For full details visit our postgraduate loans page.

https://www.worcester.ac.uk/courses/physician-associate-msc

In North West England there is an arrangement between HEE and local unis to pay an allowance of up to £2,500 per year to cover travel expenses for placements:

https://www.nwpgmd.nhs.uk/physician_associate

Reply 4

Appio001

13

Original post by taulaqi1

Does HHE give an allowance to students studying PA

Yes they do.

I’ve been studying at Plymouth University and you get £2500 in your first year and the other £2500 in your second year of the Physician Associate course

Reply 5

Jalcaraz

4

Original post by blossomx

I'm a graduate with a master's and have been working for a pharmaceutical company in a corporate role. However, I have been wanting to pursue a career in healthcare and finally decided to bite the bullet and just go for it.

I was planning on making some last minute applications for BSc Children's Nursing on UCAS as I'll receive a student loan and help with living costs. However, I've also started wondering about the Physician's Associate course which is only 2 years and will give me a higher salary once I qualify. The only issue is I would have to apply for September 2024 as the courses I would be interested in are all full now or have their applications closed for 2023. I have already had a postgraduate loan so would need to self-fund this which will be expensive, and I won't have any help with living costs (luckily I can live with parents).

I'm not sure what to go for. My ideal job would be working as a practice nurse or a Physician Associate in a GP surgery.

Does anyone have any advice or has had to make a similar decision and, if so, which did you go for and why?

Physician associate! while they are not requiring any entrance exams like the UCAT! PA’s will soon be regulated as announced by the government and the GMC will be the regulator. Once PA’s are regulated this opens doors for progression and the possibility of adding a prescribing course which means you can argue for a higher band and say you should be prescribing at a band 8a.

Reply 6

girl_in_black

16

You have probably made you choice by now, but pick nursing. It's a solid career that will give you the option of career progression into advanced roles if you want that, and the possibility of working in other places in the world.

A PA degree from the UK, on the other hand, is not recognised elsewhere and, quite frankly, puts you in a very dangerous position of being expected to do the role of a doctor without the adequate training - I'm not sure that the better salary and better hours (for now) are worth it.

Reply 7

Jalcaraz

4

Original post by girl_in_black

You have probably made you choice by now, but pick nursing. It's a solid career that will give you the option of career progression into advanced roles if you want that, and the possibility of working in other places in the world.

A PA degree from the UK, on the other hand, is not recognised elsewhere and, quite frankly, puts you in a very dangerous position of being expected to do the role of a doctor without the adequate training - I'm not sure that the better salary and better hours (for now) are worth it.

Which is why it’s very important to practise within your scope and that is something that is drilled in the FPA, PA are actually recognised in New Zealand often with progression to Australia, something quite newish but only time will tell. I agree that nursing has its progression but just depends how long you’re willing to wait for it, PA puts you at a band 7 after 2 years (probably will go up as you train and might even reclassify once regulated), theres some nurses who wait years only for a band 6.

(edited 3 months ago)

Reply 8

girl_in_black

16

Original post by Jalcaraz

Which is why it’s very important to practise within your scope and that is something that is drilled in the FPA, PA are actually recognised in New Zealand often with progression to Australia, something quite newish but only time will tell. I agree that nursing has its progression but just depends how long you’re willing to wait for it, PA puts you at a band 7 after 2 years (probably will go up as you train and might even reclassify once regulated), theres some nurses who wait years only for a band 6.

It can be difficult to practice within your scope when you don't know what you don't know

Reply 9

Jotenno

8

Original post by girl_in_black

It can be difficult to practice within your scope when you don't know what you don't know

You would be surprised how intense a PA MSc is and how much is learnt over the 2 years.
PAs ae not Doctors, nor do they pretend or want to be - otherwise they would have gone to med school! They recieve ongoing training when qualified and can only do things they are competent in.
Not sure why you feel like this about PAs? Any health care worker has a role to play and are all important.

Reply 10

black tea

19

Original post by Jotenno

You would be surprised how intense a PA MSc is and how much is learnt over the 2 years.
PAs ae not Doctors, nor do they pretend or want to be - otherwise they would have gone to med school! They recieve ongoing training when qualified and can only do things they are competent in.
Not sure why you feel like this about PAs? Any health care worker has a role to play and are all important.

A PA degree is not more intense than a medical degree, sorry. Their job and more can be done by a doctor. I could understand if PAs were cheaper than doctors for the government, but they are not, so the role simply does not make sense.

Not sure whether to go for Physician's Associate or Children's Nursing

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