Physicians Associate Applicants 2024

The career of PA , is much better abroad as they have been regulated for ages and they have a clear and distinctive role within healthcare. In America , PA are very respected.
Think PA are so controversial in England , as they don't have a clear role and so sometimes can increase workloads for doctors and make mistakes.

They aren’t regulated yet your probably confused with registered, yeah that is true in America they are seen as better than they are seen as here

oh okay , thanks for the clarification.x

They aren’t regulated yet your probably confused with registered, yeah that is true in America they are seen as better than they are seen as here

All professionals make mistakes, including doctors; I'm not sure it is fair to single out PA's here. It is true that PA's must stay within their remit, and must take the time to explain to patients what they can and can't do. In terms of choosing between medicine and PA, I would agree with you but also add (to Rosie): consider how likely are you to get A level grades for medicine? Or plan a gap year to see what your grades are then reapply to the one most suited? This year many unis have raised the offer to A*AA, which is a big ask!
In the US, Physician Assistants (I think recently changed to Physician Associates) have existed for decades. They are a well established role and much appreciated. I hope that in time, in the UK the same will happen; anyone who has been to A&E or needing treatment knows about NHS proffessional shortages and waiting times. Many interactions are not that specialised and can easily be managed by more of a generalist (eg PA) but this relies on them being properly supported and supervised. Good luck with your decision!

Ohh no I was not singling out PAs if it seemed like that haha, we were more talking about generally how the rest of the UK sees PAs as, everyone makes mistakes but they will always zoom in and make sure people see when a PA makes a mistake, one day hopefully the NHS can run smoothly with respect to all roles fingers crossed 🤞🏼

If you're applying to uni for Physicians Associate courses for 2024 entry, introduce yourself to fellow applicants, ask questions and share your experience of applying so far:


What universities are you thinking of?
Current qualifications
Extra curriculars


Please don't share details of interview questions on the forum - it gives those who follow you an unfair advantage.


@CamembertPaws FYI

Is anyone studying PA , or currently work as a PA that could say a few pros/cons about it?

There is a facebook group for applicants, and one for people who are working as PA's; that might be a starting point for you.

Has anyone received any interviews yet, I just got rejected from Leeds

I have an offer from reading , undergraduate.
Im so sorry, remember rejection is redirection
Everything will be work out. Where else have you applied?

Is anyone studying PA , or currently work as a PA that could say a few pros/cons about it?

Me!!!

The only thing I can say bad about the course is that it is much more intense than I thought it would be!!! (I am at Plymouth uni but I expect they are all the same).
I am really enjoying it but am unable to work alongside, which I thought I would have the time to do, so money is pretty tight! As you likely know the postgrad loan does not cover all your fees so you need to fund the rest yourself - you either need to find time to work, or have savings.

I would brush up on anatomy and physiology (maybe a bit of basic biochemistry) and download the PARA to see what is expected of you by the end of the course and focus your time on that.

Honestly, you need to be dedicated to it for the full 2 years, so make sure it is what you want to do.

Thank you so much that's great advice, what's the Para?

Is there anyone still waiting for correspondence from Bolton

Me!!!

The only thing I can say bad about the course is that it is much more intense than I thought it would be!!! (I am at Plymouth uni but I expect they are all the same).
I am really enjoying it but am unable to work alongside, which I thought I would have the time to do, so money is pretty tight! As you likely know the postgrad loan does not cover all your fees so you need to fund the rest yourself - you either need to find time to work, or have savings.

I would brush up on anatomy and physiology (maybe a bit of basic biochemistry) and download the PARA to see what is expected of you by the end of the course and focus your time on that.

Honestly, you need to be dedicated to it for the full 2 years, so make sure it is what you want to do.