DELIVERING EXCEPTIONAL MEDICAL EDUCATION

MSc PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATE STUDIES

Postgraduate Brochure 2021-22 WE ARE INSPIRING FUTURE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

Welcome to Hull , where we deliver exceptional medical education. We train Physician Associates to work as part of multi- EXCEPTI NAL disciplinary teams in hospitals, surgeries and other healthcare settings. If you are as passionate as we are about delivering high quality patient care, then INN VATIVE your journey starts here. VISI NARY PI NEERING

2 | Physician Associate Studies www.hyms.ac.uk | 3 A DIFFERENT KIND OF MEDICAL SCHOOL

At Hull York Medical School, we look reinforced practically through regular at medical education differently and and sustained contact with patients work with our NHS Trusts to ensure our – ensuring that as a graduate, you programmes meet future and current are better equipped to deal with the healthcare needs, with a strong focus realities of a modern day health service. on patient care. We have a proven track record of producing exceptional, When you choose to study with us, empathetic, patient-centred healthcare you are choosing to be a different kind professionals, and have developed this of healthcare professional – one with Masters programme in collaboration superior communication skills and with NHS employers to further an empathetic approach to patients. support the workforce and make a real Everything we have put together in difference to healthcare services in this programme is designed to develop areas that need it most. outstanding Physician Associates equipped with the skills, knowledge Throughout this two-year intensive and attributes that the modern day Masters programme, whatever NHS needs. you learn in the classroom will be This Masters programme offers great career progression benefits for future leadership positions within the NHS. I am looking forward to my quality improvement project which We are proud to offer you this exciting opportunity to train and will give me more insight qualify as a Physician Associate and enjoy a rewarding career into how to improve service in the profession. You will develop your medical knowledge, delivery for patients, skills and experience as you progress between classroom incorporating evidence- learning and clinical placements within our partner GP practices and hospitals. We look forward to welcoming based high quality practice. you to Hull York Medical School. Lydia Wharton, Dr Andrew Brown, Programme Director Take a look at our programme video MSc in Physician Associate Studies at hyms.ac.uk/physicianassociate

4 | Physician Associate Studies www.hyms.ac.uk | 5 STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY WHAT IS A PHYSICIAN OF HULL’S ABOUT THE PROGRAMME ASSOCIATE? £ Our MSc in Physician Associate Studies Also in Year 2, you will be given the MILLION is a two-year professional Masters opportunity to choose a placement HEALTH CAMPUS Physician Associates provide crucial support to doctors, programme, which is integrated ‘elective’, which is the opportunity to try and work as part of multi-disciplinary teams in the with clinical practice and a quality something new, gain experience to help diagnosis and management of patients. Whilst still a improvement research project. We your future career, or return to a clinical relatively new profession in the NHS, numbers of train students using a medical model specialism you particularly enjoyed Physician Associates are increasing across the UK, to ensure you gain sound medical and earlier in the programme. Throughout and with that comes the recognition of the vital role scientific knowledge as well as the the duration of the programme you they play in delivering high quality care. excellent communication skills needed will study Ethics, Professionalism by future healthcare professionals. and Evidence Based Medicine, and undertake dedicated modules in Healthcare professionals do not work Pharmacology, Therapeutics and in isolation and the ability to work Prescribing. When you have completed CAREERS as part of a multidisciplinary team is the programme, you will be eligible to vital. That’s why we make the most of When you graduate from this programme, we are sit the National Licensing Examination, learning as part of the multidisciplinary confident you will have the skills, knowledge and administered by the Faculty of Physician healthcare team, particularly whilst on experience that the NHS wants and needs from its Associates, so that you can enter the clinical placement. From the third week workforce, including evidence-based practice and profession and begin practice, of the programme, you will be dealing research skills. All of our graduates have secured with real patients in hospitals and GP substantive positions as qualified Physician Associates in surgeries alongside your supervisor. the NHS, and we are continuing to work with our regional partners to develop further employment opportunities. We will support you in this transition, PROBLEM-BASED Typically, when you graduate, you will be employed at and by the time you graduate you will Band 7 on the NHS pay scale, and can progress to LEARNING have the confidence, knowledge, skills Band 8 with experience and career development. and experience to deliver outstanding Problem-based learning (PBL) is at the care. During the second year, you centre of our education philosophy. will undertake a quality improvement Led by experienced clinicians, who research project, giving you the bring with them a wealth of relevant OUR TWO-YEAR MASTERS PROGRAMME opportunity to apply your research and current knowledge and experience, these sessions, combined with regular INCLUDES REGULAR AND SUSTAINED and critical appraisal skills to identify an area of the health service that could clinical and procedural skills teaching, CONTACT WITH PATIENTS be improved and, more importantly, are a highly effective way of building recommend solutions. Experience your knowledge and honing your of this kind of research project is problem-solving skills. increasingly in demand within the NHS.

6 | Physician Associate Studies www.hyms.ac.uk | 7 PROGRAMME DURATION Procedural skills teaching takes place STUDYING A MASTERS in our dedicated teaching facilities PROGRAMME This is a two-year, full-time, intensive at Castle Hill Hospital and Hull Royal WILL BOOST YOUR Masters programme, commencing in Infirmary, where you will learn and EMPLOYMENT September. practise medical procedures. PROSPECTS AND FUTURE CAREER You will experience a diverse range of clinical placements throughout the Yorkshire and Humber region, including WHERE YOU WILL STUDY one or more of the main hospital sites at Hull, York, Scarborough, Physician Associate students will CLINICAL and . You will gain a huge mostly be based at the University PLACEMENTS breadth of experience, whether that BEGIN of Hull and study in the impressive be in the major trauma centre of IN WEEK Allam Medical Building. This unique Hull Royal Infirmary, or in a rural GP and inspiring environment allows surgery outside Scarborough. These students to work in a multi-disciplinary experiences will be invaluable in shaping way, alongside medical students as you as a resilient, knowledgeable, well as Advanced Clinical Practitioners empathetic and highly skilled health and nursing students from the Faculty professional, enabling you of Health. to meet the challenges ahead.

Allam Medical Building, campus

8 | Physician Associate Studies www.hyms.ac.uk | 9 Being on placement so early in the programme MODULES AND has given me the best opportunity to gain ELECTIVES experience and confidence dealing with patients. Training alongside other INTRODUCTORY MEDICINE FOR healthcare professionals PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATES has prepared me well for working as part of a multi- This module has been specifically designed to introduce and prepare you for your first experiences of clinical disciplinary team. practice. In particular, it will emphasise the role, identity and what it means to be a Physician Associate. It will also Eleanor Berry, Graduate, Hull York Medical School consider the expectations, demands and challenges of MSc in Physician Associate Studies, being a new healthcare professional in the NHS, working and practising Physician Associate alongside doctors within a multi-professional team. Early based in York clinical experience in a healthcare setting is a fundamental feature of this programme and this will commence in this first module, supported by clinical and educational supervisors.

CLINICAL SCIENCE AND PRACTICE I

During this module you will increase your knowledge, develop skills and achieve basic competencies in a range of generalist patient presentations that Physician Associates will frequently encounter in clinical practice. The knowledge, skills and competencies you develop will be complemented by clinical placements in General Practice and General Hospital Medicine. In this way, the module will build on the basic skill-set acquired in the Introductory Medicine for Physician Associates module – establishing a foundation of core competencies before exploring a broader range of more specialist presentations in subsequent modules.

10 | Physician Associate Studies www.hyms.ac.uk | 11 Pharmacology, Prescribing and Therapeutics is already a key part of the practising PA’s role, and this is likely to increase following professional regulation and the prescribing rights that will likely follow. With this in mind, we have recently modified our Programme to include two specific modules in this important and developing area.

FOUNDATIONS OF THERAPEUTICS PHARMACOLOGY FOR HEALTH CARE FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS This module builds on the foundation This module will provide a broad knowledge from the previous grounding in pharmacology for PA module but turns more specifically to students. The module will cover the key understanding and prescribing drug concepts about principles of drug action, treatments in disease. We will cover CLINICAL SCIENCE CLINICAL SCIENCE pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, the clinical aspects of pharmacology, in AND PRACTICE II AND PRACTICE III and adverse drug reactions. In addition, particular exploring therapeutics and the module will then demonstrate areas of uncertainty in This module will focus on medical and This module will focus on acute care how these concepts affect how modern medicine. surgical specialties and will enable you and you will learn how to assess drugs are used in infectious diseases, to acquire knowledge and develop a and manage a range of emergency The rationale for the use of drugs biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy, standardised range of clinical skills to presentations, supported by clinical underpins modern medical practice and and lifestyle drugs and drugs in sport. enable you to effectively assess and placements in emergency medicine, this module will explore the use of drugs manage a range of more specialist acute admissions, critical care, urgent in various disease areas, as well as areas This module will be delivered during clinical presentations. This will be care and minor injuries. You will of uncertainty around the prescription Term 1. complemented by clinical placements continue to develop your research skills of medicines. This module will equip in mental health, paediatrics, during this module, applying principles you with the knowledge and skills you obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery of evidence-based healthcare. require for clinical practice. and community medicine. This will This module will also include a clinical This module will take place in Term 2. be integrated with an extended placement ‘elective’ which you will longitudinal clinical placement in choose in consultation with staff within General Practice. the School. The elective placement is a great opportunity to return to a favourite clinical specialism, gain experience in an area to help your career, or try something different. CONFIDENTLY COMPASSIONATE 12 | Physician Associate Studies www.hyms.ac.uk | 13 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT PROBLEM-BASED This module provides the opportunity to undertake a LEARNING prolonged period of independent study and complete FACILITATED BY a substantive quality improvement research project, CLINICIANS allowing you to gain a specific understanding of the research methods used in health and social care. You will draw on your experiences on clinical placements to identify an area for improvement, analyse the problem, and identify potential solutions informed by the relevant scientific literature, information gathering and analysis using relevant theory and research methodologies. Quality improvement is a key NHS priority and the clinical research skills you develop through your project will help prepare you for future clinical practice and help you to advance your career.

CLINICAL I was at the Haxby Medical Group in Hull for a GP PLACEMENTS placement in my first year and I chose to do my elective Physician Associate students will experience a range of placement there too at the end healthcare settings throughout the programme, including: of my second year. I now have a job offer from the Haxby • General practice • Obstetrics and gynaecology Medical Group, and I’m really • General medicine • Surgery pleased to be joining them. • Community medicine • Emergency medicine They are a very forward thinking • Mental health • Acute care medical group and I felt so • Paediatrics well supported as a Physician Associate student there.

Bethany Walton, Graduate, Hull York Medical School MSc in Physician Associate Studies, and practising Physician Associate based in Hull

14 | Physician Associate Studies www.hyms.ac.uk | 15 PROGRAMME TIMELINES TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT

This programme combines six taught modules and a quality improvement research project which are delivered alongside clinical placements in hospitals and in the community. We use a range of teaching and learning Access to online resources as well as activities to deliver this programme bespoke iBooks for each module has to ensure it is engaging, up to date proven invaluable to our students. and relevant to real-life situations. Your iPad will also contain your Problem-based learning is a cornerstone personal ePortfolio, which you will TAUGHT MODULES of our education philosophy. It is use throughout the programme. YEAR 1 used throughout Year 1 with weekly interactions with a clinic of virtual Learning in this way will allow you to patients, before moving to a case-based manage your studies yourself, read up Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 model using real patients seen on clinical ahead of seminars, revise, track your placement in Year 2. progress and plan your work. INTRODUCTORY CLINICAL SCIENCE AND PRACTICE I MEDICINE FOR PHYSICIAN Assessment (30 credits) We also incorporate clinical and ASSOCIATES (20 credits) communication skills, and utilise Assessments will test knowledge, simulated patients, group seminars, FOUNDATIONS OF THERAPEUTICS clinical reasoning and practical PHARMACOLOGY expert masterclasses, peer discussion FOR HEALTH CARE skills using online tasks, portfolio FOR HEALTH CARE and observation as well as simulated PROFESSIONALS development, written questions, PROFESSIONALS scenarios e.g. acute care and advanced (20 credits) practical clinical skills exams and (20 credits) life support. In procedural skills, you will workplace based assessments. also learn the theory and practical skills to carry out procedures with realistic On completion of this programme anatomical training equipment, such you will be eligible to sit the National YEAR 2 as venepuncture, ophthalmoscopy, Licensing Examination, administered by cannulation, stitching and arterial blood the Faculty of Physician Associates, in Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 gas sampling. After this you will be able order to gain entry into the profession to perform these skills on real patients. and begin practice. (The national exam CLINICAL SCIENCE AND CLINICAL SCIENCE AND PRACTICE II costs are not included in the MSc PRACTICE III At the start of the programme, you (30 credits) course fees). (30 credits) will receive your personal iPad, pre- loaded with a wealth of relevant resources to facilitate a deeper QUALITY IMPROVEMENT RESEARCH PROJECT (30 credits) understanding of each module SPECIALIST AREAS through self-directed learning. OF SECONDARY CARE PLACEMENTS PROVIDED

16 | Physician Associate Studies www.hyms.ac.uk | 17 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FEES AND FUNDING

You must have at least a 2:1 in a You will need to demonstrate your TUITION FEES FOR 2021/22 ARE relevant Biosciences Degree (for commitment to the role of a healthcare AS FOLLOWS: example, Biomedical, Biological or professional and have excellent Medical Sciences, Biochemistry, communication skills. Evidence of work UK (home) Sports Sciences, Pharmacology), or be experience in a clinical or healthcare predicted to achieve this at the time of setting (for example healthcare Full-time (1 year): £9,250 application. In addition, you will need assistant or care home) is desirable International and EU GCSE English Language at Grade B but not essential. We will also need and GCSE Mathematics at Grade C or you to submit your CV to support your Full-time (1 year): £23,300 above, or equivalent. Alternative entry application. qualifications may also be considered. Please visit our website (hyms.ac.uk/physicianassociate) All applicants whose first language is for up-to-date information on tuition fees as well as You will need to demonstrate a not English will need to have evidence financial support available. sufficient grounding in Chemistry of their proficiency, with an IELTS score either through your degree, or of 7.5 with a minimum of 7.0 in every A-levels to successfully engage with component, obtained within the last the pharmacological aspects of two years. This level is recommended the programme. If you are unsure by the Faculty of Physician Associates whether you meet this criterion, please to ensure registration on the Physician HOW TO APPLY upload your degree transcript when Associate Managed Voluntary Register you submit your application for the (PAMVR). Programme Director to review. To apply for this programme you must complete an online application form, please visit hyms.ac.uk/ physicianassociate

All applications will be considered and the most suitable candidates invited for interview. Due to the STUDENT SUPPORT high demand for places on this programme, we would strongly encourage you to submit your application as early as possible. This MSc is intensive and challenging you get the most out of your academic but ultimately hugely rewarding. You studies and clinical placements. Learn more will be assigned a Personal Academic hyms.ac.uk/physicianassociate Supervisor who will support you In addition to the student support throughout the two year programme, services at the University of Hull, we regularly reviewing your performance also have our own dedicated student and progress. This regular feedback will support team providing a range of help inform your learning and ensure pastoral services.

18 | Physician Associate Studies www.hyms.ac.uk | 19 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Admissions Enquiries: [email protected]

Find out more and take a look at our programme video hyms.ac.uk/physicianassociate

@HullYorkMed

Hull York Medical School

@HullYorkMed

Hull York Medical School