MSc Physician Associate Studies at University of Manchester

Physician associates are medical professionals who work alongside doctors and other healthcare professionals to diagnose and manage disease. Train to work as a medical professional, perform physical examinations, take medical histories, request and interpret diagnostic tests, diagnose illnesses and develop treatment and management plans. Undertake over 1,600 hours of clinical training, including placements across a wide range of medical specialities at teaching hospitals and primary care providers.

Faculty: Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health  |  Duration: 2 years full-time  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Intake: September 2027  |  Location: Manchester, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

The course is non-modular, providing you with an opportunity to develop and consolidate skills throughout each year of the course. Taught content is delivered in blocks of study of increasing complexity alongside the two longitudinal themes of Personal and Professional Development (PPD) and Consultation Skills (CS), with assessment periods at the end of each year. Compulsory units include Physician Associate Yr1, Physician Associate Yr2, Quality and Evidence Project.

Career pathways

The physician associate role was first developed in the United States during the 1960s, and the profession has grown considerably in the last 15 years to the point where there are now over 130,000 registered physician associates in the US and over 3,000 in the UK.

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