Physician Associate Studies MSc

1. Core concepts of anatomy and physiology within the core body systems (Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Neurological, Gastrointestinal, Endocrine, Ears, Eyes, Nose and Throat, Musculoskeletal)
2. Investigations such as interpreting blood results, ECG’s, Chest X-Rays, Urinalysis, and Physiological parameters.
3. Explore pathophysiology of core conditions (for example, Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes, COPD), the range of evidence used to inform a differential diagnosis.
4. Management of patients using a holistic approach to patient education, lifestyle, social prescribing and disease prevention

The module aims to introduce students to the theoretical underpinning of anatomy and physiology, disease process, patient investigations, diagnosis and management.

1. Core clinical skills for year 1 taking observations, calculating and documenting National Early Warning Score (NEWS), Performing and interpreting ECGs, Peak flow assessment and inhaler technique, performing venepuncture, performing cannulation, Performing injection, perform urine dipstick, basic life support.
2. Mini clinical evaluation examinations for year 1: Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Gastrointestinal (excluding PR examination) systems.
3. Core communication skills with patients, relatives, carers and members of the multidisciplinary team. Recognising the importance of upholding confidentiality. Performing clinical histories in the core areas (cardiovascular, Gastrointestinal, Respiratory, Neurological, Haematological, Endocrinology systems).
4. Preparation for participation in case-based discussion, aspects of person centred care, respecting dignity, diversity and difference. Formulating differential diagnoses and management plans.  
5. Personal and professional development including attitudes, knowledge, self-awareness and reflection required for professional practice as a Physician Associate. Guidance on professional and personal limitations, including practicing without impairment from substance abuse, cognitive deficiency or mental illness. Demonstrates professional behaviour and probity.

This module aims to provide students with practice learning opportunities across a range of general clinical areas. 

1. Teamwork, professionalism, complex situations and safeguarding and impact on professional clinical practice. Definitions of evidence-based practice.
2. Environmental and social influences of health e.g. age, ethnicity, class, gender, health promotions, health inequalities and epidemiology.
3. Consent, capacity, safeguarding, professional body regulations, patient safety and quality improvement.
4. Understanding own personal values through reflection and reflexive practice.

This module aims to introduce students to key aspects of values based medicine such as ethical and legal frameworks of practice, teamwork, professionalism, safeguarding and health inequalities. 

1. Taking medication histories for prescribed, non-prescribed medications, herbal medicines, supplements and drugs of abuse
2. Clinical therapeutics and the management of disease related to body systems this includes, but is not limited to, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Neurological, Gastrointestinal and Haematological systems
3. Practical applications of pharmacokinetics such as patient communication and drug counselling with patients, carers and other healthcare professionals, initiating treatments and using resources such as the BNF to make informed decisions
4. Therapeutics, pharmacokinetics, medication side effects and interactions, including multiple treatments, long-term conditions, non-prescribed drugs, the role of antimicrobial stewardship and patient concordance in safe prescribing

This module introduces the core knowledge and understanding of the key pharmacological principles to common conditions that they will encounter in year one.

1. Simulated patient histories including: history of presenting complaints, past medical histories, review of body systems, medication history, identifying concerns, relevant psychological and social factors contributing to patients presenting complaints. Including communicating to patients and family in simulation.
2. Simulated physical examination for example, Cardiovascular, Neurological and Gastrointestinal examinations, how to interpret clinical examination findings and their relationship to making a diagnosis.
3. Core clinical procedures in a simulated environment for example venepuncture, subcutaneous injections, intramuscular injections and cannulation.
4. Key stages of the clinical reasoning process to formulate the differential diagnosis.
5. The stages of developing a management plan related to the core conditions

This module will introduce the student to a range of core clinical skills and provide opportunities to practice these skills in a simulated environment in preparation for placement.

1. The skills of effective and complex communication to establish patient trust, verbal and non-verbal communication together with professional behaviour. Communicate effectively with patients, their relatives, carers or other advocates, and with colleagues and members of the multidisciplinary team.
2. Simulated physical examination skills paying particular attention to intimate and sensitive examination(s). Conducting a physical examination on any patient with special sensitivity to gender, age and cultural background formulating a differential diagnosis
3. Core clinical procedures in a simulated environment for example urinary catheterisation, taking an ABG, speculum examination, surgical scrubbing.
4. Formulate a detailed differential diagnosis from the interpretation of multiple and complex data sets.
5. The stages of developing a management related to conditions within the core specialties, for example, paediatrics mental health

This module will develop students range of core and advanced clinical skills and provide opportunities to practice these skills in a simulated environment.

1. Developed concepts of anatomy and physiology related to second year teaching themes including Obstetrics and Gynaecology, neurological
   (Mental health), foetal development
   (Paediatrics), and Musculoskeletal systems.
2. Investigations such as interpreting Arterial Blood Gasses, Blood results, Abdominal X-Ray and Cervical Samples. 
3. Explore pathophysiology of second year-based conditions (for example, Endometriosis, Ectopic Pregnancy, complications in childbirth, Croup, psychosis), use a range of evidence to determine differential diagnosis.
4. Clinical reasoning to determine most likely diagnosis, developing management plans for patients using holistic approaches to patient education, lifestyle, social prescribing and disease prevention.

The module aims to develop theoretical concepts undertaken in MD7126 and progress student’s knowledge of anatomy and physiology, approach to disease processes, patient investigations, diagnosis and management.

1. Core clinical skills for year 2: perform surgical scrubbing up, male and female catheterisation, arterial blood gas (ABG), obtain blood cultures, swabs, place nasogastric (NG) tubes (in simulation only), set up infusions, use different forms of local anaesthetic, perform wound care and closure and intermediate life support.
2. Mini clinical evaluation examinations for year 2: Paediatric examination, Gynaecological examination including speculum exam, Obstetric examination, Musculoskeletal examination, Mental Health examination
3. Core communication skills with patients, relatives, carers and members of the multidisciplinary team. Recognising the importance of upholding confidentiality. Performing clinical histories in the core areas such as Paediatrics, Gynaecology, Obstetrics, mental health and emergency medicine.
4. Preparation for participation in case-based discussion, aspects of person-centred care, respecting dignity, diversity and difference. Formulating differential diagnoses and management plans.
5. Personal and professional development including attitudes, knowledge, self-awareness and reflection required for professional practice as a Physician Associate. Guidance on professional and personal limitations, including practicing without impairment from substance abuse, cognitive deficiency or mental illness. Demonstrates professional behaviour and probity

This module aims to provide students with practice learning opportunities across a range of specialist clinical areas.

The knowledge, critical skills and clinical knowledge that have been accumulated during the taught modules and the clinical placements will have provided the students with the ability to complete a research project. This will help students to better understand: 
• The identification and appraisal of the strengths, limitations and implications for research; 
• Ethics and research governance processes; 
• Systematic and literature reviews; 
• Research Methodologies in health care settings; 
• Quantitative approaches including statistical analysis; 
• Qualitative approaches; 
• Mixed Methods; 
• The research journey from proposal to completion; 
• The roles and responsibilities of the researcher; 
• Dissemination of evidence through, publication, posters, conference presentations, journal articles, texts, reports for policy and practice. 

The module is the culmination of the student’s postgraduate study and will enable the student to draw on and contribute to the development of the growing body of knowledge in the broad biomedical, clinical, and medical science fields of relevance to the Physician Associate role. 
The main aims of the module are to provide students with an understanding of rigorous methods used in systematic reviewing and evidence synthesis and the rationale behind these methods. It will equip students with the essential skills required to carry out a systematic review relating to a range of health care related questions (for example, treatment effectiveness, diagnostic and qualitative research questions). 

1. Assessing patients with complex presentations in specialities such as obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, surgery, acute medicine, psychiatry, musculoskeletal medicine and the elderly
2. Carry out an assessment of benefit and risk for the patient starting medication, considering the medication history and potential medication interactions in partnership with the patient and, if appropriate, their relatives, carers or other advocates
3. Recognise the challenges of safe prescribing for patients in high-risk groups such as those with long-term conditions, multiple morbidities and medications, in pregnancy, at extremes of age and at the end of life
4. Prepare safe and legal prescriptions for a prescriber, tailored to the specific needs of individual patients, using either paper or electronic systems and using decision support tools where necessary. Detect and report adverse medication reactions and therapeutic interactions, appropriately stop or change medication and recognise the risks of over-prescribing. This will include the ethical and legal considerations of preparing a prescription.   

This module develops further the student’s knowledge and understanding of the key pharmacological principles in relation to complex and specialist conditions.