The General Medical Council (GMC) has outlined the learning outcomes for the Physician Associate Studies (MPAS) programme, categorised into four themes. Upon completing the programme, students are expected to demonstrate their ability to meet the standards set by the GMC and should be able to demonstrate proficiency in the following themes:
Theme 1: Professional Behaviour and Trust
Theme 2: Professional Capabilities
Theme 3: Clinical Care
Theme 4: Safety and Quality
General Practice Topics
For each of the categories below, the student will become familiar with the clinical findings, differential diagnoses, treatments, and prevention of common conditions, diseases, disorders or entities as they relate to general practice medicine for adult, paediatric and geriatric age groups.
- Ear, nose and throat conditions
- Cardiovascular conditions
- Respiratory/pulmonary conditions
- Gastrointestinal conditions including liver, biliary tract and pancreatic conditions
- Neurological conditions
- Renal conditions, including fluid and electrolyte disorders
- Haematological conditions
- Breast conditions
- Gynaecological conditions
- Urological and genitourinary tract conditions
- Endocrine conditions
- Ophthalmological conditions
- Infectious conditions
- Oncological conditions
- Psychiatric conditions
- Musculoskeletal conditions
- Allergy and immunological conditions
Clinical placement learning outcomes
The learning outcomes to be achieved as a result of the experience from all clinical placements fall into three categories:
- Core Professional and Practice Competencies
- Core Clinical Conditions
- Core Procedural Competencies.
To successfully complete the course, students must demonstrate competence in various areas of three primary domains.
Core placements include:
- General Medicine - AMU (9 weeks)
- Care of the Elderly (3 weeks)
- Emergency Department (6 weeks)
- GP (9 weeks)
- Mental Health (3 weeks)
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology (3 weeks)
- Paediatrics (3 weeks)
- Surgery (3 weeks).
Learn more about each placement by clicking the items below.
The Physician Associate role
All students should understand the role of the Physician Associate and be able to demonstrate the following:
- recognise the role of the Physician Associate and the importance of effective interpersonal relationships with patients and professionals
- attain interpersonal skills to facilitate the patient's understanding of his/her disease process and cooperation with his/her therapy
- demonstrate concern for the patient by maintaining a professional attitude and by respecting the patient's privacy
- communicate effectively with other members of the health care team
- develop an understanding of the capabilities and limitation of a Physician Associate.
Trajectory of development for a Year 1 Physician Associate
Trajectory of development table for Year 1 Physician Associate
| | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 |
|---|
| History |
Full history |
Focused history |
Present a focused history, in a coherent and concise manner and start to use communication skills for explanation and planning |
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| Examination |
CVS/RESP/ABDO examinations |
Perform an examination in GALS, neurology, ENT and thyroid |
Perform examinations in breast, knee hip, back, prostate and male genitals |
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| Diagnosis |
Understand diagnosis in CVS/RESP and ABDO |
Start to formulate differential diagnosis in areas covered by clinical theme |
Propose relevant diagnosis in more than one system and appropriate to the condition |
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| Investigations/Management |
Demonstrate/understand principles of investigation |
Begin to suggest appropriate investigations for themes covered |
Suggest appropriate primary care and understand secondary care investigations for common and important conditions |
|---|
| Therapeutics |
Be able to discuss therapeutics of common conditions for themes for this term. Start to develop clinical management plans for common and important conditions |
Be able to discuss therapeutics of common conditions for themes for this term. Further develop clinical management plans for common and important conditions |
Be able to suggest how to apply principles of prescribing for common and important conditions. Consolidate development of clinical management plans for common and important conditions |
|---|
| Clinical procedures |
BP, urine analysis, vital signs, pregnancy test, IM injection. Able to obtain informed consent for any procedure competent to undertake |
Peak flow |
ECG, spirometry |
|---|
The competent student will fluctuate between term 2 and term 3 descriptions with average towards the right.
Trajectory of development for a Year 2 Physician Associate
Trajectory of development for a Year 2 Physician Associate
| | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3/Internship Year |
|---|
| History and consultation |
Take history to differentiate causes of common presenting complaints, will be able to produce a short differential list |
Through history, appropriate co-morbidities, predisposing/risk factors to be able to interpret the most likely differential and reasons |
Will be able to produce a fuller list of differentials and able to complete a more focused history |
|---|
| Examination (general) |
General and focused examination. Distinguish normal from abnormal. Distinguish ill and very ill |
Starting to be able to abbreviate their examination to become more focused. Student becoming confident in ability to distinguish normal from abnormal during clinical examination |
Supervising physician has confidence in student's findings and in the student using their clinical findings to justify the differential diagnosis |
|---|
| Interpreting evidence and investigation |
For common and important conditions are able to outline basic investigations and understand and provide tentative interpretation of these results |
Understand diagnostic tests to rule out key negatives. Become aware of the limitations of investigations |
Confidently articulate findings and investigation results |
|---|
| Clinical judgement and risk management |
List of important differential diagnosis |
Able to narrow list of important differential diagnosis. Consistently identify high-risk conditions requiring immediate attention |
Identify main diagnosis and justify reasoning. Aware of best venue to nurse patient i.e. ITU versus medical ward |
|---|
| Therapeutics and prescribing |
Basic understanding of medication used for straightforward presentations of common and important conditions.
Knowledge of guidelines for common and important conditions.
Aware of indication and side effects of commonly used medications.
|
Broader understanding of medication choice for presentations of common and important conditions.
Aware of contraindications, interactions and monitoring.
Learn to develop and explain to patients their clinical management plan and be able too modify plan according to age and co-morbidity.
Start to justify choice of medication.
|
Able to understand the impact of co-morbidities and other medications (poly pharmacy) on agent choice and prognosis |
|---|
| Clinical planning and procedure |
Basic management plan including non-pharmacological interventions.
Able to obtain informed consent for any procedure competent to undertake
|
Aware of risks and benefits of common procedures and some experience of seeing this in action |
Able to implement management plan.
Beginning ti be able to manage complications and review patient
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