Upon completion of this placement, the Physician Associate student will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to provide appropriate medical care to infants, children, and adolescents. As a member of the health care team, the student will gain an understanding of the importance of initiating and promoting interpersonal relationships with patients, their families/other caregivers, and other health care professionals.
It is important to remember that the primary purpose of this experience is to prepare Physician Associate students to deal professionally and confidentially with paediatric health issues they may encounter in a variety of healthcare settings. The focus is therefore on the diagnosis and/or management of common and important paediatric conditions.
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The student will be able to obtain an appropriate paediatric medical history from the patient, their parent/guardian, or other informed source, sufficient to diagnose and propose management for a medical presentation, or provide preventative care for a paediatric patient.
The student will be able to perform appropriate physical examinations using flexible age-appropriate examining techniques for the paediatric patient, identifying normal and abnormal physical findings.
The student will utilise laboratory and diagnostic studies appropriately, using the results of diagnostic tests to support or modify tentative diagnostic impressions.
The student will be able to propose pharmacological therapy, demonstrating understanding of the indications, contraindications, major side-effects/adverse reactions and correct dosing for medications commonly used in paediatrics.
The student will analyse information obtained from the history, physical examination, diagnostic tests, and procedures to formulate a problem list, develop a comprehensive, prioritised differential diagnosis list, and utilise all available clinical data to accurately recognise and diagnose common and important paediatric conditions. The student will also demonstrate the ability to appropriately manage common medical emergencies encountered in paediatrics under supervision, recognising indications for consultation or referral.
The student will be able to assess patient presentations in alignment with the GMC’s PA Registration Assessment (PARA) content map, and propose appropriate management plans. Within paediatrics, Physician Associate students are expected to be able to assess and manage the following presentations:
- Bruising
- Crying
- Coryza
- Cough
- Cyanosis
- Dysmorphic features
- Diarrhoea
- Failure to thrive
- Fever
- Polyuria
- Polydipsia
- Seizure
- Rash
- Sepsis
- Wheeze
- Injury
- Testicular pain/swelling
- Penile abnormalities
- Feeding difficulties
- Limp
- Lymphadenopathy
- Pubertal development
- Floppy infant
- Vomiting
- Worried parent
PA students should also demonstrate the ability to recognise and propose management of the following conditions:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Common childhood infections (RSV, Croup, measles, varicella)
- Congenital or inherited disorders
- Cystic fibrosis (CF)
- Developmental delay
- Diabetes
- Epilepsy
- Febrile convulsions
- Henoch-Schönlein purpura
- Inhaled foreign body
- Intussusception
- Leukaemia
- Malabsorption and milk intolerances
- Mesenteric adenitis
- Neglect
- Non-accidental injury (NAI)
- Pyloric stenosis
- Testicular Torsion