Annual Salary
£44,000 to £50,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Swap to Medical or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Physician associates support doctors to diagnose and manage patients in hospitals and GP surgeries.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
3.8% more Physician associate jobs in 2027.
You'll support the work of the medical team to provide care for patients with a range of medical conditions.
You'll do many of the day-to-day tasks of doctors, like:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work in an NHS or private hospital or at a health centre.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
To become a physician associate you'll need to complete a postgraduate diploma or master's qualification that is recognised by the Faculty of Physician Associates.
For this, you'll usually need a first undergraduate degree in a health or life sciences subject like:
The postgraduate qualification takes 2 years to complete. It combines study with practical clinical experience in general, community and emergency medicine.
Some universities now offer an undergraduate degree that includes an integrated Master of Physician Associate Studies (MPAS). These courses take 4 years to complete.
If you're already a qualified medical professional, contact universities offering the postgraduate course about their entry requirements.
You'll usually need:
Depending on your qualifications and experience, you could do a Physician Associate Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship. This will take around 3 years to complete.
If you're a registered healthcare professional, like a nurse or midwife, you might be able to apply to become a physician associate.
You'll need to take a postgraduate qualification in physician associate studies to do this.
You'll need to:
When applying for courses and jobs, you'll be expected to have an understanding of how the NHS values apply in your work.
At the end of your course you'll sit a national exam and apply for physician associate membership of the Royal College of Physicians.
This allows you to join the Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR). This shows employers that you're a fully qualified physician associate.
You can find out more about training and working as a physician associate from the Royal College of Physicians and Health Careers.
As an experienced physician associate you might be able to move into management, medical teaching or research.
You might move from general or emergency care into a specialism like paediatric care or mental health.
You'll need: