Physician associate students – placement hours

Following a recent review of physician associate student clinical placement hours by the Faculty of Physician Associates (FPA) and PA Schools Council, the following recommendations have been made.

Students who started in August 2021 onwards

PA students who have enrolled since August 2021 or later will continue to have to meet the requirement of 1600 hours of clinical placement experience, of which 200 hours can be in simulation. The recommendations around simulation will remain as listed in the PA Competence and Curriculum Framework. 

However, the requirements for the clinical specialty hours will continue to have a degree of flexibility, and students unable to complete the required hours in a certain specialty will be permitted to complete hours in other clinical areas in order to compensate for this and meet the overall total number of hours.

Students who started prior to August 2021

For students who started their training prior to August 2021, there is no change to the recommendations made previously for these groups.

‘The FPA and PASC understand that the placement issues during the height of Covid have had an impact on students who were registered at that time, therefore students who started their training prior to August 2021 will work to the amended requirements of “no fewer than 1400 hours of clinical practice” of which 140 can be in simulation (as described in the PA Competence and Curriculum Framework). The requirements for the clinical specialty hours will have a degree of flexibility, and students unable to complete the required hours in a certain specialty will be permitted to complete hours in other clinical areas in order to compensate for this and meet the overall total number of hours.

It is expected that all students complete the appropriate assessments within their University programme leading to a postgraduate diploma or MSc approved by the relevant exam board.

The entry requirements for the PA National Exam (SBA and OSCE) remain unchanged where all those who have completed the requirements of a university programme in physician associate studies, with the CCF as the underlying requirement, within the UK education system will be eligible to enter the national examinations, and only those who pass can enter the MVR.