The Faculty of Physician Associates improves pre-payment scheme that will support even more physician associate students preparing for the national examination
The Faculty of Physician Associates (FPA) launched the physician associate (PA) student pre-payment scheme in January 2023. The scheme was created to help FPA student members spread the cost of paying for the PA National Examination (PANE).
In order to join the FPA as a qualified member and be registered on the PA Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR), all PA students must pass both components of the PANE. Once regulation by the General Medical Council commences, the PANE will become the PA registration examination.
The Assessment Unit at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) operates the PANE, and the examination fees are reviewed annually. The FPA understands the financial burden of being a PA student, and launched the pre-payment scheme to support FPA student members by alleviating this pressure.
Following feedback from the FPA student membership, further improvements have been made to the FPA pre-payment scheme. FPA student members are now able to pay towards the PANE in either 10 or 20 monthly instalments. The scheme has also been updated to allow student members to join midway through being a student FPA member – previously, student members could only join the scheme when they first became a member of the FPA. All the FPA asks is that a student member has either 10 or 20 months left before the closing date of registration for the PANE cohort that they are planning to sit.
While the pre-payment scheme is optional, PA students must be a member of the FPA to qualify for access. For just £1 a month, PA students receive several benefits that include discounted rates to FPA/RCP conferences and events, regular updates from the FPA president regarding the profession, access to RCP library materials and more. To become an FPA student member, visit the PA student membership webpage.
To support FPA student members who may have additional questions regarding the pre-payment scheme, an FAQ document can be downloaded below.
For additional queries or concerns, please contact [email protected].
Updated September 2023
