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The School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition

Entrance Requirements

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Entrance Requirements

The MSc in Physician Associate Studies is a vocational course. Admittedly, the range of specialty options after qualification is wide, but nevertheless, making such a career choice is a daunting task for many applicants. Training to be a PA involves extensive and dedicated study. To avoid disenchantment with a subsequent career, applicants need to understand the implications and commitments of a career in healthcare.

It is important to understand that there are Academic and Non-academic requirements for admission.

We therefore expect candidates to have attempted to find out what a career as a PA entails. It is important for students to inform us of what they have learned from this research, rather than just list their experiences.

A career in healthcare requires time-management, team working and decision-making skills. We look for candidates who lead full and busy lives, as well as achieving academic success as this tends to reflects the lives they will lead after qualification.

It is important to note that consecutive applications from those who have had two unsuccessful MSc PA Studies programme applications in the past will not be permitted.

Academic Requirement

It is important to understand that there are Academic Requirements (ie the minimum achievements required in examinations) as well as Non-Academic Requirements for the MSc in Physican Associate Studies.

Academic performance and non-academic attainment are only two of the selection criteria considered by the Admissions Committee. No guarantee of an interview or a place can be made either on examination results or indeed upon non-academic attainment alone.
Non-Academic Requirement

When we receive your application form, is reviewed by an admissions selector.

The selector is looking to see you have the following five core competencies:

  • Professional values
  • Working with colleagues
  • Communication and interpersonal skills
  • Decision making
  • Risk management and self awareness

The following are suggestions on how you might address these Non-Academic Requirements and thus develop a good and full application.

It is highly recommended that all applicants try and gain as much work experience/shadowing as possible in a clinical environment before submitting their application. You should note that if you plan to work or to volunteer in a healthcare environment, you must obtain the appropriate police checks.

Consider a career as a Physician Associate:

  • Research to confirm your ideas.
  • Discuss your options with your tutor/supervisor

Get a feel for life as a Physician Associate:

  • Undertake as much work experience/shadowing as possible
  • Talk with doctors and all members of the team about their careers

Gain an appreciation of the concerns of patients, the disabled, the elderly etc:

  • Undertake (paid/unpaid) work of a caring nature
  • Work with people in any capacity
  • Be involved in caring/charity groups

Develop your sense of social awareness and demonstrate you can shoulder responsibilities:

  • Continue to be involved with university life: clubs, mentoring, buddy and anti-bullying campaigns etc.
  • Undertake paid part-time work with the public

Show you are an all-rounder: PAs lives are busy and challenging: time management is very important:

  • Work hard
  • Enjoy your free time to the full

Demonstrate you are able to work in teams, and are able to assume different roles within the team:

  • Undertake leisure, sporting, creative activities

Prepare a draft of your Personal Statement before completing the application form:

  • Tell us all about yourself, why you want to study as a Physician Associate; your hopes for your career and a summary of the points discussed above
  • Rather than just list all the work experience that has been undertaken, it is more revealing if you can inform us of what you have now learned about a medical career and its implications
  • If you have had difficulty in gaining shadowing/work experience, eg there are no medical placements available for you locally, then you should inform us of these difficulties and concentrate on researching your careers in other ways
Tuition Fees

Please be advised there is no funding support available, therefore applicants should ensure they have adequate funding in place before applying.

Tuition fees are subject to annual review, and normally rise at least in line with inflation in each new academic year. For more information, please follow the links below:

Please note that the National Exam is not included as part of the MSc Physican Associate Studies course fee.

You may be eligible for a tuition fee and cost of living loan. More details can be found via the SAAS website . You should contact SAAS directly to discuss your eligibility.

This means that upon successful completion of the course, graduates are liable for fees and associated costs of sitting the exam. Further information can be found on the Faculty of Physican Associates website.

Career Development Loans

Applicants may be eligible to apply for career development loans administered by certain banks.

Fitness to Practice

As a Physician Associate student and as a qualified PA, you will meet patients who may be distressed and vulnerable. At all times students and PAs must behave with utmost integrity and do nothing to diminish the trust placed in them by patients and their relatives.
Advice for Referees

This page is designed to help referees deliver appropriate advice to potential applicants, such that students understand how to achieve the research and understanding of a career as a Physician Associate, which underpins a successful application. We also offer suggestions on what information we are searching for within the reference about a potential applicant.

Unusual or Extenuating Circumstances

Any circumstances, which prevent the student from undertaking, or completing their university entrance examination syllabus, should be explained, either on the application form, or by separate letter, to be received by the application deadline. In these circumstances, we recommend contacting the Medical Admissions Office for advice as soon as possible.

The application form should be marked indicating whether academic results are under appeal.

Student Research and Completion of the Personal Statement

Rather than just list all the work experience that has been undertaken, it is more revealing if students can inform us of what they have now learned about a career as a Physician Associate and its implications.

If students have had difficulty in undertaking research, eg there are no placements available for them locally, then they should inform us of these difficulties and concentrate on researching their careers in other ways.

Completion of the Reference

At Aberdeen, application forms are processed in three stages, when an objective scoring system is used throughout, to assess different aspects of the application:

  • An academic score, based upon our minimum academic requirements (contributes up to 25% of total score).
  • A score determined by two assessors of the remaining application. This will include the student's commitment to becoming a Physician Associate, demonstration of the core qualities required to be a Physician Associate, such as honesty and integrity, an understanding of professional issues, such as teamwork and interests, which extend beyond academic study (contributes up to 25% of total score).
  • An interview score. Only the top applicants based on the above are likely to be asked to attend for an interview, where the above attributes will be further explored. In addition, the interview will assess communication and interpersonal skills (contributes up to 50% of total score).

The reference provides us with invaluable information about certain aspects of the application not covered elsewhere in the application form. Given the above outline, we hope referees will inform us about certain key qualities a student may possess:

  • Good personal organisation and time management, allowing for academic achievement, as well as leading a full and balanced life.
  • A good sense of social responsibility, including evidence of caring for others, compassion and empathy. Contribution to activities, particularly those of a mentoring nature.
  • Demonstration of good communication skills, both in listening as well as speaking.
  • Honesty, reliability and trustworthiness.
  • Evidence of the ability to work with peers and teachers, ie in teams. Are students able to take on a leadership role if needed, as well as integrate, be flexible and co-operate with their colleagues?
  • Early indications of students' ability to take responsibility, which will be expected of them as postgraduates.
  • Evidence that the student is a well-rounded individual, rather than simply an academic. A range of outside interests, eg sporting, creative, musical etc. will allow for relaxation in a busy course and career, as well as developing a sense of identity with one's future patients.
  • Whether the student is a sociable individual, clearly enjoying the company of their peers?

We do realise the pressures that are put upon referees, particularly as references are no longer confidential. However, should there be certain aspects of an application that you feel Selectors should know about, it is important we recognise your concerns.

Further Points to Note:

  • If the candidate has needed to repeat some studies (eg a whole year), please inform us of this and the reasons why this was deemed necessary. This is more helpful to the student than for us to note a discrepancy in the times that examinations were undertaken.
  • If a student has taken an atypical academic pathway, we should be informed of the reasons why our required subjects and grades have not been undertaken or achieved.
  • A reference that simply describes students' academic studies is not helpful. We value referees' comments on students' other abilities and personal attributes.

International Students

Aberdeen welcomes applications from international candidates. Should you come to study at Aberdeen, we are confident that you will receive a first class education and hope that you will develop long-lasting friendships with your colleagues here. We trust that your time spent in Aberdeen, sampling the "Scottish Experience", will be memorable and enjoyable!

International applicants are treated the same as Home students, and you may be required to attend an interview in person, in Aberdeen.

English Language Requirements

Candidates whose first language is not English, must achieve the following:

  • IELTS (International Language Testing System): Band 7.0 overall with a minimum of 7.0 in speaking section

All International students should be aware that they will need to apply for a student visa. Further information can be found on the United Kingdom Visa and Immigration (UKVI) website. We therefore recommend that International Students apply early in the cycle to ensure that the appropriate paperwork can be issued before commencing studies in Aberdeen.

For further information please visit our International Students website .