AlphaMED Resources · https://alphamedicine.uk/Resources/physician-associate
Physician associate
PA
A physician associate is a healthcare professional who works under a doctor's supervision and is not a doctor.
Summary
- Most have a science degree followed by two years of postgraduate training.
- They take histories, examine patients and carry out some procedures. They cannot prescribe.
- The regulator of doctors has also regulated them since December 2024.
- The Leng review of July 2025 recommended that the role be renamed physician assistant, and that they should not be the first to see undiagnosed patients. The government accepted its recommendations.
Interview questions
- What is a physician associate?
- Why has the role caused concern among doctors?
- How should a patient be told who is treating them?
Practise answering these with a mentor
Our interview preparation has you answer questions like these out loud, with feedback on each answer.
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