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Patient care

Physician Associate

Examines patients and helps diagnose and treat them as part of a medical team, always under a doctor's supervision.

Physician associates work on hospital wards, in emergency departments and in GP surgeries, seeing patients and helping plan their care under a supervising doctor. It suits someone with a science degree who wants hands-on clinical work in a supporting role within a medical team.

Also called Physician assistant, Certified physician assistant (PA-C) or Emergency medicine physician assistant.

At a glance

Way in
Master's degree, often in biomedical science, biochemistry, healthcare science, nursing and physician associate studies
Pay in the US
$135,880 a year, the medianFor physician assistants, 2025
Pay in the UK
£48,000 starting to £57,000 with experience
US outlook
Much faster than average, 2025-2035
Suits you if
You want to diagnose and treat patients and enjoy working closely in a medical team.

Pay is a guide: it moves with the country, the employer, the sector and the years in the job. Figures from O*NET OnLine (US) and the National Careers Service (UK); see the sources below.

The work

What does a physician associate do?

  • Take medical histories and examine patients on wards, in clinics and in surgeries
  • Help reach a diagnosis and arrange tests or referrals with the supervising doctor
  • Draw up and follow care plans for patients with a wide range of conditions
  • Carry out practical procedures such as taking blood and inserting cannulas
  • Review test results and give advice on staying well

Where they work

  • NHS and private hospitals
  • Emergency departments
  • GP practices
  • Health centres

Skills

The skills a physician associate needs

  • Clinical knowledgemedicine, anatomy and how common diseases present
  • History takingasking the right questions and listening closely
  • Physical examinationsystematic, careful and repeatable
  • Teamworkworking within agreed limits and knowing when to escalate
  • Composurethinking clearly on busy wards and in emergencies
  • Data handlingreading test results and keeping accurate notes

Route in

How to become a physician associate

  1. Complete a first degree in a life science or health subject such as biomedical science or nursing
  2. Gain some hands-on patient care experience, which many courses value
  3. Complete a postgraduate physician associate course, usually about two years long, with clinical placements
  4. Pass the national registration exam and register with the regulator before starting work

Degrees people take

  • Biomedical science
  • Biochemistry
  • Healthcare science
  • Nursing
  • Physician associate studies

In the UK, physician associates register with the General Medical Council, and the government plans to rename the role physician assistant; in the US, physician assistants pass a national exam and hold a state licence.

Practise for it

The quizzes and tools that fit

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Sources

Where the facts come from

Written for biofideX from these public sources. The pay figures are theirs, copied as published, last read 2026-10-25.

Requirements differ by country and change over time; check with the body that registers the profession where you will work. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll correct it.

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