Physician Associate

BrianD3

Asking this here as the Health Sciences forum on boards is tumbleweed. has anyone any thoughts or news on the physician associate role that has been talked about for many years and for which there is a course (2 year M.Sc.) in the RCSI.

I have been doing some reading and it's not clear what the current situation is let alone what the future holds or whether it would be a wise career choice. I've seen mention of PAs being employed in the public sector but that there is no official grade for them. The cost of the course is 24k but the HSE may have paid some of this in return for graduates committing to stay in Ireland. Some people are concerned that PAs may endanger patients and have a negative effect on actual physicians e.g. by impinging on training time of NCHDs.

No point in handing over 24k to the RCSI and then finding that you can't get a job which could happen for various reasons - supply of grads could exceed demand, HSE recruitment embargos or penny pinching, physician or nurse representative groups threatening industrial action etc.

BrianD3

I hadn't seen this before I started the thread

https://www.medicalindependent.ie/in-the-news/hse-not-recruiting-pas-pending-review/

A review of the situation will take 6 months apparently (i'll believe it when I see it) and that review had not commenced as of 22nd January

Question marks over regulation and even the title of the role, should it be associate or assistant. All seems quite adversarial which is no surprise given the state of our health service.

The next set of students for the RCSI course will be applying and being interviewed from about May to August. I certainly wouldn't be handing over 24k to the RCSI unless there is far more clarity which I doubt there will.

dory

Sounds like a course aimed at people from countries with PAs like USA. I think you're right not to part with the cash until it's a role we have in Ireland, unless you want to emigrate.

muckmakingmach

Hi, just seen this thread.

Im currently in my second year of the RCSI PA course. Its a great course, really well run and amazing teaching. Unfortunately its true that HSE have paused recruitment, a lot of this is driven by the media negativity in the UK. Currently the UK are conducting the 'Leng report' which is an evidence based review on the performance of PAs within the NHS. The HSE is going to conduct a similar review here. From my understanding the HSE are pro PA however they are taking a cautious approach with regards to their next move.

PAs can still be hired in the private sector.

BrianD3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123258984#Comment_123258984

Thanks for that. I see the Leng review is due to be published this spring so we shouldn't have long to wait for the UK take on the situation.

BrianD3

Just saw this from the IT from a few days ago. Free fees for what would/should have been been a guaranteed job in the HSE - but now isn't.

"A total of 36 students have received funding from the HSE, seven of whom received funding for the second year of their programme and who graduated in January. The remaining 29 students had their full tuition paid for, and are due to graduate in January 2026."

"As part of the agreement, the 29 students were expected to provide a three-year service commitment to the HSE, while the seven students who received one year’s worth of fees were due to provide a two-year service commitment."

However, the spokeswoman confirmed recruitment for the role has since been paused pending a review as the PA role is “currently not a sanctioned grade within the HSE""

https://www.irishtimes.com/health/2025/03/10/hiring-of-physician-associates-to-assist-doctors-and-surgeons-paused-by-hse/

Holly3737

Hi .May I ask is there much chemistry in the course?. I am thinking of applying, but I am not good at chemistry at all.! Thank you.

Holly3737

Hi .May I ask is there much chemistry in the course?. I am thinking of applying, but I am not good at chemistry at all.! Thank you.

Flag Quote Thanks!

muckmakingmach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123264401#Comment_123264401

No theres no chemistry involved, primarily learning pharmacology consists of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics. Very rarely did we have to learn off formulas. You definitely don't need chemistry.