Welcome to RCSI
Important information regarding the MSc in Physician Associate studies programme, the application process and guidelines, student handbook and policies, and contact information for the PA Studies faculty and staff.
Accreditation is currently provided by the National University of Ireland, which initially approved the Degree of Master of Science in Physician Associate Studies (Major Award; NFQ Level 9; 120 ECTS) with full RCSI support and approval on 7 April 2016. At that time, initial approval of five years was granted, with re-accreditation managed by RCSI per the University guidelines. Re-accreditation is currently extended, per RCSI policies of annual review. No major or minor revisions in the initial curriculum have been submitted to the RCSI Awards and Qualifications committee. The internal process of review and re-accreditation and policies governing the timing of such reviews can be viewed on the RCSI Quality Enhancement Office page.
The RCSI PA programme has applied for Accreditation – Provisional status from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The application is currently pending review on the July 2026 ARC-PA meeting agenda.
Accreditation – Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, or a proposed programme that has not yet enrolled students, appear to demonstrate the programme's ability to meet the ARC-PA standards; or when a programme holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.
Applicants to the RCSI PA programme for the next intake, in January 2027, should note the following:
- If approved for Provisional status, students beginning in January 2027 (continuing for a period of up to five years) and who successfully graduate from the RCSI PA programme have the same eligibility to take the PANCE (NCCPA PA National Certifying Exam) as students from ARC-PA Accredited-Continued programmes.
- Provisional accreditation status, if conferred, will allow RCSI’s PA programme to maintain a pathway towards accreditation.
Implications of Non-Accreditation: The RCSI PA programme is an established programme in the Republic of Ireland, NOT currently accredited by the ARC-PA. Unless the programme is granted Accreditation – Provisional status, there are implications for international students who desire to sit for the NCCPA-PANCE.
If the programme is not granted accreditation: The RCSI PA Programme is not yet accredited by the ARC-PA, and will remain a developing programme seeking provisional accreditation from the ARC-PA. However, the programme still maintains its Irish accreditation status and will enrol students in January of 2027. Applicants should continue to check the programme’s website, which will provide updates on actions related to ARC-PA accreditation.
You can learn more by visiting the ARC-PA website. The programme is committed to transparency and will continue to provide timely updates as the accreditation process progresses.
The MSc in Physician Associate Studies employs a structured, holistic admissions process designed to identify applicants who demonstrate academic readiness, professional maturity and alignment with the programme’s mission and competencies. Admissions criteria and application requirements are publicly available on the programme website.
The admissions process is conducted in a fair, consistent and non-discriminatory manner in accordance with institutional policies and applicable regulations. The programme's mission to train students for careers in the Irish healthcare system inherently limits applications from non-EU countries because these applicants face work eligibility restrictions in Ireland. Without an EU passport, you are not entitled to work in Ireland (unless you meet a critical need, which applies to many medical and nursing professions – though this has not yet extended to PAs). However, non-EU applicants can pursue PA training if the physician associate role is officially recognised and regulated in their home country. The programme ensures a high level of transparency during the entire admissions process, especially during the pre-application phase, to minimise confusion and misinformation.
Application requirements
Applicants must submit a completed application including:
- Academic transcripts
- Curriculum vitae (resume)
- Personal statement (maximum 1,000 words)
- Confidential reference
- Documentation of eligibility criteria as outlined on the programme website.
All applications must be submitted by the published deadline on the online platform on the PA website page. Online applications generally open around March/April; short-listed candidates are then invited to attend face-to-face interviews in RCSI between June/August, and successful candidates receive an offer letter in early autumn. Once successful candidates have accepted their place, they will start on the programme the following January.
Appeals, Waitlist, Deferral and Reapplication
Admissions Appeals Policy
Applicants to the RCSI PA programme who wish to request a review of an admissions decision may submit a written appeal to the Programme Director within the timeframe specified in the admissions notification. Any appeal must clearly outline the basis for review and may include relevant supporting documentation.
Appeals are limited to concerns regarding procedural irregularity or failure to apply published admissions policies appropriately. Disagreement with the academic judgement of the Admissions Committee does not constitute grounds for appeal.
The Programme Director will review the application materials and admissions process to ensure adherence to published procedures. Where appropriate, the matter may be referred in accordance with RCSI institutional appeals processes. The outcome of the appeal will be communicated formally to the applicant and is final, with no further appeals possible at the programme level.
All appeals are documented and retained in accordance with institutional record retention and data protection policies.
Waitlist Policy
Applicants who meet admissions criteria but are not initially offered a place may be placed on a waitlist. Waitlist placement does not guarantee admission. Offers may be extended should places become available prior to programme commencement.
Waitlist management is conducted by the Admissions Committee using specific evaluation criteria, which are available upon request. The waitlist applies only to the current admissions cycle and does not carry forward to subsequent cycles.
Deferred Admission Policy
Applicants admitted may request a deferral in exceptional circumstances. Requests must be submitted in writing and will be considered by the Programme Director and Admissions Committee.
Deferrals are granted at the discretion of the Programme Director and Admissions Committee and are typically limited to one academic year. Applicants granted deferral must continue to meet entry requirements and comply with any updated programme policies prior to matriculation.
Reapplication Policy
Applicants who are not admitted may reapply in a subsequent cycle. Reapplicants must submit a completely new application and updated documentation.
Reapplications are reviewed holistically, with consideration given to evidence of academic progression, additional clinical experience, or professional development since the previous application.
ARC-PA Standards
Section A 1: Administration
A1.02g: the RCSI Student Dignity & Respect Policy Statement applies, and is available here.
The programme’s policies and procedures for processing student allegations of harassment and mistreatment are here.
A1.02h RCSI Tuition and Fees Refund Policy is available on the programme’s website.
Section A 3: Operations
In alignment with the A3 Standard (Operations), each policy within this handbook is written in programme-specific language and clearly mapped to the corresponding ARC-PA standard. Relevant RCSI institutional policies are incorporated by reference and included as appendices to ensure comprehensive coverage and compliance.
Relationship to RCSI Institutional Policies
Where institutional policies exist (e.g., Fitness to Study, Code of Conduct, Drug & Alcohol Use, Privacy, CCTV, IT Acceptable Use, Library Services etc.), the PA Programme adopts these policies and supplements them with programme-specific requirements where necessary.
Academic Policies for PA students related to academic progression, deceleration, remediation, leave of absence, withdrawal, etc are primarily covered by the Marks and Standards, which are reviewed and approved by RCSI’s Academic Council. Additional information about these processes is also covered in this Handbook.
Student Responsibility for Policies
Students are responsible for understanding, complying with, and formally acknowledging all policies contained in this handbook, as well as the institutional policies referenced herein. Agreement is confirmed by signing the final page of the handbook and submitting it electronically to PAStudies@rcsi.ie.
A signed agreement must be on file before a student may commence their studies.
SECTION 2 — ARC-PA POLICIES (A3.01–A3.15)
A3.01 — Publication & Accessibility of Programme Policies
Programme policies are published, readily available, and consistently applied to all students, principal faculty, staff, and the programme director regardless of their location. For students’ convenience, all policies are located in Moodle, which is the University’s Learning Management System (LMS). The policies are located in the tab identified as “Support”. For prospective students, clinical partners, alumni, and other external stakeholders, the Programme’s website also has links to student policies and PA student handbooks.
The PA programme URL is: https://www.rcsi.com/online/find-a-course/masters/p/h/physician-associate-studies
University Resources:
Student Academic and Regulatory Affairs (SARA)
This department manages student-related academic matters, including exam timetables, transcripts, registrations, records, and clinical electives. Their “Moodle Page” provides the entire suite of policy documents that PA students should become familiar with. While the PA programme is considered a “taught post-graduate course” are RCSI, students are still enroled in a programme that leads to their primary professional degree. This can be confusing for students, since some of the policies may be referred to “undergraduate”. To reduce confusion, certain forms such as the Leave of Absence and Withdrawal forms have been marked for PA students to reduce confusion. If you have any questions, please contact the Programme or your academic advisor.
The PA Programme “General Documents” Page in Moodle contains PA specific handbooks and manuals.
The PA Programme website hosts links to these documents and is publicly available for clinical partners, prospective students, alumni, and students. Consistency: Policies apply uniformly across on-campus and all clinical settings.
A3.02 – Students Not Permitted to Work for the Programme
PA students are not required and are not permitted to work for the PA programme in any capacity, whether paid or unpaid. This includes but is not limited to invigilating, grading, tutoring, administrative tasks, laboratory setup, or any services that would otherwise be performed by programme personnel.
No student may be assigned duties that replace programme staff functions.
A3.03 – Student Role Restrictions & Substitution
PA students do not substitute for or function as:
a) instructional faculty
PA students may not substitute for or function as instructional faculty, clinical staff, or administrative staff in any educational or clinical environment.
b) clinical or administrative staff
During SCPEs, students must not take the place of licensed providers or office personnel. All patient care activities must occur under appropriate supervision consistent with the student's role.
A3.04 – Student Identification Policy
Students must be clearly identified at all times in clinical settings as “Physician Associate Student” (or “PA Student”). Required: RCSI photo ID badge and programme-issued name badge must be worn at all times in the clinical setting. There may be times when specific hospitals also issue an identification badge that is required for their own clinical setting.
RCSI anatomy department policies require a white coat; clinical sites require RCSI official scrubs. Students are encouraged to purchase a minimum of 2 pairs of scrubs. PA student name badges affixed to scrubs is required at all clinical sites.
Students may not represent themselves as any other health profession or as a licensed practitioner. For instance, if you have training as a nurse, you do not represent yourself in this role. All PA students are STUDENTS, not licensed health care providers who have previously trained as such.
A3.05 – Exposure Risk Policy
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is aware of its over-riding duty of care to the public with whom students are in close contact. In the rare circumstances where a student is shown to have a blood borne virus and is infectious, RCSI will consider all appropriate measures and will do all that is reasonable to accommodate the needs of the student in question, in accordance with statutory requirements. RCSI is obliged to ensure that we take reasonable and appropriate measures not only to safeguard the students and their colleagues, but also patients and members of the public. Safeguarding these groups is of paramount importance.
Prevention of occupational acquired illnesses is covered during the student’s induction week prior to their first clinical module. These are mandated by the Irish Health Service. Students are expected to complete HSE Land courses (“Hand Hygiene” and “Open Disclosure”) with links available in Moodle before beginning Clinical Placement 6A Module (CP 6A).
Additionally, students should know that their indemnity (liability insurance) is provided by Marsh Indemnity.
Immunisations
Participation in the RCSI Student Vaccination Programme is a mandatory part of registering as a student at RCSI. Required immunisations (and documentation) include Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Tuberculosis (TB), Varicella/Zoster, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Meningitis C, Influenza (including H1N1).
Documentation must be provided before matriculation (or during induction week for hybrid students) through a personal interview with the Mercers Medical staff and maintained current throughout enrolment and SCPEs. Should titres may be required to document immunization (would require students to undergo blood testing). Continuous monitoring over the course of the clinical year is performed by the PA programme in collaboration with Mercers Medical Centre staff. Non-compliance may result in removal from clinical activities and progression delays.
Policies pertaining to Immunisations and Risk Exposure can be found in the RCSI Student Agreement’s Code of Conduct which includes the sub-principles 6.4.1 “Comply with the University’s health requirements and health policies” & 6.4.2 “Comply with the University’s clinical and professional placements’ safety requirements, including dress code and other safety requirements”.
See RCSI Policy 2.1.4 Infectious Disease & General Health Procedures Policy (IDGHP Policy).
A3.06 – Faculty Are Not Providers for Students
Students are provided with free GP services from Mercers Medical Centre. Specialty referrals, when suggested by the GP, are at the expense of the student. Neither the PA programme director, medical director, and/or principal faculty are allowed to participate as healthcare providers for students in the programme, except in emergency situations. Students are responsible for costs of care not related to clinical site responsibilities including injury, exposure, or required evaluations.
See GP Health Services for Students.
A3.07 – Access to Personal Support Services
The programme publishes, makes readily available, and consistently applies written procedures that ensure timely access and timely referral of students to services addressing personal issues that may impact their progress in the PA program. The office referred to as Centre for Mastery: Personal, Professional and Academic Success (CoMPPAS) provides timely access to all services including but not limited to urgent personal counselling, referrals for educational assessments, academic tutoring, career development, and a vast array of other services.
See the CoMPPAS Website.
A3.08 No Requirements to Secure Preceptors
PA students are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors. The programme has a wide network of clinical sites that support student clinical training. All preceptors and sites are vetted by the programme and monitored to assess their effectiveness in providing students with opportunities to meet programme goals and learning outcomes.
A3.09 Immunisation and Travel
All students must maintain programme-required immunisations and screening. They must also comply with additional clinical site requirements if asked to do so. Any foreign travel may require immunisations above and beyond those required by RCSI and would be the responsibility of the student.
See 3.05 for RCSI Policy.
A3.10 – Accurate Programme Announcements
The University and PA programme will provide timely updates to enrolled students via email communications. Any changes to programme policies and information related to admissions that may be relevant to prospective students will be updated in a timely manner on the programme’s website.
A3.11 Required Programme Information
a. The program’s ARC-PA accreditation status as provided to the programme by the ARC-PA
b. Evidence of its effectiveness in meeting its goals
c. The current annual “Irish Society of PAs” IPANE Exam Performance Summary Report Last 5 Years” table
d. All required curricular components and the delivery method
e. Academic credit offered by the programme
f. Estimates of the total cost of enrolment (scroll down to Fees and Funding section)
g. Programme-defined competencies for entry level practice
h. N/A
i. N/A
A3.12 – Admission and Enrolment Practices (please scroll to specific section)
A3.13 – Admission Decision Policies (please scroll to specific section)
A3.14 – Academic Standards and Progression
a) any required academic standards to maintain enrollment and progress in the curriculum.
All students must successfully complete Modules 1,2 and 3 prior to entrance into the Clinical Practice Modules (6a, 6b, 6c). All academic policies are in the Programme’s Marks and Standards document.
b) requirements and deadlines for completion of the programme: see Marks and Standards in the Student Policies section.
c) policies and procedures for remediation:
Students who do not successfully complete the end of Module assessments, are offered the opportunity to sit a Supplemental exam. Students will be provided academic support prior to the Supplemental Exam, targeting specific areas where improvement is needed. During the academic and clinical phases of the programme, students are assigned a Faculty Advisor, who meets with them regularly to monitor academic progress and determine whether additional academic support is needed. During the Clinical Phase, any student who has previously required a Supplemental exam to pass a module, will have additional monitoring by their Faculty Advisor. See the Marks and Standards document in the Student Policies section.
d) policies and procedures for deceleration:
Students do not decelerate in the PA programme. Successful progression is validated by the Programme’s Exam Board. At the end of Semester 2 in Year 1, the Programme Board meets to review all student performance. Failure of a Module in Year 1 will require the student to re-sit the entire year. Students who fail Module 6B, will be required to repeat Year 2. The External Exam Board also meets at the end of Semester 2 for Year 2 students. The Board validates the entire academic record of each students and also validates the final grade (First Class Honours, Second Class Honours Grade 1, Second Class Honours Grade 2, or Pass). See the Marks and Standards document in the Student Policies section.
e) policies and procedures for withdrawal:
Students will follow the Withdrawal From Studies Policies
f) policies and procedures for dismissal: Disciplinary Regulation
g) policies and procedures for student grievances: RCSI Complaints Procedures
h) policies and procedures for student appeals: RCSI Student Appeals Regulations
3.14 i) Student Employment While Enrolled
Employment during the programme is strongly discouraged due to curricular intensity; the programme does not alter schedules, assessments, or SCPE assignments to accommodate outside work. If a student does choose to work, employment will not excuse absences, incomplete work, or poor performance.
3.14 j) Policy for Student Travel to Required Rotation Sites
The programme assigns SCPEs to ensure breadth of experience; students are responsible for travel, housing, and associated costs unless otherwise stated. Further information is in the Clinical Year Guide in the Student Policies section.
A3.15 – Advanced Placement Documentation
The PA Programme does NOT award or grant “Advanced Placement” as defined by the ARC-PA glossary (6th edition Standards) as “The waiver of required coursework within the PA curriculum for applicants or currently enrolled students, allowing advancement in the programme without completing all required curriculum components.”
Once programme data becomes available, it will be posted on the programme's website in accordance with the ARC-PA Standards.
RCSI secures all clinical sites for PA students. This policy aligns with the ARC-PA Requirement A3.08 No Requirements to Secure Preceptors.
PA students are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors. The programme has a wide network of clinical sites that support student clinical training. All preceptors and sites are vetted by the programme and monitored to assess their effectiveness in providing students with opportunities to meet programme goals and learning outcomes.
RCSI's Dublin campus contains some of the city’s most iconic buildings, and seamlessly integrates centuries of history with state-of-the-art learning technology and fun social spaces. Designed with our students in mind, the RCSI campus will offer you everything you could possibly need to meet your academic, professional and personal goals while studying at our university.
Our Physician Associate students are mostly based in the RCSI Mercer Building during the didactic phase (year one). We also regularly welcome them back to the Mercer Building at the end of Year 1 and throughout Year 2 for mandatory tutorial days and courses, as well as examinations, while they are on CP6a, CP6b and CP6c clinical placements.
PA students also have access to the main college (123 St Stephen’s Green) where they attend their anatomy lectures and practical sessions during Year 1, as well as 26 York Street where they can study in a quiet space, book small rooms for study groups/revision work, and visit the Library. 26 York Street is also the home to our state-of-the-art simulation centre, where the PA students attend for practical tutorials and exams throughout the two years of the MSc PA studies programme.
You can find more information about the RCSI Dublin campus here.
Before submitting an application online for the MSc in Physician Associate Studies, please ensure you are eligible to apply by reviewing the strict eligibility criteria on our website.
We also have an FAQ guidelines document which answers a number of generic questions we regularly receive by email from prospective applicants, and which you may find useful.
If you have any specific queries regarding a prospective application for this programme, please e-mail pastudies@rcsi.ie for advice. This inbox is answered daily, Mon-Fri.
The student fees refund policy for this programme is available below.
The Irish Physician Associate National Exam is an exam required for certification in the Republic of Ireland. In order to receive a Managed Voluntary Register (MVR) number, it is required that all PAs sit the IPANE exam to ensure national standardisation. PAs are required to re-sit the exam every six years for recertification, and to maintain medical knowledge in all fields. Upon successfully passing the Irish Physician Associate National Exam, an Irish certified PA may add ‘IC’ to the end of their credentials.
There are two sittings of the IPANE annually, occurring in both January and June/July. Exam candidates are required to attend for the IPANE exam in person in Dublin.
The first administration of the IPANE was held in 2019. Since that time, the programme has a 100% pass rate on the exam. The first administration of the IPANE-recertification exam was held in January 2026, and 100% of individuals who sat for this exam successfully passed the assessment.
Additional information is available on the ISPA website.
The Irish Society of Physician Associates (ISPA) was established in 2015 by faculty members of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. In May 2019, members of the ISPA elected five new board members to include newly qualified Irish-trained physician associates. These board members are graduates of the RCSI Master's in Physician Associate Studies and continue to work as physician associates in the Republic of Ireland, across a variety of clinical specialties. The ISPA's board members are elected by members of the society and announced at the annual general meeting (AGM). A new ISPA president is elected annually.
ISPA was established to provide professional support to both qualified physician associates and physician associate students in their education, training and continued professional development in the Republic of Ireland (ROI). It is the interim representative body in the ROI.
For additional information about ISPA, please visit their website.
You can also contact them at contactus@ispaireland.ie.
The PA Studies team schedules an open day in advance of the MSc in Physician Associate Studies programme intakes, before the applications go live on the RCSI website (around February-April).
This is a hybrid event where prospective applicants can choose to attend either in person or remotely via MS Teams. Anyone interested to attend our open day needs to register on the website once the registration link is live, and can do so up to the day before the event. The MS Teams link is then circulated to hybrid attendees on the morning of the event by email.
The open day gives interested applicants an opportunity to get further information on the overall programme, curriculum, teaching schedule, clinical placements, on-campus vs hybrid models, examinations, etc. It also allows them to meet the faculty and staff, as well as current students and past graduates, and is a very interactive event.
We strongly advise anyone interested in applying for the programme to attend the open day.
Details/registration links for our open day are available on our website once the date/time has been finalised by the office; we also advertise this event on our social media accounts (LinkedIn/Instagram).
Professor Lisa Mustone Alexander EdD, MPH, PA-C
Programme Director
Lisa is responsible for the overall leadership of the programme. She received her PA training at George Washington University, where she also completed a Master's in Public Health and doctoral degree in Education. She has extensive experience in PA education and front-line clinical experience as a PA. Her doctoral research focused on the identity of the PA profession. Lisa is Professor Emeritus at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. In 1972, at the 50th anniversary celebration of the programme's founding, she was honoured with the creation of the Lisa Mustone Alexander Distinguished Public Service Award.
Dr Melanie Cunningham
Director of Education
Melanie was appointed the Director of Education for the Physician Associates programme at RCSI in 2024, and also serves as the associate director of the programme. After her surgical training in Ireland, she worked as a clinical lecturer for the Deptartments of Surgery and Microbiology at RCSI, inspiring students to find their passion in the field of medicine. Before studying graduate entry medicine at RCSI, she obtained a BS in Biological Sciences with a specialisation in microbiology and an MPH in Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology. Her academic interests include improving experiential learning for students on clinical placements, understanding the development of personal and professional identity within healthcare roles, and the impact of the language we use in the clinical environment with patients and colleagues.
Alexandra Troy PA-IC
Teacher Practitioner
Alexandra is an Irish-trained RCSI PA graduate from the inaugural class; she worked clinically for 7.5 years before transitioning to academia. She is the clinical lead coordinator for clinical placements, overseeing student placement organisation and support. She contributes to teaching across Years 1 and 2, including lectures, OSCEs, and long case tutorials, and delivers small group teaching to Year 1 students.
Stephanie Billault
Programme Co-ordinator
Stephanie is responsible for the administrative logistics around the programme’s intakes, tutorials, exams and conferring ceremonies, and is the first point of contact for general enquiries in the office. She also looks after day-to-day finances, organises the GP rotations for our students on CP6b clinical placements, and ensures the efficient running of the PA Studies office. She previously worked in the RCSI Department of Surgical Affairs looking after the surgical training programmes, and in the RCSI/RCPI Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine. Prior to joining RCSI, Stephanie worked in the Medical Council of Ireland (MCI) Registration Department.
To contact the PA Studies office, please email pastudies@rcsi.ie.
Programme Mission Statement
The mission of the RCSI Physician Associate programme is to prepare clinically competent, compassionate, practice-ready physician associates who expand access to high‑quality, evidence‑based care and improve health outcomes across the Republic of Ireland. Through rigorous education, interprofessional learning and diverse clinical experiences, we equip graduates with the knowledge, skills and professional behaviours needed to practise effectively in varied healthcare settings both nationally and internationally.
Programme Goals
Goal 1: Develop clinically competent, evidence-based practitioners
The programme will prepare graduates with the biomedical, clinical, and behavioural science knowledge and skills required to deliver safe, effective, and evidence based care across diverse patient populations and care settings.
Success indicators:
• Benchmark performance on summative written examinations
• Summative OSCE: ≥ 90% of students pass each OSCE on first attempt.
Goal 2: Increase access to high-quality healthcare across Ireland
The programme will contribute to improved access to timely medical care in the Republic of Ireland by educating PAs who are qualified to practice in settings experiencing workforce shortages or service gaps.
Success indicators:
- Graduate employment in Irish healthcare settings within six months
- ≥ 85% of graduates employed in Irish healthcare settings within six months of programme completion. - Placement of graduates in areas with workforce shortages
- ≥ 40% of graduates obtain positions in settings such as:
- regional hospitals
- underserved GP practices
- community health centres
- specialties with national staffing shortages - Growth and diversity of clinical partnerships across Ireland
- Maintain clinical placement capacity at 125% of cohort need
Goal 3: Strengthen multidisciplinary, team-based care
The programme will ensure graduates demonstrate effective communication, collaboration, and professional behaviours that enable them to function as integral members of multidisciplinary healthcare teams.
Success indicators:
- ≥ 85% pass rate on communication-focused OSCE stations on first attempt
- 100% of students in each cohort participate in 1 didactic sponsored Interprofessional learning activity
- ≥ 80% of students agree that interprofessional activities improved their ability to collaborate in clinical environments
Goal 4: Promote professionalism, ethical practice, and compassionate care
The programme will instil professional values, ethical decision making skills, and compassionate, patient centred behaviours essential to the delivery of equitable, high quality care.
Success indicators:
- Professionalism evaluations during didactic and clinical phases
- ≥ 95% of students pass all professionalism evaluations during didactic and clinical phases.
- Zero professionalism-related dismissals per academic year.
- ≤ 5% of students requiring professionalism remediation. - Preceptor/faculty reports of professional behaviour
- ≥ 90% of preceptor reports rate students as “professional” or “highly professional”
- No student receives >1 professionalism concern report per rotation. - Compliance with confidentiality, consent, and ethical standards
- Zero reportable breaches of confidentiality or ethical conduct.
Goal 5: Support continuous quality improvement in education and practice
The programme will use systematic evaluation and continuous quality improvement processes to enhance teaching, assessment, curricular design, and clinical partnerships, ensuring graduates achieve strong outcomes and meet evolving healthcare needs.
Success indicators:
- Completion of annual Programme Evaluation Report (PER)
-PER completed by 30 June annually with documented faculty review. - Documented implementation of improvements based on feedback
- Programme implements ≥ 3 substantive improvements per year resulting directly from: student feedback,preceptor feedback,assessment performance trends,external review findings - Annual updates to syllabi, assessments, and policy documents
-100% of course syllabi updated annually.
- All assessments reviewed yearly for blueprint alignment.
- Curriculum map updated annually with explicit linkage to programme competencies. - PEQI Committee documentation of actions taken
- Quarterly PEQI meetings held, with minutes recorded
- All action items tracked to completion with documented outcomes.
These competencies serve as the framework for curriculum design, instructional objectives and summative assessment within the programme.
Upon graduation, students will demonstrate competency in the following domains:
Medical knowledge
Apply biomedical, clinical, and behavioural science knowledge to the evaluation and management of patients across the lifespan.
Patient care
Provide patient-centred, evidence-informed care including history-taking, physical examination, differential diagnosis generation, diagnostic testing and management planning.
Clinical reasoning
Synthesise clinical information to prioritise differential diagnoses and develop safe, effective management strategies across acute, chronic, preventive, and surgical settings.
Interpersonal and communication skills
Communicate effectively and compassionately with patients, families and members of the interprofessional healthcare team.
Professionalism and ethics
Demonstrate ethical decision-making, accountability, cultural sensitivity, and professional conduct consistent with PA practice standards.
Interprofessional collaboration
Function effectively within multidisciplinary teams to deliver coordinated and patient-centred care.
Systems-based practice
Apply knowledge of healthcare systems, resource utilisation and service delivery models to improve access and equity in healthcare.
Practice-based learning and quality improvement
Engage in reflective practice, incorporate feedback, and participate in quality improvement processes to enhance patient care and professional development.