GET IN TOUCH

The Diploma in Geriatric Medicine (DGM), awarded by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), is designed for PAs who want to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise in the healthcare of older people. The diploma tests the clinical knowledge and skills required in the field of geriatric medicine to provide expert care for older people. Candidates sit two examinations: an online knowledge-based assessment and a clinical exam. If you’re involved in the provision of care for older people and want to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and understanding of managing frailty and the chronic conditions experienced by older people, this diploma will allow you to prove your expertise.

This is a Master’s level Dermatology CPD specifically listing Physician Associates on their admissions criteria. While it is a very intense course, Sally is a physician associate who has recently completed the course and praised the excellent teaching from Dr Schofield. Sally said: ‘The course has really helped me improve my dermatology knowledge, and I use the skills I’ve gained every day in my practice in a GP surgery’.

I have a real passion for medical education and supporting PA students; so I was thrilled to be able to do a PG certificate in medical education. Courses like this will be available at many universities across the UK. UEA’s course appealed to me, as it was where I had done both my undergraduate degree and PA studies, and was local to me. The course was delivered online, and was extremely interesting to me – covering topics such as learning theories, how adults learn, and the uniqueness of delivering clinical education. The course gave me a body of knowledge and principles to facilitate teaching, learning and assessment in practice-based settings, and lead on to me securing a job at Anglia Ruskin University as a lecturer on their PA course!

This course helped me brush up on the finer points of diabetes care and improved my knowledge of some of the newer therapies that are available. The course is delivered flexibly, online or face-to-face, and offers excellent CPD for PAs managing diabetes in primary care. I learnt a lot about the importance of the correct food and diets for people with diabetes and more about the drug and psychological management of DM patients.

On Becoming offers development for people serious about human growth and leadership potential. On Becoming engages its participants in-depth - to see who you really are with new eyes - in service of their agency and impact in their worlds. On Becoming run various courses, including taking on bespoke cohorts of Physician Associates onto a path of self-discovery and development. The On Becoming team also offer bespoke facilitation and team/individual coaching.

Some of the key skills from On Becoming you’ll learn include:

• Self-development and professional development

• Self-knowledge

• Personal authority

• What you notice (or don’t)

• How you communicate empathy and compassion

• How present you are to yourself and others

• How you handle conflict

• How successfully you influence and negotiate

WRITTEN BY JAMES CATTON