 So now you're here again knocking at my door it'll too late for I'm sorry for The lights went out cuz you kept cutting what's up you guys that are welcome back to my channel Thank you guys so much for joining me today So I have another true life series for you If you don't know anything about my true life series, please go take a look around my channel You can go to my true life playlist where I talk about various different professions and also I just feature other students and other individuals that are PAs currently Working in different specialties. So if you like what you see go ahead and subscribe Please you guys forgive my voice. I did a lot of yelling yesterday In terms of like playing taboo and you know saying no people are cheating So that's why I am a little bit hoarse But I had to get this video out for you guys because I am so excited about it So this video is going to be featuring Joan. She is a PA student in the UK I know the UK there are PAs in other places other than the US and Canada Which is dope and so that is why I wanted to bring This information to you all if you are interested in what it's like to be a PA in another country So that is what Joan is gonna be talking about. She is gonna be talking about her experience this far as a PA student in the UK So I'm excited. Please sit back, relax and without further ado, here is Joan Hello, my name is Joan Embola. I've just finished my first year as a PA student in the UK and this is my true life So I first heard about the PA profession through my university's website. Actually, I think it was through their YouTube channel This was back in 2016 when I was doing my undergrad degree at St. George's University in London Before that I had never heard about the course which is so funny because my university has been doing the course for the longest in the UK So they've been doing it for about 10 years. I think we are the 11th cohort So they've been doing it for a really long time and in 2016 was the first time I heard about the course when they posted a video in the YouTube channel and I Watched that video and I found it really interesting About these new healthcare professionals who are not doctors but then who work alongside doctors and nurses and other healthcare professionals to diagnose, treat and manage patients and pretty much from there my interest was Taken and I started to find out more about the course and do more research So I think over the last couple of years The PA profession has been made well known to more and more people are getting to know more about the course and and the profession and the role because more universities are starting to Do the course and offer the course and that means that more and more students are beginning to find out about the course and apply for it The course has been around the UK for quite a while I think since 2004 But people didn't know about it because they weren't that many PAs working in the UK But I think now because more universities like I said are training more students and more More students are getting qualified and sent to hospitals and GP surgeries more patients are being exposed to the role and We're being pioneers of the role, which is great It's very different from the US where it's very well established and it's been there for about 50 years in the UK I think majority of people don't know about the PA role, but I would say that more and more people are starting to find out So it is a postgraduate master's most people most universities offer it as a two-year postgraduate program so uh master's an msc or just a pg dip or postgraduate diploma So for two years, that's what it is So you'd have to have done an undergraduate degree for three years at least And then after that you can apply for the PA course So most people can do it straight after university like I did I applied straight after my undergrad and I got in and started the course But some people have been out of university for a long time and they've been they've been working In either the health sector or in the sector. That's completely different Some people have non-science backgrounds and they have some sort of experience with people and they can apply for the course So it is a postgraduate program Everyone who has done it has done a degree Most universities like I said offer it for a two-year program But some universities in the UK offer it as a four-year undergraduate program But that's not the norm. It's usually a two-year program I don't know if in terms of getting in so you do apply and then Most universities invite you for an interview So the different universities have different styles of interviews You can either have a multi-minute interview or a panel interview or you can have a Presentation that you have to present or group discussions Loads of different ways in which they interview PA students and then after that you get off of the place So at the moment to get into PA school, you don't have to do an admissions test, which is what Getting into medical school and requires you to do for most universities But it's purely just the application process the interview and then Getting an offer really So at the end of the program Every single PA student in the UK has to sit and pass the national exam So the national exam holds Most people that start in september usually do it in september at the end of their second year But then it holds throughout the year as well as the sum in january I think in march as well and it has two components. So it has a written component where You answer I think it's 150 questions for three hours I think that's what it is. Um, I might be wrong, but I think that's what it is And then you have the second component, which is called an oski So that's the clinical aspects of it where you have 14 stations and you have different stations and students go into each of these stations and they are tested on Different things so it could be a procedure like suturing or giving an injection Or it could be to perform a clinical examination Or it could be to take a history from a patient and then the examiner asked you questions So, yeah, there's the two components of it. The the written component is usually done in london while the um, The clinical component is done in liverpool. So that is that is what the um certification exam Requires you to do. I think you would be required to sit and pass this exam to be a qualified PA So the role of a PA in the UK is The fact that they work under the supervision of a consultant doctor that's a supervising doctor And um, they're all entails taking a history from patients being able to examine these patients other to come up with the differential diagnosis And also to come up with a management plan and to treat these patients as well So PAs can work in primary care So in GP surgeries GP practices or they can work in any specialty in secondary care as well And you can have some PAs as well in surgery So that is basically in a nutshell the scope of practice for PAs in the UK at the moment PAs aren't um allowed to prescribe or sign their own prescriptions and they're also not allowed to um Order ionizing radiations at the moment. So PAs in the UK. They can't sign their own prescriptions and they can't order Ionizing radiations. However, we are going to be regulated soon We're going to have our own regulatory body and hopefully when all of the process is set up and running We will be they will set up an exam for us to be able to write and get our prescription rights But at the moment PAs cannot sign their own prescriptions and they can't um order ionizing radiation So I think it just depends I'm going to walk you through quickly just a typical day in a week So Mondays we usually have communication skills So we go in and we're in different groups and we practice how to take a history from a patient And to come up with a differential diagnosis or how to explain a diagnosis to a patient Or how to explain the initiation of a treatment and then we have lectures Then on Tuesdays, we usually have what we call PBL, which is problem-based learning again We're in groups. So we come together. We have a case. We discuss the case Come up with some learning objectives and then we go go go home for a week Answer these questions and then come back and discuss the answers to questions Wednesdays in first year. We have placements. So GP placements once every week. So every Wednesday in first year Um, and then in second year at my university. We have hospital based placements all year Pretty much and then in first year as well Thursdays We usually have anatomy and then we have more physiology teaching and more lectures and then Fridays are for clinical skills So we clinical examination skills. We learn about I don't know taking a cardiovascular exam or upper neurological exam or PR exam and stuff like that. So that's basically a typical day from at my uni in first year and In second year, like I said, it's mainly placements all year So second replacements in hospitals all year. I know you said a day, but I thought a week would make more sense and the days usually consists from Us coming in at 9 a.m. And finishing at 4 or 5 p.m. So, yeah So I think the biggest challenge working as a PA in the UK would be Not necessarily the patients themselves being Skeptical about the role because I I think patients are generally very lovely from my experience from working In doing my placement in the GP practice whenever patients don't understand my role and I explain to them They're usually very accepting of the role um, but I have heard quite a few stories of PA students in hospital settings where Other healthcare professionals are a bit skeptical about the role because they don't really understand it They think that we're there to replace doctors while some healthcare professionals think that we're there to replace doctors They don't really understand fully what we do what our scope of practice is and all of that stuff So, um, I think one of the challenges could be is the fact that We almost will have to constantly have to prove ourselves and to prove the fact that you know Even though we've learned 80 percent of the knowledge even though we've learned 80 percent of the The stuff that doctors have learned in five years in like less than half the time We are still qualified to deal with patients and to make, you know, clinically sound decisions I think it would the challenge would be constantly having to prove yourself to other healthcare professionals To make them know that you you are, you know, um competent to do your job Um, but because I've had like I said, I've had brilliant experiences with patients themselves But it's it's the I feel like the most challenging thing for me that I would find is working With other healthcare professionals as well and being in a team that is supportive of your role And a team that knows exactly what you're there for and they know your limitations And that's ready to support you really the main thing I'm looking forward to really is just the patient The patient interaction side of it unlike doctors who get to progress um Going up to higher levels in their career and or some of them getting to consult in the positions where they have less clinical contact with patients I love the pa role because I can stay in a job or in a specialty as as long as I want to and if I don't Like that anymore. I can just move to another specialty so I love the flexibility of the role and I love the fact that um, I get that I'm guaranteed that patient contact Throughout all of my career, which is what I enjoy about working in healthcare And I don't want to lose that and I I'm really looking forward to spending time with patients and Yeah Yes, my course director so for my university she trained in the u.s And she moves to the uk and she's been working in the uk For a long time now and also we have loads of other american pa's on our course So yes, they can move from the from the from america to the uk and work as a pa I've only noticed american pa's working in the uk. I don't think I've noticed any other pa's I'm not sure of any other pa's from other countries can work in the uk But I know americans can um the downside to all this is that uk pa's can't work in america Which I think is rather unfortunate um But yeah, I think that the system is quite different between the uk and america and in terms of your certification exams as well So I guess that's why there's that limitation. But yes american pa's can work in the uk Yes, I think that the pa role promises a very very big turn like very big Change and a very big help to the the the national health service Um, I don't know if you guys are aware of it But the nhs or the national health service is the health care system here in the uk for many years now It's been struggling. It's been overstretched. Um, there's this short short staffed. Um, the the services heavily short staffed and loads of trust and hospitals are suffering, you know devastating Consequences because of this and I feel like the pa role is perfect because Its aim is not to take away from other health care professionals. It's to train um people who are who aren't already in the health care profession to go in and to help elevate this Load that's been placed on doctors whilst working within the limitation of their of their role and their knowledge And their training and I feel like this will help a lot in terms of providing that continuity of care Because I think it's very very important for the patients because it's it's good for patients to always have That person there who can who knows how things work rather than having doctors coming in and going the next day or Going round and round in circles and you know, and that's what the doctor life is because doctors tend to rotate between specialties But if you have someone there e.g. The pa's who have been there for a long time They know how things work. They know how the system works It provides a continuity of care and I feel like that is the main reason why the pa role was introduced in the uk Is very very good for patient-centered care Which the uk health care system seeks to provide and I think that's going to that has the potential to change um To make the nhs a better service and to help self the serve the patients I just want to say that um pa school is hard I have finished my first year and that was a roller coaster ride A massive roller coaster ride filled with so many ups and downs um It is hard, but it is very possible And I feel like my faith has been tested on so many different levels during the past year during this course and um The one thing that I learned from doing this course is the fact that I cannot rely on my own strength to do anything. I have constantly had to rely on god and um to help me pull me through this past year and It's just to know that you can do it. It is hard, but it's not impossible You can do it and if loads of people have done it before you then, you know You just need to keep encouraging yourself Putting your hope and your trust in god and holding on to the fact that he has brought you through it And he will bring you till the end and yeah, so it is hard But god is with you so you can do it If I could pull through then I'm sure you can too. So don't be discouraged. Keep going It's hard, but the end will be rewarding John thank you so much for all of that information. I mean I learned a lot. Did y'all learn a lot? I know y'all learned a lot because I learned a lot. Okay I think it's so dope that as a PA in the u.s You can leave the us if you so choose and you want a different kind of scenery You can go to the uk and still work With your license and that is pretty dope I mean I think that that is something that you should be aware of like your scope of practice in other countries and how that may You know how you could transition so thank you so much for sharing that information with me And with my viewers because I'm pretty sure we did not know about that I know I didn't also I really liked what you said when you said not your will but his because only by god's grace Could we make it through PA school and you know life in general? So thank you so much for sharing that you guys Please please please go give her some love check out her youtube channel her instagram follow her subscribe and Also, um, just leave a comment in the comment section below of any other profession that you may want me to Feature or any other true life series video ideas that you may have please leave that in the comment section below Oh my gosh, Joan I do also want to say huge congrats to you for completing didactic gear and making it to clinical year That is a huge feat in and of itself and I am so happy for you I wish you many blessings on your continued journey. Thank you guys so much for watching I really appreciate each and every one of you If you haven't already done so go ahead and like this video Leave that comment below and follow me on instagram at adana the pa and thank you guys so much for watching I will talk to you guys next time. Bye Thank you so much adana for this amazing opportunity to be a part of this documentary I know this is not part of the video but I just want to say thank you. Thank you so much Have a lovely day and god bless