Non-Academic Information Form
Each applicant for the Physician Associate Studies course at The University of Manchester must complete an online information form with respect to non-academic activities.
Anyone who has ever agonised over writing a UCAS personal statement will probably tell you that there isn't enough space to talk about the things that are important to your decision to apply for the chosen course!
The Non-Academic Information Form can be thought of as an expanded personal statement where you can provide more information and tell us why you chose to apply to the Physician Associate Studies course at The University of Manchester.
Although we do not directly assess your personal statement as part of the selection process, you haven't wasted any time in writing it. You will find that you can use most what you have written as the starting point for your Non-Academic Information Form, and we encourage you to do so.
What we look for
The form is essentially a more structured version of the personal statement, but be aware that you should not simply paste your personal statement into it. We will request brief details about the following areas.
Experience in a role relevant to the work of a physician associate
This does not necessarily mean medically-related work experience, such as shadowing a GP or consultant and, in fact, we ask that you don't use examples of shadowing in this section. We are interested in hands-on caring experience that may or may not be medically related.
We are trying to ascertain that you have a clear idea of what it is like to undertake the Physician Associate Studies course and what the role of physician associate entails. Tell us how you got involved in such work, how much time you spend doing it and, most importantly, what you have gained from it.
Information for 2024 entry
We are aware that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face work experience placements for applicants may have been cancelled. Applicants should be assured that this will not negatively impact your application. We have now adapted our requirements for 2024 entry.
In normal circumstances, the reason for requiring work experience is so you can demonstrate understanding of the work and role of a physician associate. We do not 'count' hours of work experience (although some universities may). We focus on how you reflect over what you have learnt.
We are happy for you to declare work experience or activities you intend to carry out after submitting a UCAS application.
This will give you additional time to carry out experience if you still want to, and if conditions permit. This, however, will not be a requirement, and work experience taken outside of a two-year time frame is acceptable.
We will also allow you to evidence your insight in other ways on your Non-Academic Information Form and at interview. It is important that you are able to independently research the physician associate career path and be sure you understand the role of a physician associate.
Activities that may help with this include:
- taking part in online activities
- attending online careers talks related to healthcare
- structured online programmes
- taking part in online virtual work experience
- informal conversations with doctors and/or healthcare professionals.
Hobbies and interests
Physician associates must be able to communicate and empathise with their patients. This is enhanced by some shared life experiences.
Tell us about your interests and hobbies. Tell us why you pursue them and how much time you devote to them. Have you achieved any outside recognition (eg awards, certificates, etc)?
We are aware that some students may have more opportunities than others to pursue a wide range of interests. The concern is not so much exactly what you do in your spare time, but that you have some spare time and that you do something with it.
Team working
Physician associates work in multidisciplinary teams and it is essential that you are able to demonstrate your experience of working in teams and that you are knowledgeable about the advantages of a team approach to work and other activities.
Dealing with difficult situations
As a physician associate, you will encounter difficult situations from time to time. It is essential that you demonstrate the ability to deal with such situations appropriately when they arise.
You may use examples from your time at university, professional life, work experience, charity or volunteering activities to tell us how you managed a difficult situation. When describing the situation, you should reflect on your own and other people’s behaviour and discuss what you learnt from the experience and how this could be relevant to your work or studies as a physician associate.
Motivation for studying the Physician Associate Studies course
Your reasons for choosing to study the course may be obvious to you, but they are not obvious to us. The Admissions team has not met you and knows nothing about you, so please tell us how your personal experiences have influenced your decision to pursue a career as a physician associate.
Non-Academic Information Form link
The link to the Non-Academic Information Form will be emailed to each applicant after the 31 January UCAS application deadline using the email address supplied on your UCAS application.
The deadline for completing this document will be included in communications to all applicants. We do not accept late submissions of the Non-Academic Information Form under any circumstances.