FAQs about careers in the medical associate professions
This page has some frequently asked questions about the medical associate professions.
- What are the three medical associate professions?
- Are the MAPs regulated? If so, who by?
- What are the most common NHS terms and conditions (Agenda for Change) pay bands for staff entering a role as one of the MAPs?
- Can I progress from another healthcare profession to being a medical associate professional?
- Where can I find details of approved physician associate studies courses?
What are the three medical associate professions?
The three medical associate professions are:
- Physician associates
- Surgical care practitioners
- Anaesthesia associate (previously known as physician assistants (anaesthesia))
Are the MAPs regulated? If so, who by?
Voluntary registers currently exist for:
- physician associates – held on the Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR)
- anaesthesia associates held by the Association of Anaesthetic Associates
There are plans for the General Medical Council (GMC) to hold statutory registers for these two professions from some time in 2023.
Healthcare professionals working as surgical care practitioners will usually need to maintain their professional registration too (eg as a registered nurse with the NMC, ODP with the HCPC)
What are the most common NHS terms and conditions (Agenda for Change) pay bands for staff entering a role as one of the MAPs?
Physician associates usually start on AfC band 7 although can train through an internship on band 6
Surgical care practitioners and anaesthesia associates are likely to be AfC band 6 while training, then band 7 once they have finished their training.
Can I progress from another healthcare profession to being a medical associate professional?
Yes, it depends on the role you are interested in, but is certainly possible if you have the right qualifications and background. As an example, read about Sara who went from being a nurse to a surgical care practitioner. You can also read about Antoinette who was a nurse and now works as an anaesthesia associate.
Where can I find details of approved physician associate studies courses?
You can find details of approved physician associate studies course on our course finder