Mobashar
Master of Physician Associate Studies (MPAS)
Mobashar graduated in October 2019, from the second cohort of physician associate students to graduate from Bradford.
He's from Bradford, and studied his undergraduate degree in Audiology at De Montford University, Leicester.
Interested in
Master of Physician Associate Studies?
A proud Bradfordian
"I'm a proud Bradfordian; a Yorkshireman with a Kashmiri heritage hailing from the district of Mirpur.
"My family is multilingual and like much of the British Kashmiris Diaspora, speaks Pahari. Pahari is arguably the second most common mother tongue in the UK, and yet little is known about it by those who do not speak it.
My role as a physician associate
"The role of the physician associate can be described as a supportive role.
"We support doctors in the diagnosis and management of patients. For example, in primary care (GP practice) I am involved in diagnosing my patients, examining them and providing a management plan.
"I am trained and qualified to run my own clinics but work under the supervision of a doctor. It is vital to appreciate that this relatively new medical profession actually compliments the doctor's role, and does not exist to replace it."
Improving people's lives
"At the risk of sounding like a big cliché, I decided to study the course because I have always had an interest in improving people's lives and making a difference.
"My background is as an audiologist, which I did for four years. I was therefore already helping patients by improving their hearing and balance.
"However, I felt I needed the medical knowledge to expand my horizons and help my patients in other aspects of their lives too."
This course was an exciting opportunity to become a qualified physician associate - an innovative role in a profession that's at the forefront of change in the UK.
Mobashar Rashid
A successful and innovative programme
"There are many things that are great about the course.
"The staff are an amazing and diverse group of professionals. The course lead has an array of experience both in healthcare and academia and has helped make this physician associate course a successful and innovative programme.
"The team of lecturers also includes several doctors and pharmacists, and the course boasts its own qualified physician associate whose experience and expertise have helped shape the course and provided us with vital insight on how to prepare for exams and what the expectations of the physician associate role are.
"I loved how we all ended up becoming so close throughout the two years - it was like my very own physician associate family.
"We supported each other and boosted each other's morale, and this wasn't just the cohort, the staff were part of this "family" and we worked together as a unit to succeed."
The staff have real charisma and a great depth of knowledge. Most importantly, they have the experience to help you get on your way to becoming not just a physician associate, but a very good physician associate.
Mobashar Rashid
My first job as a physician associate
"Studying the course at Bradford has helped me get my first job as a physician associate.
"I had my placement at a GP practice which was organised by the University. My placement supervisor at the GP practice highlighted that they liked my approach to patients and my charisma during placement.
"The University was contacted for references and I eventually landed a job.
"As a physician associate, I am seeing patients with acute and long-term conditions.
"The practice I work for is really supportive and is a part of the physician associate preceptorship training programme. This enables newly-qualified physician associates to receive training for two years to support their learning.
"I'm also involved in teaching medical students at our practice, and I have students sit in to shadow my clinics.
"The world is our oyster as a physician associate.
"It's a relatively new profession and you can eventually move on to specialising in a chosen field such as musculoskeletal clinics, supervising students on placement, or becoming a lecturer.
"There is literally all sorts you can do!"
A positive impact
"I believe physician associates are already having a positive impact on Bingley Medical Practice, where I am working.
"They have employed two physician associates, and have noticed a drop in waiting times and an increase in productivity. The Practice really sees the benefits of having us there.
"Our role is a complementary role to the doctor's role, and in the near future, we should see the UK reaping the benefits of having physician associates as part of the multidisciplinary team.
"If you decide to study the physician associate course, be prepared to dedicate the next two years to it.
"It will be intense, so make sure you manage your time efficiently.
"It's a fun and exciting rollercoaster, but resilience is so important!"
I believe the physician associate role will help improve our healthcare system. It can provide the support which is needed in a system that has ever more demands on it.
Mobashar Rashid