Physician Assistance (part-time Bachelor's degree program)
Physician Assistants (Füsischiän Ässistänts) - the unknown profession in the German healthcare system
Physician Assistants, pronounced Füsischiän Ässistänts, are trained assistants who work in a medical team and take on medical tasks without having studied human medicine themselves. Physician Assistants have completed a "Physician Assistance" degree program that qualifies them specifically for this job.
The term "Physician Assistants" is somewhat bumpy for us in German. It can best be translated as medical assistant or medical assistant. The job description Physician Assistant is also often referred to as PA for short and then pronounced "Pi Äy".
Note: "PA (Pi Äy) are Physician Assistants who have studied Physician Assistance!
The degree program has existed in Germany since 2005, yet the job description is mostly unknown, as the PA profession is (still) comparatively rare compared to other professions in the healthcare sector (1). As a result, the role of the PA in the medical team is often very abstract.
Although there are a number of non-physician assistant professions in Germany, only physician assistants complete a degree program that prepares them comprehensively and precisely for their role in the medical team and for their own profession.
(1) German University Association Physician Assistance. Physician Assistants in Germany - the number is steadily increasing. Physician Assist. 2021;2(1):22-3.
Knowing full well that comparisons are not easy, we would like to draw on an established role to make it easier to imagine:
The role of Physician Assistants in medical teams can be compared to that of smart students in their practical year, so-called PJtlerInnen, or PJs for short. Why? Smart PJs are typically involved by doctors in many procedures at an appropriate point; PJs are sent to patients to take a preparatory medical history and carry out a physical examination. Doctors let PJs carry out medical tasks according to their individual level of knowledge and skills, initially under supervision, later also independently, and supervise, monitor and reflect closely.
BUT, as I said, the comparison between the two professions is only suitable to a limited extent - for two reasons:
1. for PJs, the practical year is the beginning of the last two terms, so they have already studied human medicine for 5 years by the time the practical year begins. If PAs join the medical team after graduation, they will have studied three years of Physician Assistance. The prior knowledge and experience can therefore not be identical. However, in many cases PAs have completed vocational training in a healthcare profession before starting their studies, as this is an admission requirement for the majority of universities. These PAs then bring with them several years of professional experience and thus the relevant knowledge and skills of their original professions.
2nd PJs move to the next department after four months and the next batch of PJs starts. Such a fluctuation does not apply to PAs. PAs therefore join the medical team in a similar role to PJs, but remain permanently in the respective area of deployment and can therefore develop increasing competencies in their individual field of activity and take on specific tasks in delegation for their academic training and skills. As a result, PAs work at their specific locations in a comparable way to doctors in further training (2).
(2) Kahn et al. Impact of advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners and physician assistants) on surgical residents critical care experience J Surg Res 2015; 199:7-12
Many things, and the list of healthcare professions to which this applies could be extended almost indefinitely. Playing chess is about protecting the king. In the same way, everyday life in the healthcare professions is about protecting patients and doing the best possible for their health and well-being. In many cases, the best possible can be healing, but in others it can also be alleviation; in any case, it should be the prevention of harm, primum nihil nocere.
Comparisons always have a limp leg, as does this one. On the chessboard, two equally equipped parties attack each other. But let's just leave that aspect out for the sake of understanding the analogy≠.
The aim of all the pieces in chess is to protect the king. Similarly, the healthcare professions work together to protect the patients, i.e. Mr. and Mrs. King, and to ensure their well-being.
In the game of chess, the queen offers a particularly wide range of options for movement; it can move in all directions across the board and is therefore a very decisive piece. The queen can be equated here with the medical specialist. Specialists provide the essential diagnostic and therapeutic impulses and are therefore particularly responsible for the well-being of Mr. and Mrs. König.
In addition to the specialists, the doctors in training are important components of care, similar to the bishops, who in chess can also make long moves across the entire board, even if they do not have the extensive options that a queen has.
The importance of rooks is similar, compared to health and nursing professionals for the overall picture. Rooks also have a wide range on the chessboard. In special situations where the king is in danger, during castling, they are particularly important for protecting the king. And so the care provided by the specialists in this profession is also extremely important for the health of Mr. and Mrs. King.
But that's not all, no team in the healthcare sector can function without numerous other professions, whether they are therapy professions, other assistant professions, administrative professions or the service staff who keep the wards and surgeries clean. These other professions are symbolized by the line of pawns just for the sake of maintaining the chess image in this analogy. No one will start a game of chess if these important pieces are not on the field.
And yet most teams in the German game start with the pieces described so far. They start without knights and are therefore incomplete. Jumpers are special pieces because they can take two steps forward and one step to the side. This means they can be placed in special niches to protect the king. This gives rise to the analogy with physician assistants, the studied medical assistants. They can also be placed in the niches where a team sees the need to carry out certain medical activities by delegation. Depending on the situation on the playing field, i.e. the need for medical care in their own facility, the physician assistants are deployed accordingly. One step forward and two steps to the side, a special combination.
In pneumology, they may perform pleural punctures, while in cardiac surgery they provide long-term care for patients with ventricular assist devices (artificial hearts). Physician assistants complete the team for the protection of Mr. and Mrs. König and together all those involved develop the greatest potential to achieve the best possible well-being of the patients.
With this in mind, it makes sense to start with complete teams and use all options available to provide Mr. and Mrs. König with the best possible care. This includes the use of physician assistants, who should help shape medical care in Germany. This is already a reality in many teams today.
≠ The image used here focuses on the role of physician assistants; other professions should not be pushed into the background, but are not considered further in the analogy chosen here in favor of the focus.
With us, you will study Physician Assistance in a modern hybrid structure. Your studies are organized in a block structure. Specifically, this means that your courses take place once a semester on six days (Monday morning to Saturday evening) and once a month on four days (Wednesday morning to Saturday evening) for the remaining five months of the semester. The rest of the time is available for practical transfer and time spent independently studying.
Depending on the study location, the face-to-face courses take place in Köthen or Papenburg. In addition to the face-to-face events, streaming events take place throughout Germany. Of course, networking with other fellow students is also extremely important to us, so we also train your communication, social and role skills.
This ensures optimal study conditions, maximum flexibility and the ideal combination of your personal requirements, your job and your studies.
The attendance phases take place in Köthen or Papenburg, depending on the study location.
Addresses:
Campus Köthen
Bernburger Str. 55
06366 Köthen
Campus Papenburg
Deichstraße 2
26871 Papenburg
Assignment to the respective campus takes place during the application process. Applicants are assigned to the campus closest to their address.
Frequently asked questions
Achievements from a first degree program and/or after a change of degree program or university and/or stays abroad that were completed at another university can be credited upon application after enrolment.
Non-academic achievements from further education and training can also be recognized after an individual examination.
The examinations committee of the respective Department is responsible for this in consultation with the relevant Degree Program Advisor/lecturers.
Your degree program coordinator will help you to prepare a corresponding application.
Anhalt University of Applied Sciences is a state university and is therefore a state-recognized course of study. With regard to the PA as a professional qualification, there is currently no legal recognition. As this is a new degree program at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, it is not yet accredited. The procedure was started in October 2021 and is expected to be completed in September 2023.
There are different employment models during your studies to become a Physician Assistant.
- You are employed as a PA during your studies (PA i.S.): During your studies, employment as a PA during studies (PA i.S.) is possible from the 1st semester onwards. This employment is not usually associated with a higher salary. When you start your studies, your position should be assigned directly to the medical service. The final responsibility for PA activities lies with the specialist. Supervision during training should be provided by a medical specialist. If you hold a position as a PA, your employer should contribute to the content of your training. As a PA in training, full-time employment is possible, taking lecture times into account.
- You will continue to be employed in the healthcare profession you have learned: As you will need to continuously schedule time for your job, family, studies and labs, we recommend that the university does not recommend that you exceed 55% employment in the healthcare profession you have learned. It is therefore advisable to draw up a personal time management plan in advance to ensure that the time required for your part-time studies is sufficient in addition to your professional and family commitments.
Yes, you will receive a logbook on the induction day or you can download it from the degree program website. The logbook is visually identical to the new training logbooks for doctors in further training. These are well known in the medical profession and have proven their worth.
When learning new practical skills, you will be given the best possible foundation for transferring your skills to your everyday work through classes (e.g. abdominal tomography, echocardiography), simulation training (e.g. emergency medicine), hands-on training (e.g. CVC placement, thoracic punctures) and bedside teaching (teaching at the patient's bedside).
There are various ways to do this. If you hold a position as a PA i.S., your employer should contribute to the content of your training. If you continue to work in a healthcare profession, you can also learn the activities as part of a lab. Please note that it will not be possible to learn the activities in the logbook with an internship of less than 50% of a full-time position. We therefore recommend that you do not exceed a maximum of 55% of your professional activity if you continue to work in the healthcare profession you have learned.
No. The logbook is a fixed and examination-relevant part of your studies. The logbook must be submitted to the degree program coordinator before the colloquium in semester 7. In the individual modules, time has been planned out of the learning volume for the transfer of the acquired knowledge and skills. The practical training period is measured at 1620 hours per semester over the entire duration of the course.
You should draw up a training plan together with your employer before starting your studies. These agreements should essentially state that you will be released from work or placed in another institution for activities that your employer is unable to teach you. Not learning the relevant activities is not an alternative. Most of the activities will be assessed as part of the examination results at the university. It may be possible for you and your employer to regularly swap workplaces with fellow students (e.g. GP practice and clinical care, GP and specialist practice).
You must take a final module examination in each module. In addition to traditional written examinations, this also includes oral examinations, simulations, research presentations on an assigned topic and term papers.
You can find out which type of examination you have to take in which module in Appendix 1 of the study and examination regulations, which is available to download.
The degree program concludes with a scientific paper, the so-called Bachelor's thesis, including its defense (colloquium). You will be prepared in detail for the preparation of this thesis throughout the entire course of study.
Yes, you can only be admitted to the final module examination in each module if you have not exceeded an absence rate of 20%. If the absenteeism rate is exceeded, you must repeat the module at the next possible date.
The tuition fees amount to €3,000 per semester and €45 per semester to be paid to the Studentenwerk Halle. The tuition fees can be paid in one lump sum, three installments of €1,000 each or as monthly payments of €500 each. If the employer takes over the financing of the studies, the costs can also be paid directly by him in a payment option of his choice.
Other costs associated with the course may include travel costs and accommodation costs during on-campus lectures. These are not covered by the tuition fees.
However, there are no other costs associated with the course.
The following funding options can currently be considered for support:
- Employer-supported funding
- student loan
- Education loan
- education premium
- Scholarship
- Tax deductibility for self-financing
The university offers cooperation agreements by mutual agreement for interested institutions. The institution offers the opportunity to provide students with internships, to hold classes by arrangement for a fee, or to be available for practical instruction. In return, the university grants a graduated discount on tuition fees for 2 or more students from the institution.
Are you an institution interested in a cooperation agreement? Please contact us!
Study program & course content
In the USA, the Netherlands and other European countries, the profession of physician assistant and the associated degree course have been established for several decades. The field of activity of medical assistants is becoming increasingly relevant, particularly due to demographic developments, changing clinical pictures and the shortage of specialists. In Germany, this academic profession in the healthcare sector is still relatively unknown and is developing dynamically - you can help shape it and actively contribute to the treatment of your future patients thanks to your practice-oriented studies.
Your academic training as a Physician Assistant will qualify you as an important link between all professional groups involved in patient care on the one hand and doctors on the other. With your degree, you will be able to independently carry out delegable activities that were previously reserved for licensed personnel. Of course, this requires extensive knowledge, which you will be taught in a scientific and well-founded manner throughout your studies. This will enable you to support medical teams in their work and relieve them at the same time. At the same time, the aim is to counteract the fragmentation of care and the questionable effects on patient safety and quality of care. You will be prepared to work with complex documentation and management processes as well as organizational procedures or even to help develop and refine these yourself on behalf of the medical management. Thanks to your academically acquired skills as a Physician Assistant, you will be an important member of an interprofessional team.
- Scientific and medical basics
- Hygiene and microbiology
- Medical psychology, sociology and ethics
- Professional interaction, knowledge and time management
- Legally compliant documentation, remuneration systems and e-health
- Preparatory anamnesis and examination techniques
- Specialist and case-specific action: Internal medicine
- Biochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology
- Health economics and law
- Specialist and case-specific action: Surgery
- Quality-assuring health management in institutions
- Supporting diagnostic and therapeutic skills
- Introduction to qualitative and quantitative research
- Elective modules 1
- Specialist and case-specific action: Diseases of the cardiovascular system
- Individual and interdisciplinary emergency management
- Implementation of clinical measures
- Elective module 2
- Specialist and case-specific action: Anesthesia, intensive care, pain and palliative medicine
- Specialist and case-specific action: Diseases of the nervous system
- Evidence-based action and evaluation
- Elective module 3
- Specialist and case-specific action: Diseases of the urogenital system, reproductive medicine, human genetics and obstetrics
- Specialist and case-specific work: ENT, dermatology and ophthalmology
- Bachelor's thesis and colloquium
- Geriatrics
- Pediatrics
- General medicine
- Forensic medicine
- Specialization in oncology
- Specialization in Wound Medicine
- Specialization in ultrasound medicine
- Specialization in cardiac surgery
