How to become a student AA  

Qualifying as an AA requires successful completion of an AA training programme. Because AA training is largely clinical, rather than a direct application to the university, applicants are required to obtain a student AA role within a trust/board that has secured training places for AAs.   

On successful application, the student AA will be assigned to a university (currently there are three offering AA courses) while continuing to work within the trust. The training course of two years is designed alongside the curriculum, developed by the RCoA in close collaboration with the GMC.

NHS Jobs holds vacancies for AAs, but not every trust/board lists its vacancies in the same way and there are also variations in the job title.

After successful completion of the AA training programme, qualified AAs are encouraged to register and add their names on the AA Managed Voluntary Register (MVR), currently held with the RCoA. 

Training and education 

Entry requirements: 

• Graduates with a biomedical science or biological/life science 2:1 honour degree. 
• Registered healthcare professionals (examples are nurses or operating department practitioners) with at least three years clinical experience. 

Overseas candidates: 

Currently there is no process for overseas practitioners who wish to work as an AA in the UK, and therefore candidates should refer to the universities providing the course. When regulation has commenced and the AA registration assessment (AARA) has been established, the GMC will open a process for overseas practitioners in anaesthesia to apply to work as AAs. The process for registering overseas practitioners is currently in development but it is expected that practitioners will need to provide evidence of an acceptable qualification and then pass the AARA. 

AA Curriculum

The RCoA worked in close collaboration with the General Medical Council (GMC) and others to develop a new Anaesthesia Associates Curriculum, which is aligned to the GMC’s Physicians Associate and Anaesthesia Associate Generic & Shared Learning Outcomes and the professional standards in Good Medical Practice.

Following a GMC consultation in 2021 and recommendation from an independent panel of GMC Associates in 2022, the RCoA published the draft curriculum which course providers can use in developing their courses. 

This is the version we intend to submit to the GMC’s curricula approval processes when it becomes the regulator of AAs. Until then, the GMC cannot legally approve the curriculum and as such, there remains the possibility of further changes before that point.

In particular, please note that the draft curriculum includes elements that extend beyond the 2016 scope of practice for AAs upon qualification and therefore should not be performed in practice at the current time. Specifically, this applies to simple peripheral blocks and spinal anaesthesia. Please see our latest guidance to clinical leaders for more information about the College’s requested pause in enhanced roles for AAs.

Course Information 

Successful graduation requires passing assessments consisting of both applied written knowledge tests and an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Only after this are practitioners a qualified AA and able to add their name to the Managed Voluntary Register. The RCoA, alongside the University of Birmingham, Lancaster University Medical School, University College London, have a duty to ensure that the relevant standards are upheld to ensure highly skilled and safe to practice graduates. 

There are three course providers for the AA training programme. However, please note that as of February 2024, the College requested that clinical leaders pause recruitment of new student AAs while we undertake further research on the impact of the AA role. The duration of the pause will be at least until regulation of AAs begins and the scope of practice beyond qualification has been developed.

University of Birmingham

The postgraduate diploma which all qualified AAs hold is studied over 24 months with an additional three-month probationary period served in clinical practice to conclude training. The course comprises 12 two-month teaching blocks within four modules, which introduce trainee AAs to the clinical practice of anaesthesia, applied physics, the anaesthetic machine, and monitoring principles. In later modules trainees study anatomy and physiology related to anaesthesia and surgery. 

The final assessments are based on the management of life-threatening emergencies and advanced practice. Weekly teaching and tutorials are delivered by a consultant anaesthetist through the university e-learning interface. A typical week may consist of a tutorial, two to four days in clinical practice and the rest involving clinical skills training and self-directed study. The standards of training are high and demanding on individuals to ensure a high calibre of competent AA graduates. More details can be found at University of Birmingham website. 

• University College London (UCL) 

The UCL Anaesthesia and Perioperative Science course prepares students for clinical practice with a 24-month Master's degree (MSc), incorporating all the necessary academic and professional qualities needed for the AA role. Blending online learning with practical experience in the clinical environment, high-fidelity simulations, tutorial groups and teaching by a faculty of experts, the MSc puts a strong emphasis on applied science and rigorous training.

Clinical placements occur in University College London Hospitals (or selected partners), whilst the academic training benefits from the extensive student resources offered by UCL. As part of the programme, students are supported to complete a research project or structured quality improvement initiative, including learning how to use data and evidence synthesis to improve an area of clinical practice. The MSc benefits from expert mentorship and innovative learning methods. Funding and bursaries are available, depending upon set criteria. More information can be found at the University College London website.  

• Lancaster University Medical School   

Lancaster University Medical School’s new postgraduate diploma in anaesthesia and perioperative sciences commenced in March 2023. It runs over two years and offers a blend of in-person learning on the University campus (e.g., simulation, clinical skills, keynote lectures), online resources (e.g., lectures, virtual anatomy, online simulation), and ‘flipped classroom’ learning in the clinical workplace. The four taught modules cover the fundamentals of operating theatre practice, anatomy and physiology, applied pharmacology and therapeutics, and safety, quality and population health. The fifth module is achieved through completion of the workplace-based assessments specified in the AA Curriculum.

A typical week consists of three days in clinical practice, half a day of self-directed study using online resources, and a half-day tutorial. Assessments will comprise single best answer questions, reflective case reports, and workplace-based assessments (e.g., of practical skills). More details can be found via the Lancaster Medical School Postgraduate Study website.   

Please note that all guidance on this page is subject to change and may be updated and refreshed to align with the changing nature of the Medical Associate Professions programme.