First Contact Musculoskeletal Practice

Entry requirements

We will consider all applicants with 2:2 or above, or equivalent international qualifications. For some courses, there may be additional requirements which can be found on our website.

Months of entry

October

Course content

Our Postgraduate Certificate First Contact Musculoskeletal Practice course enables experienced musculoskeletal clinicians to gain academic recognition for their First Contact Practitioner training. The content of this course has been aligned with guidance from all national and professional groups involved in the development and delivery of this role.

The first module, First Contact Musculoskeletal Practice, has been designed to map to Stage 1 requirements of Health Education England's 'Roadmap to Practice', and the second module, Evaluation of Clinical Practice for First Contact Musculoskeletal Practitioners, evidences the Stage 2 clinical competencies. You explore topics relating to FCP practice, including:

• communication strategies
• screening for sinister pathology
• integration of the wider determinants of health
• operational issues
• professional accountability

A clinical mentor is required to support your clinical learning, but this mentor does not need to be 'Roadmap trained'.

Completing this course will enable you to demonstrate:

• advanced understanding of key concepts related to advanced musculoskeletal practice in primary care
• knowledge of how to assess complex health needs in the primary care environment (musculoskeletal presentations), diagnose, prescribe, and provide individualised care
• knowledge of the relationships between diseases and the wider determinants of health, e.g. psycho-social theories and individuals' responses to health and illness
• knowledge of how to critically appraise research findings and apply research evidence to question routine practice, including relevant ethical and legal issues
• advanced ability to reflect upon your own professional practice

Professional accreditation

Accredited by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).

Information for international students

Entry requirements: You can find international entry requirements for most countries on our international students webpage. If your country is not listed, please contact Postgraduate Admissions at pgadmit@essex.ac.uk.

Pre-sessional English Language courses: If you need to improve your English language skills before joining your main degree course, we offer pre-sessional English courses on our campuses in partnership with Kaplan International Pathways.

Fees and funding

There are a wide range of funding options for postgraduate study, including scholarships, bursaries and alumni discounts. You can check your eligibility on our fees and funding webpage.