Program Overview

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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 will explore topics relating to FCP practice including communication strategies, screening for sinister pathology, integration of the wider determinants of health, operational issues and 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 eg 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 one's own professional practice

Sport scholarships

Our Performance Sport Scholarship programme has been created for talented athletes playing at regional, national or international level, and offers a range of benefits. We want students competing in our focus sports (basketball, volleyball, tennis, football and rugby 7s), as well as other team sports and individual athletes, to contribute to our performance sport programme. Our scholarships can include fee discounts of up to 100%, offered to athletes who demonstrate sporting excellence. Athletes who are awarded the scholarship will receive a host of other benefits, including free kit, access to state-of-the-art facilities, performance coaching, the option to live in our Athlete Village (accommodation fees may vary) and a support package valued up to £1,500. These benefits are designed to help athletes focus on their training, and development, and to enable them to reach their full potential alongside their studies.

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Professional accreditation

Accredited by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). Why we're great.

• Teaching and assessment focuses on enabling high-quality patient-centred musculoskeletal care
• Tutors provide excellent support to help you achieve academic, professional and clinical requirements
• The course structure and organisation are designed to minimise barriers to learning; you do not need to travel to campus and study leave requirements are limited

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Our expert staff

We have a range of University of Essex staff and external expert specialists who work with us. This pathway is supported by clinicians including FCPs and other experts, eg rheumatologist.

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Specialist facilities

This course does not require attendance at the University of Essex but you will have access to facilities including online resources, such as the library and a digital learning environment.

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Your future

This course will enable you, as a clinician, to gain academic recognition for your FCP education. It is suitable for clinicians employed as FCPs and for those intending to apply for this role, please be aware that the full pathway requires clinical supervision in musculoskeletal primary care.