Physician Assistant
(PANCE) Content
- History Taking and Performing Physical Examinations (16%) - using Laboratory and Diagnostic Studies (14%) - Formulating most likely diagnosis (18%) - Health Maintenance (10%) - Clinical Intervention (14%) - Pharmaceutical Therapeutics (18%) - Applying Basic Science Concepts (10%)
Physical Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE)
- NCCPA - National Commission of Physician Assistants - Earn Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C) - 300 Questions (5 blocks)
Practice Settings
- Office of Physicians (56%) - Hospitals (23%) - Outpatient Care Centers (8%) - Educational Services (3%) - Employment Services (3%) - Other (7%)
Continuing Education
- Recertification exam every 10 years - Earn 100 CME (Continuing Medical Education) credits - Recertification fee to NCCPA - Every 2 years
Pre-requisite Requirements
Bachelor's Degree Course Requirements - Biology - Microbiology - Anatomy and Physiology - General/Inorganic Chemistry - Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry - Physics - Math - Statistics, Calculus - Requirements Vary
Curriculum Requirements
Clinical Rotations - Family Medicine - Internal Medicine - Obstetrics and Gynecology - Pediatrics - General Surgery - Emergency Medicine - Psychiatry - Orthopedics -Other
Curriculum Requirements
Course Content Requirements - Anatomy and physiology - Biochemistry - Microbiology - Pharmacology - Pathophysiology - Physical Diagnosis - Clinical Laboratory Science - Behavioral Science
Physician Assistant
Position Description - Provide many of the same services as physicians - Examine patients - Prescribe medication - Order Diagnostic Tests - Often work under the supervision of a physician or surgeon Duties Include: - Stitching wounds - Setting bones - Administering immunizations - Maintaining patient records
Physician Assistant Education
Postgraduate coursework - Master's Degree - 2-3 years full-time Program must have ARC-PA Accreditation - Accreditation Review - Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant - Pass the certification exam