Becoming a Physician Assistant in Rhode Island

By Joanna Pelletier, allied health world contributing writer
Published: January, 7 2010

Rhode Island is better known for its small size, silverware, and fine jewelry but it is not as well known for the many opportunities it can provide Physician Assistants. As the site of a growing Fortune 100 company, Rhode Island is sure to attract new residents seeking jobs in the building industry. A population increase means an increase in demand for Physicians Assistants, who can expect a 39 percent increase in the number of Physician Assistant jobs in Rhode Island between now and the year 2018 (http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos081.htm#outlook). 

How to Become a Physician Assistant in Rhode Island

1. Obtain a high school diploma or GED. Students who plan to become a Physician Assistant in Rhode Island must graduate from high school or obtain a GED before they begin a PA program in Rhode Island. These students should also gain a strong background in English, psychology, sociology, history, a laboratory-based science (biology and chemistry are the most helpful classes), foreign language, and mathematics. These students should also leave high school with a strong grade point average and a formidable SAT or ACT score.
   
   
2. Pass the NCCPA's Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE). Students who want to become a Physician Assistant in Rhode Island must take The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants' PANCE exam before they can apply for State licensure. These students must have gone through an AMA and ARC-PA-accredited program before they take the exam, and pay an examination fee. PANCE measures a student's knowledge of health history taking, use of laboratory and diagnostic studies, diagnosis formulation, health maintenance, clinical intervention, pharmaceutical therapies, infectious diseases, and organ systems.
   
   
3. Apply for licensure through the Rhode Island Board of Licensure of Physician Assistants. When applicants apply for State certification, they must provide the Board with proof of graduation from an accredited program (a graduation certificate or transcript with the degree conferred), verification of their passage of PANCE or another NCCPA-approved exam, and an application fee. They may also be required to provide the State with additional documents, such as a criminal background check, proof of licensure in another State.

 Applicants who hail from other States must also provide RIBLPA with a letter from their home state's board of physician assistant examiners stating that they are licensed in that State, and that they are of good moral character.  This is a requirement of all non-residents interested in Physician Assistant jobs in Rhode Island