Physician Assistant Program in Pennsylvania - PA

The education provided through physician assistant programs in Pennsylvania culminates with a certification exam called the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE), which is administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).  Generally, PA students take the exam during the final 90 days of their graduate education.  They must pass the exam in order to be a licensed PA in the state of Philadelphia.  Test takers have three chances to pass the exam in a single year, and may not take it more than once in a single 90 day period.  The exam is taken on a computer at one of the ten testing centers located in Pennsylvania.  There are two main portions to the exam: (i) knowledge of diseases and disorders associated with various organs and systems in the human body and (ii) proper skills and knowledge a PA should exhibit while treating patients.

Continuing Education and licensure Renewal for Pennsylvania Physician Assistants

The renewal fee for physician assistants in Pennsylvania is $40, and must be paid by December 31st of every even numbered year.  In Pennsylvania, physician assistants are required to complete Category 1 or Category 2 continuing medical education credits defined by the American Medical Association (AMA).   You must document all Category 2 education credits provided through physician assistant programs in Pennsylvania on a form that can be downloaded at the Board’s website.  PAs must also present certificates for any Category 1 education credits to the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine. More information about continuing medical education credits for PAs can be found at the AMA’s website.