PA - Physician Assistant

Physician assistants practice medicine in teams with physicians, surgeons and other healthcare workers. A Master’s of Science in Physician Assistant is the entry-level degree for the profession.

Eligibility

• Complete a program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) or its predecessors

• Earn a minimum grade point average of 2.8 or higher

• Fulfill prerequisites in biology, chemistry, psychology, statistics or biostatistics, and medical terminology

• Obtain practical experience and work in jobs such as an emergency medical technician, a medical assistant, a paramedic or a registered nurse

Completion Time: It takes up to four years to earn the prerequisite bachelor’s degree to enter a PA master’s program. Physician Assistant programs take 25 months to complete.

Cost:

•  $70,000-$90,000 plus the cost of obtaining a bachelor's degree before admission to PA school

• PANCE examination $550

Coursework consists of classroom, laboratory and clinical components. Some classwork is done online at some institutions.

First-year graduate studies include:

• Anatomy

• Nutrition

• Microbiology

• Pharmacology

• Physiology

Second-year studies include additional clinical hours. Areas of study include:

• Emergency medicine

• Family medicine

• Internal medicine

• Obstetrics and Gynecology

• Pediatrics

• Psychiatry

Certification Steps

• Submit an PANCE application to NCCPA with a $550 payment.

• Provide required supporting documents

• Schedule the examination within 180 days

• Take the PANCE examination

  • PANCE is a five-hour exam with 300 multiple-choice questions 

  • Each block consists of 60 questions and takes 60 minutes 

  • There are 45 minutes for breaks between blocks

  • The PANCE tutorial takes 15 minutes

Related certifications include:

• Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C)

• Certificate of Added Qualifications in Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery (CAQ-CVTS)

• Certificate of Added Qualifications in Dermatology (CAQ-Derm)

• Certificate of Added Qualifications in Emergency Medicine (CAQ-EM)

• Certificate of Added Qualifications in Hospital Medicine (CAQ-HM)

• Certificate of Added Qualifications in Nephrology (CAQ-Neph)

• Obstetrics and Gynecology CAQ (Coming in 2024)

• Occupational Medicine CAQ (Coming in 2025)

• Certificate of Added Qualifications in Orthopaedic Surgery (CAQ-OS)

• Certificate of Added Qualifications in Pediatrics (CAQ-Peds)

• Certificate of Added Qualifications in Psychiatry (CAQ-Psy)

• Certificate of Added Qualifications in Palliative Medicine and Hospice Care (CAQ-PMHC)

Related careers include:

• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)

• Medical Doctor (MD)

• Doctor of Osteopathy (DO)

• Naturopathic Physician (ND)