This is part seven of a nine-part series by documentary filmmaker Adam Halbur on the PA model around the world. Today we take a fascinating look into the real-life of South Africa’s pioneering PA-like clinical associates. South Africa’s Clinical Associate (Clin-A) Starting with programs at Walter Sisulu University and the University of Pretoria (2008) and […]
Mastering Your PA School Interview: Tone Matters
In your PA school interview, there will inevitably be answers that tempt you to go negative. Don’t do it! Resist the urge to throw someone under the bus – no matter how much they may deserve it. There will be several questions where you’ll be inclined to be pessimistic. Describe a situation where your work […]
Trials and Tribulations of the Liberian Physician Assistant
This is part five of a nine-part series by documentary filmmaker Adam Halbur on the PA model around the world. As God Would Have It When I visited in 2017, Liberia was celebrating 150 years since its founding by Christian American slaves in 1867. It is the only country in the world that has had […]
Podcast Episode 75: Ten FREE PANCE and PANRE Audio Board Review Questions
Welcome to episode 75 of the Audio PANCE and PANRE PA Board Review Podcast. Join me as I cover ten PANCE and PANRE Board review questions from the SMARTYPANCE course content following the NCCPA™ content blueprint (download the FREE cheat sheet). This week we will be covering ten general board review questions based on the NCCPA PANCE and […]
Meet The PA Pioneers of Israel: The Israeli Physician Assistant
This is part four of a nine-part miniseries by documentary filmmaker Adam Halbur on the PA model around the world. The Test: PAs for Israel Israel, the only Middle East country other than Saudi Arabia to attempt a physician assistant program, graduated its first trial cadre in 2017, retrained emergency medical technicians to fill shortages […]
Why We Really Need PAs in the UK: The British Physician Associate
Welcome to part three of this nine-part miniseries by documentary filmmaker Adam Halbur on the PA model around the world. Growing the Physician Associate in the UK In the United Kingdom, PA stands for physician associate. “This is a moniker with a more exacting ring,” according to Jeannie Watkins, then clinical placement lead in the […]
PAs in the Netherlands: The Dutch Physician Assistant
Welcome to part two of this powerful nine-part miniseries by documentary filmmaker Adam Halbur on the physician assistant model around the world. The Advent of the Dutch Physician Assistant I met Quinten van den Driesschen, a pioneering Dutch physician assistant, at AAPA in Las Vegas, about which he quipped, “In the Netherlands, we say, ‘A […]
American Cheese: The Origin of the U.S. Physician Assistant
This is part one of a nine-part series by documentary filmmaker Adam Halbur on the physician assistant model around the world. What do American Cheese and PAs Have in Common? U.S. Patent 2759308, for the first American processed cheese wrapper, was submitted in 1956, and individually sheathed slices of imitation dairy started rolling out. At […]
Podcast Episode 73: Ten FREE PANCE and PANRE Audio Board Review Questions
Welcome to episode 73 of the Audio PANCE and PANRE PA Board Review Podcast. Join me as I cover ten PANCE and PANRE Board review questions from the SMARTYPANCE course content following the NCCPA™ content blueprint (download the FREE cheat sheet). This week we will be covering ten general board review questions based on the NCCPA PANCE and […]
101 PA School Applicants Answer: What’s Your Greatest Strength?
What are your greatest strengths as a PA school applicant? What separates you from the pack? It’s a common PA school interview question, and it’s also an important step in outlining your PA school personal statement. After all, if you don’t tell the admissions team what makes you special, how will they ever know? Being […]
The Interview That Got This Pre-PA Into 5 PA Schools
The Mock PA School Interview That Got This Pre-Physician Assistant Into 5 PA Schools Have you been asking yourself the same question a Tolu? How do you prepare answers for your PA school interview without sounding rehearsed? How do you effectively talk about your weaknesses, or discuss your strengths without sounding like a braggart? Just […]
7 Questions to Ask Yourself While Writing Your PA School Personal Statement
Here are seven questions that you should ask yourself (and answer) while writing your PA school personal essay + FREE worksheet 1. What are you passionate about? You should be able to answer this question and if you’re not sure what you’re passionate about start thinking about it and make a list right now. Start […]
As Good As You Can: The PA Model Around the World Part One
Welcome to part one of this powerful nine-part miniseries detailing filmmaker Adam Halbur’s spectacular new documentary film about the PA model around the world. Make sure to sign up below to receive all the posts in this series. Documenting The PA Model Around the World Adam Halbur is a filmmaker and poet who went […]
Podcast Episode 71: Ten PANCE and PANRE Board Review Audio Questions
The Audio PANCE and PANRE Physician Assistant Board Review Podcast Welcome to episode 71 of the Audio PANCE and PANRE PA Board Review Podcast. Join me as I cover ten PANCE and PANRE Board review questions from the SMARTYPANCE course content following the NCCPA™ content blueprint (download the FREE cheat sheet). This week we will be […]
Top 5 Reasons NOT to Become a Physician Assistant
Here are the Top 5 Reasons NOT to Become a Physician Assistant (PA) 1. You are becoming a PA because it’s (enter your reason here) than becoming a doctor Examples include: It’s easier than becoming a doctor It’s more convenient than becoming a doctor It’s more practical than becoming a doctor It’s my backup plan […]
5 PA School Essays That Got These Pre-PAs Accepted Into PA School
Ever wonder what PA school admissions directors are really looking for in a winning PA school essay? Have you been searching the internet and physician assistant forums for samples of PA school applicant essays for reference? Have you ever thought that your personal statement might be a bit, well, boring? We’ve got your back. In […]
4 Skills Pre-PAs Must Develop Before PA School
It’s no secret that getting into PA school requires a lot of hard work and planning. It’s easy to become so overwhelmed by what you need to do to get into PA school that you lose sight of what you can be doing right now to prepare in advance for the rigors of being a physician […]
Podcast Episode 69: Ten PANCE and PANRE Board Review Audio Questions
The Audio PANCE/PANRE Board Review Exam Questions Welcome to episode 69 of the Audio PANCE and PANRE PA Board Review Podcast. Join me as I cover ten PANCE and PANRE Board review questions from the SMARTYPANCE course content following the NCCPA™ content blueprint (download the FREE cheat sheet). This week we will be covering ten general board […]
10 Questions Every PA School Personal Statement Must Answer
There’s no one right way to craft your PA personal statement. In fact, it should be as individual as you are. However, there are basic things to include, that together, answer the question: “Why do you want to be a PA?” Here are 10 questions every PA personal statement needs to answer What brings you […]
Physician Assistant Salary by State: 2019 Comparison Table
Click here to view the table. What capital city should you move to if you want the highest median Physician Assistant salary in the United States? I will give you a hint, this city has banned “happy hour” since 1984. What capital city should you move to if you want the lowest median physician assistant salary […]
The GRE and PA School: The Pre-PA Advisor Series
The Pre-PA Advisor Series Welcome to the PA Advisors Series – a special series of posts where PA school applicants like yourself ask the tough questions and admissions directors from top-ranking PA schools provide the answers. This post is also included as part five of our five-part series “The 5 steps to PA school.” Today We […]
Overview of the PANCE, PANRE and Pilot Alternative Blueprints
New 2019 PANCE, PANRE and Pilot Alternative to PANRE blueprints. With a look at the new PANRE three-tier assessment system.
Infographic: Countries Where Physician Assistants Work
International Physician Assistants (PAs), Physician Associates, and Advanced Care Providers Infographic demonstrating the international development of the physician assistant profession. A graphical comparison of the countries where PAs can work, train, and practice around the globe. Including country-specific title, United States PA practice authority in that country, PA salary, number of physician assistants or physician […]
10 Reasons Why Physician Assistant is the #2 Healthcare Job in 2023
Have you seen the big news? With a score of 8.3 out of ten, physician assistants sit at the top of the list as the number two healthcare job in America in 2023 and #4 of 100 top US jobs overall. Who’s number one? Hint: it’s a close relative to the PA profession. Click the […]
Podcast Episode 67: Ten PANCE and PANRE Board Review Audio Questions
The Audio PANCE/PANRE – Ten PA Board Review Exam Questions Welcome to episode 67 of the Audio PANCE and PANRE PA Board Review Podcast. Join me as I cover ten PANCE and PANRE Board review questions from the SMARTYPANCE course content following the NCCPA™ content blueprint (download the FREE cheat sheet). This week we will be covering ten general […]
Where PAs and Physician Associates Can Work Internationally
The contemporary physician assistant/associate (PA) movement began in North America and Africa in the mid-1960s. As of 2022, the adoption of PAs has spread globally across a variety of health systems and at least sixteen countries have been in various stages of expansion of PA-like medical workers (nonphysician clinicians) that function under the supervision of a […]
Why Are So Many Women Becoming PAs? Here’s One Man’s Answer
Although the physician assistant profession began as a male-dominated workforce, women now comprise over 72 percent of physician assistants (PAs) in the United States. In fact, in the 51 short years since our careers’ inception, it was only the first 20 that saw a male-led majority. In 1972, five years after the inaugural class of PAs […]
How Many PANCE and PANRE Practice Exams Should You Take?
Along with practice questions, taking full-length PANCE and PANRE practice tests is an indispensable part of preparing for the PANCE and PANRE. How many full-length mock exams should you take, though? And how often? Let’s use a sports analogy to shed some light on these important questions. What Sports Teams Can Teach Us About PANCE and PANRE […]
The Top 5 Reasons People Choose to Become a PA: Put To The Test
What are the most important considerations for a career path after PA school for PA students and future PAs? Here are the top 5 reasons PA students give for choosing PA school Work-life balance Availability of jobs Stable, secure future Ability to pay off debt Relationship with supervising physician For those answering the most recent Physician […]
Podcast Episode 65: Hepatitis B Breakdown With Joe Gilboy PA-C
The Audio PANCE/PANRE – The ABC’s of Hepatitis + The Hepatitis B Breakdown Welcome to episode 65 of the Audio PANCE and PANRE PA Board Review Podcast. In today’s episode, I welcome my friend, exclusive smartypance lecturer, and PA board review extraordinaire Joe Gilboy PA-C who will be breaking down Hepatitis B as you’ve never seen […]