Ten Mixed NCCPA™ PANCE Content Blueprint Multiple Choice Questions Welcome to episode 61 of the FREE Audio PANCE and PANRE Physician Assistant 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 […]
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The Ultimate PA School Personal Statement Starter Kit
If you are struggling to write your PA school personal narrative, then this message is for you. Here’s why . . . PA school admissions teams have an uncanny ability (honed on the job) to detect when an applicant’s essay rings false. And you need to realize that there is a cost to writing a […]
The #1 Mistake PRE-PAs Make on Their Personal Statement
What’s the #1 mistake that potential PAs and pre-physician assistant students make while drafting their PA school personal statement? A failure to outline and plan! Outlining your personal statement is like following a proven recipe. Although strong personal statements do not all follow the same format (nor should they), there is a certain formula for success that will […]
2019 NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint Updates
Did you know that the NCCPA has updated the PANCE Content Blueprint for 2019? With the update came some changes both to my SMARTYPANCE Board Review Website and your board review checklist which I will be discussing here in detail. NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint 2019 vs. 2018 The Big Changes The biggest change comes in […]
The Perfect PA Program Picker: PA School Search, Sort, Match, and Apply
PA School Admissions and Requirements Table Search and sort through all accredited and developing PA school programs by healthcare experience, resident and non-resident PA school tuition, PA program duration, GRE requirements, overall GPA, prerequisite GPA, and science GPA requirements. Search by PA program accreditation status, CASPA participation, PA school class size, five-year PANCE pass rates, […]
How to Pay for Medical Mission Trips as a Broke Pre-PA
I have always found the dichotomy of time and money interesting. Either you have all the time in the world to do things like when you’re a student and have summer break, or you’re working and have a paycheck but no longer have the time to take off. If you’re the former and are interested in […]
The 10 Best Websites for Physician Assistant Job Search in 2026
If you’re a physician assistant/associate looking for a new job in 2026, you’re in luck — and I mean really in luck. The PA job market is absolutely booming. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 20% employment growth for PAs from 2024 to 2034 (much faster than the average for all occupations). U.S. News ranked PAs among the best […]
Welcome to Your Virtual PA School Clinical Rotation
What if you could take a virtual tour through the NCCPA Content Blueprint? Not just mindless memorization of key terms and test-worthy pearls but matching those facts with faces. What if you could go bedside and visit patients with real conditions, even rare conditions from the comfort of your home? What if each of these […]
Book Review: Atul Gawande The Checklist Manifesto
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right in a World of Increasing Complexity e live in an era of gratuitous inventions and negative improvements. Consider the DaVinci Robo surgeon, for example, a drool-inducing twenty-second-century $1.7 million remote-controlled machine designed to help surgeons do laparoscopic surgery with more maneuverability inside patients’ bodies and fewer complications. […]
Physician Assistant: Resume, CV, and Cover Letter Editing and Revision
Our resume/CV revision and editing services are specific to practicing PAs, PA students, and Pre-PAs We will help you create a winning resume/CV tailored to the needs of pre-PAs, PA students, and practicing PAs. If you are a practicing physician assistant/associate, a PA student finishing clinical rotations, or a Pre-PA making your way through the […]
Physician Assistant State Licensing: Everything you Need to Know
As a freshly minted new graduate PA there are four steps you have to complete to move successfully from program to practice: Become nationally certified (by the NCCPA via the PANCE) Obtain a state license in the state you wish to practice Obtain an NPI number Obtain a federal DEA number As a practicing PA, you must […]
Infographic: PA VS MD Understanding the Differences
PA VS MD Comparison: GPA, MCAT, GRE scores, prerequisite coursework, clinical experience, years of training and time in school, job duties, cost of education, average salary, job satisfaction, divorce and burnout rates all compiled into this (very shareable) image
PA School Ranking by PANCE Pass Rates
ince 1998 US News has been publishing the only known ranking of PA programs. Their rankings are based on subjective peer assessment surveys of PA program faculty. These peer assessment surveys are sent to deans, other administrators, and faculty at accredited physician assistant programs. Respondents rate the academic quality of physician assistant programs on a scale of […]
Physician Assistant Postgraduate Residency and Fellowship Programs: The Ultimate Guide
Postgraduate PA School Residency and Fellowship Programs As a new or even experienced PA, it is normal to feel uncomfortable with the thought of jumping into a medical specialty. Often, we have had little more than 30 days of training in a particular field, and we join a team of specialists who may expect us […]
The Ultimate Physician Assistant Shopping and Gift Guide
Are you looking for the perfect gift for that special PA, PA student, or soon to be physician assistant in your life? Look no further below are my favorite, time tested, and PA approved products.
Your Main Goal on Your Path to PA Shouldn’t be Immediate Success or Money, But to Learn as Much as Possible
Your primary goal as a new physician assistant or as someone hoping to become one should not be immediate success or money, but to learn as much as possible. When people look for a “way in” to a particular field – an internship or first job – they often search for positions that promise the […]
The PA History Quiz: I Scored a 3 Out of 25, How About You?
View Poll And the answer is . . . You will have to take the quiz below to find out! “Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past.” I wish the title of this blog post were an attention grabbing exaggeration, but sadly it is true, I scored a 3 out of 25 […]
A Surgeon Speaks: 7 Reasons Why You Should Choose PA Over MD
I am a fellowship-trained surgeon. Besides the financial aspect, the following 7 points will make your decision of PA vs. MD easy: 1. It takes on an average at least 15 years (after high school) of head in the sand (books) to complete fellowship and reach the $200,000 debt figure that you are quoting. 2. […]
The Audio PANCE and PANRE Board Review Podcast Episode 21
Welcome to episode 21 of the FREE Audio PANCE and PANRE Physician Assistant Board Review Podcast. The Audio PANCE and PANRE is an audio board review series that includes 10 Multiple Choice PANCE and PANRE Board Review Questions in each episode. I hope you enjoy this free audio component to the examination portion of this site. The […]
PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 4, “I Have Gained so Much Experience by Working With Patients”
In this fourth installment of our special week-long personal statement workshop, we continue to pull essays submitted from the comments section through our free essay submission process and provide you, and our users, with a more detailed analysis of their essays. This fourth submission is by Parn, who immigrated to the United States from Iran at […]
Prerequisite Coursework: How to Design the Perfect Pre-PA School Curriculum
* To compare top ranking PA schools and download your FREE PA School Prerequisite Worksheet click here This post is part of my 5 steps to PA school series to go from zero to PA school hero: Complete the necessary prerequisite coursework Obtain the required medical and hands-on patient care experience Successfully prepare for and take the GRE (or avoid […]
2015 Physician Assistant Program Tuition and Cost Comparison Table
Updated 2015 Physician Assistant Program tuition and cost comparison table. Tuition and cost data for resident and nonresident tuition including length/duration of the PA program. Based on this 2015 data table: Average cost of resident tuition for a two-year physician assistant program is: $65,564 Average cost of non-resident tuition for a two-year physician assistant program is: $76,134 *For […]
Physician Assistant Programs Offering Part-Time Options
Are you looking to be a PA on the DL? While updating the PA Schoolfinder Physician Assistant Program Database, I was surprised to learn that there are only three Physician Assistant Programs in the United States offering part-time options. Physician Assistant Programs Offering Part-Time Options Rutgers University Physician Assistant Program – New Jersey University of Detroit […]
My PA School Rejection Letters – How to Turn Your “Set Back” into a “Set Up”
If I fail more often than you, I win! I have written before about the importance of becoming an epic failure and how this is a fundamental part of becoming an epic success. I was cleaning out some of my old file cabinets today and came across my PA school application documents from 2001. I will be […]
MD Versus PA Showdown Round 1 – Show Me The Money!
The net hourly wage of an internal medicine physician is 1.13 times that of a high school teacher and 1.25 times LESS THAN that of a physician assistant! Read more…
Trying to Decide if You Want to be a Physician Assistant? Then “OOCH!”
Trying to Decide if You Want to be a Physician Assistant? Imagine a “hypothetical” student, Steve, who has decided to go to physician assistant school. What makes him think that’s a good option? Well, he spent months toying with other possibilities —medical school and even law school— and he eventually decided PA school was the best […]
A Physician Assistant’s Guide to Becoming an Epic Failure
One of the hardest parts of PA school training is that we must fail when it counts most, and often, we must fail on somebody else. Here is why failure leads to success in PA school.
PA School Finder – The Ultimate Physician Assistant School and Program Directory
Watch this introductory video to see the website in action Are You Trying to Find The Perfect PA School to Fit Your Needs? Are you interested in attending PA school, but you have limited resources and no idea where to begin? Do you worry about the program requirements and waste countless hours going from […]
The Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement Collaborative
Are you ready to get started? Choose your package, and we will begin today! Single Edit One-on-one Service Supplemental Essays Your success is our passion. (See just some of our 100’s of testimonials and comments below). We are ready to help. Our current PA school essay editing service status (): Accepting New Submissions (Photo: Me circa 1987, […]
The Physician Assistant Interview: Thank You and Follow-up (With Sample)
Many people forget the post-interview work that needs to be done during the PA job search. They assume the interview happens, they either get the job or don’t get it, and it’s over. But in many cases, the interview is not the end and specific and strategic follow-up can make the difference in getting hired. […]
