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 […]
Physician Assistant
PANCE & PANRE Exam Pass and Failure Rates: An Update for 2023
The Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) has been in existence since 1973, and as of 2023, over 168,318 people have taken the exam. In recent years, we have seen some fluctuations in the pass rates, with notable changes following the release of new exam blueprints in 2019. Historical Perspective on PANCE Pass Rates Since […]
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
5 Things I’ve Learned Going Into My Fourth Physician Assistant Application Cycle
Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up – Thomas Edison I will be honest; this is not an article I ever thought I’d be writing. I submitted my first PA school application immediately after finishing my undergrad, and here I am, three […]
Finding a Physician Assistant Mentor: The Foolproof PA Shadowing Guide
Let’s face it, finding a PA to shadow is no easy task. When I first contemplated a career as a physician assistant, I was hard-pressed to find a PA to shadow. I was dying to connect with a PA and pick their brain, hear about everything they did, and shadow for a day or two. […]
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 […]
Long or Short – Does Your PA Program Length Really Matter?
Exploring the Impact of PA Program Duration on PANCE Success and PA Competence In a time long, long ago, just before the release of the first iPhone, I graduated from the UMDNJ (now Rutgers) PA program. It was a three-year PA program with a nearly 100% PANCE pass rate. At the time, Rutgers was one […]
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.
No Experience Required! 84 PA Schools That Don’t Require Healthcare Experience
Are you looking to get into PA School fast? Then skip the healthcare experience! Below is a list of 84 PA programs in the United States that do not require patient care experience for PA school admissions. I use “require” lightly because many of these schools which claim no healthcare experience requirement do “strongly recommend” or “prefer” PA school […]
80 PA Schools That Don’t Require the GRE
Are you like me and looking to dodge the GRE? Does the thought of studying for the GRE exam make your palms sweat and your heart flutter? Wouldn’t it be great if you could find PA schools that don’t require the GRE and simply avoid the GRE exam altogether? Well, you are in luck! Out of 260 […]
How to Write “Physician Assistant” The Definitive PA Grammar Guide
Do you know the correct answer to these important questions? Do you capitalize the word physician assistant? How do you write the plural of physician assistant? What is the proper name of the PA profession? Should I write physician assistant or physician associate on my personal statement? All these questions are real — We know […]
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 […]
Direct Entry and Dual Degree BS/MS Pre-Physician Assistant/Associate Programs
Direct Entry PA Programs There are 44 direct-entry, dual-degree BS/MS Physician Assistant/Associate (PA) programs in the United States. These programs offer early provisional acceptance to exceptional high school students who wish to accelerate their academic and career paths to becoming physician assistants. Application for the program is usually made during the senior year of high […]
My First Day as a Physician Assistant: Faking it Till You’re Making it
My first day as a real PA I remember my first day on the job as if it were yesterday. I was petrified . . . To put it mildly. When I ask other PAs about their first day they often proclaim having had a certain sense of calm. For me, it was pure fear. […]
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 […]
31 Physician Assistant Personal Statement Examples
Below, are 31 PA school application essays and personal statements pulled from our FREE personal statement and essay collaborative comments section. This is an unedited sample of PA school essay submissions, meant to provide you with some insight into how other applicants are approaching their CASPA personal statements. Real World PA School Personal Statements These […]
9 Simple Steps to Avoid Silly Spelling and Grammar Goofs in Your PA School Personel Statement
Did you spot my grammar goof? If not take a second look at the title. You have spent days, weeks, and months writing and perfecting your personal (not personel) statement. You have slaved countless hours in front of the computer screen trying to shed a creative light on your background and highlight your experiences. Don’t […]
Healthcare Experience Required for PA School: The Ultimate Guide
Patient Care and Healthcare Experience for PA School Today we are going to tackle step 2 of my 5 steps to PA school series by taking a very detailed look at healthcare experience requirements for PA school. Included, in this discussion is a side-by-side comparison of healthcare experience requirements of all PA programs in the United States. PA is different from […]
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 […]
Do You Recognize These 7 Common Mistakes in Your Personal Statement?
You’ve written your essay. You know what you want to say. But will the admissions committee get your message? You’ve read through countless PA school essay samples. You’ve chopped and changed the order of the paragraphs. You’ve polished each sentence. After all that hard work, you’re still not sure whether your essay flows along nicely. Will readers […]
Which State Has the Largest Number of Physician Assistant Programs?
Hint, You May be Surprised (Or not) Programs in these four states make up more than one-third of all programs, roughly (34%) I am a native Californian who traveled 3,000 miles East (the day after I got married) to attend PA School at Rutgers University in New Jersey. If you are trying to make it […]
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 […]
Who is the Ideal PA School Candidate? Surprising Lessons From Olympic Ice Skating
I love Olympic figure skating. It is the ultimate test of human grit. Here are people who have spent four years and countless hours practicing for what comes down to a life-changing two-minute event. This is a lesson on life, it is a lot like preparing for your PA school interview, finally pressing submit and […]
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 […]
How to Find The Direct Patient Care Experience You Need to Become a Physician Assistant
Read on: But you may also be interested in my newest post Healthcare Experience Required for PA School: The Ultimate Guide I could probably summarize this entire blog post with the following sentence: “THE MORE HANDS-ON PATIENT CARE EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE, THE STRONGER YOU WILL BE AS A PA SCHOOL CANDIDATE.” How many healthcare experience hours […]
The Physician Assistant Job or PA School Interview – Email Etiquette
mail is unequivocally the number one technology you must be brilliant at if you are to succeed throughout the PA school interview or job application process. For that reason, you need to be VERY careful when you use email as part of a job search effort or part of your PA school application process. It […]
