Physician Assistant

How long does it take to become a physician assistant? If you’re wondering how long your overall PA journey will take, there are a few variables to consider first. The pathway to becoming a PA varies depending on where you are in your career and your educational background. Here’s an overview of how long PA read more…

For many pre-PA students, the first step of the application process is deciding your top programs. As you start to explore PA schools, you feel your chest tighten and pulse quicken as you examine the statistics. How do you know if your application is competitive for your top programs? Should you factor in acceptance rates read more…

If you regularly proclaim the benefits of petroleum jelly as a skin moisturizer and think it is superior to antibiotic ointment for wounds, becoming a dermatology physician assistant may be the right career choice for you! Of course, people get into the field for different reasons. My own interest in dermatology stems from a curiosity read more…

If you are a PA due to recertify in 2028, you now have multiple options for completing your NCCPA recertification. Before last year, we only had one option for PA recertification: the high-stakes PANRE recertification exam, taken every 9-10 years. Now, we have an additional, flexible option that began in 2023: the new PANRE-LA. So, read more…

So, you’re ready to apply to PA programs and are navigating your way through the application process. You’ve taken all of the right prerequisites, spent hours shadowing and working in health care, and sent out requests for references. Now comes what many consider the hardest part: writing your PA school personal statement. The personal statement read more…

While you’ve undoubtedly spent time researching the differences between being a physician assistant and an MD or DO, a commonly overlooked comparison is that of physician assistant vs nurse practitioner. Both are categorized as advanced practitioners, have similar timelines to degree completion, and allow for individual patient oversight with diagnostic and prescriptive authority. The major read more…

How much do physician assistants make? If you’re on the path to becoming a PA-C, there’s a good chance you’ve pondered this question. The short answer is that, according to the AAPA Salary Report, the median salary for a practicing PA in 2023 was $127,000. The long answer is that in order to understand the read more…

As we all know, getting through PA school is no easy task. From multiple exams a week to balancing clinical year and PANCE prep, it takes a lot of time, dedication, and resilience to succeed.  After I graduated in May 2021, I was inspired to help future PAs achieve their dreams, so I started with read more…

In April 2019, the NCCPA announced that PANCE pass rate had dropped from 98% to 93% after the release of the newest PANCE Blueprint. After trending upward to 95% in 2020, the PANCE pass rate has been declining every year since, with NCCPA reporting that the PANCE pass rate was down to 92% in 2023 read more…

Was I the only one who thought, “School is finally over!” after finishing PA school? Once I officially became a PA-C, I was under the impression that my learning would only continue as I gained experience in practice. I quickly realized that this profession is all about lifelong learning—for both didactic and clinical knowledge. I read more…

Over the past three years, programs have transitioned to using more virtual-based learning platforms, either in combination with or in place of face-to-face instruction. As self-directed learning becomes more common, programs are looking for creative ways to use these learning platforms and keep students engaged. Program directors and faculty are asking similar questions: If you read more…

The PANCE is a rite of passage we all have to endure on the road to becoming a PA-C. The question is, with everything you have to know for the test, how do you go about creating a PANCE study guide? At times, exam prep can seem as big a mountain to climb as the read more…

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t expect a spike of anxiety AFTER I graduated from PA school. I remember all the questions that came to mind: “Am I ready for the PANCE?” “Were these past two years enough preparation for me to pass this exam on the first try?” Maybe your journey has read more…

Taking the PANCE is the culmination of your PA school journey. Everything you learned comes down to passing this one test before you can FINALLY put your knowledge to work. The odds of you passing the boards are high, especially if you put in the work—the PANCE pass rate was 92% in 2022, so the read more…

As a physician assistant, the ability to effectively communicate with patients is not just a desirable skill—it is an indispensable art that lies at the heart of providing quality healthcare. Beyond the mastery of medical knowledge and technical expertise, the art of communication sets the stage for building trust, fostering collaboration, and ultimately delivering exceptional read more…

Although I have been a certified PA for almost 15 years, I remember those dreaded feelings of anxiety towards EKGs like it was yesterday. Sure, I understood the science, and even read a much-recommended resource on the topic by Dr. Dale Dubin, but putting that knowledge into practice was something else altogether. How did one read more…

As you start to think ahead to your “next steps” after PA school, you may be considering ways to enhance your clinical skills, expand your network, and make yourself a more competitive candidate for your dream job. Remember, your number one priority as a PA student is to focus on your didactic coursework, clinical rotations, read more…

With recent declining PANCE pass rates, it’s more important than ever to ramp up your PANCE prep and guarantee you pass the exam on the first take. To help you study for your exam with additional structure and accountability, the team of PAs behind the Rosh Review PANCE Qbank is now bringing their expertise to read more…

I have written a lot of generalized blog posts on the PA experience, but I have yet to take the time to really explain my career. While I’ve known for some time that I wanted to go into the field of Cardiothoracic Surgery, I did not actually get this position right out of graduate school.  read more…

Transitioning from the didactic portion of the PA program to clinical year can be a whirlwind. At this time, you will go from sitting in class all day to working a full 40-hour week. Although there is a reduction in the number of exams you may have to take, there is definitely no shortage of read more…