NCCPA Certification or PA-C
What does NCCPA certification or PA-C mean?
The certified PA or PA-C, remains the foundational credential for the PA profession. PAs who graduated from a program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), you can take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination® (PANCE) for certification. After passing PANCE, PAs are issued NCCPA certification and can use the PA-C designation until the certification expiration date (approximately two years).
What must a PA do to retain certification and eligibility to practice?
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PAs then must fulfill all CME requirements to maintain the certification and be eligible to practice.
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The 10-year certification maintenance process includes five two-year cycles during which all certified PAs must log 100 CME credits online.
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During each of those two-year cycles, you must earn and log at least 100 CME credits, including at least 50 Category 1 CME credits. The remaining 50 credits can be Category 1, Category 2 or a combination of both.
What does CAQ, or added certification mean?
The CAQ is a voluntary credential that Certified PAs can earn and reflects an added advanced knowledge and experience in emergency medicine, above and beyond that expected of entry-level PAs or PAs working in a generalist practice. A PA with their CAQ in Emergency Medicine, has advanced training, documented enriched clinical and procedural experience, and a high level competency that can be supported and signed off on by a senior PA/MD sponsor. PAs seeking the Emergency Medicine CAQ must have gained at least 3,000 hours of experience (the equivalent of 18 months of full-time practice) working as a PA in emergency medicine.