WHAT IS A PA-C?

Physician assistants are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. The “PA-C” stands for physician assistant-certified. That means the person has met the defined course of study and has undergone testing by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). The NCCPA and the National Board of Medical Examiners develop this national exam.

What Kind of Education is Required to Become a PA?

PA students must complete at least two years of college courses in basic science and behavioral science as prerequisites to PA training. This is similar to pre-med studies required of medical students. Students then enter an additional 25-27 months of intense medical training. Students begin with a year of basic medical science courses (anatomy, pathophysiology, pharmacology, physical diagnosis, etc.). Then, they enter the clinical phase of training. This includes some classroom instruction and primarily clinical rotations in medical and surgical specialties (family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, general surgery, emergency medicine, and psychiatry). PA students complete about 2,000 hours of supervised clinical practice prior to graduation.

To maintain their national certification, PAs must log 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and sit for a recertification every six years.

Amherst Family Practice supports the growth of Physician Assistants as a career by utilizing then in practice. The doctors welcome the valuable care PAs can provide for routine cases. However, you, the patient are always welcome to see a physician if desired.