PA Profession Resource Links

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:  Job Outlook for Physician Assistants

Employment of physician assistants is projected to grow 28 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 12,700 openings for physician assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm

The Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA)

The Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) is the only national organization representing PA educational programs. PAEA provides services for faculty at its member programs, as well as to applicants, students, and other stakeholders.

For PA Students

PAEA offers a variety of information, resources, and tools to support future PAs, including study tools for certification, fellowships, the annual PAEA Student Writing Competition, and the Pi Alpha National Honor Society for Physician Assistants.
https://paeaonline.org/how-we-can-help/pa-students

Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA)

CASPA is a service of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA), the only national organization representing physician assistant (PA) educational programs since 2001. CASPA simplifies the PA school application process by allowing you to apply to multiple programs with only one application. The CASPA application service also helps to build a national and diverse applicant pool for all participating programs.
https://caspa.liaisoncas.com

CASPA application help center 

for any question concerning your PA School application. https://help.liaisonedu.com/CASPA_Applicant_Help_Center

National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)

Becoming NCCPA Certified

PAs must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination developed by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and be licensed by a state in order to practice.

Maintaining NCCPA Certification

A PA’s education does not end at graduation. The PA profession is the only medical profession that requires a practitioner to periodically take and pass a high-stakes comprehensive exam to remain certified, which PAs must do every 10 years. To maintain their certification, PAs must also complete 100 hours of continuing medical education (CME) every two years.
https://www.nccpa.net

American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)

The American Academy of PAs is the national professional society for PAs in the United States. AAPA advocates and educates on behalf of the profession and the patients PAs serve. AAPA works to ensure the professional growth, personal excellence and recognition of PAs. AAPA also enhances the PAs ability to improve the quality, accessibility and cost-effectiveness of patient-centered healthcare.

For PA Students

PA school puts a lot on your plate. AAPA provides resources, tools, and advice designed to support busy PA students – from your first day of PA school to graduation and beyond.
https://www.aapa.org

JAAPA: Journal of the American Academy of Physician Associates

JAAPA: Journal of the American Academy of Physician Associates is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by Wolters Kluwer on behalf of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
https://journals.lww.com/jaapa

Pennsylvania Society of Physician Associates (PSPA)

The PSPA strives to be representative of all physician assistants within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The goals and objectives of the Society are to enhance quality medical care to the people of Pennsylvania through a process of continuing medical education, both to the membership and to the public; to provide loyal and honest service to the public and to the medical profession; to promote professionalism among its membership; and to promote understanding of the PA profession.

For PA Students

At the PSPA, it is our mission to educate students about the growing opportunities in the PA profession. We aim to encourage and support students throughout their journey – preparing them to provide the highest quality of care and achieve their full potential.
https://pspa.net

The Society for the Preservation of Physician Assistant History

The Physician Assistant History Society, Inc., is dedicated to the history and legacy of the physician assistant profession through the identification and collection of appropriate papers, manuscripts, magazine and newspaper clippings, newsletters, reports, dissertations, oral histories, and visual artifacts, such as films, slides, videos, photographs, and digital images.
https://pahx.org

The Accreditation Standards for Physician Assistant Education (ARC-PA)

The ARC-PA encourages excellence in PA education through its accreditation process by establishing and maintaining standards of quality for educational programs. It awards accreditation to programs through a peer review process that includes documentation and periodic site visit evaluation to substantiate compliance with the Accreditation Standards for Physician Assistant Education. The accreditation process is designed to encourage sound educational practices and innovation by programs and to stimulate continuous self-study and improvement.
http://www.arc-pa.org