Even before you apply to one of the top physician assistant degree programs, you should start planning for life after graduation. As you’re plotting your career journey as a PA, you might wonder if you need to take the same board exams as a physician with a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree to become certified. Physician assistants become licensed and certified through a separate process, so they don’t take the same board exams as doctors do.
The Difference Between Licensure and Board Certification
Many prospective students of healthcare career programs don’t fully understand the differences between licensure and certification or between the board exams and regulatory boards. If you’re pursuing a career in this field, it’s helpful to differentiate between these different terms.
Licensure and board certification mean two different things. Generally, licenses for both doctors and PAs are administered by state government entities. Licenses are required to practice medicine, although the licensing process is different for physicians and PAs. On the other hand, certification is awarded not by the government, but instead by an independent agency or organization known as a board. Board certification tends to be awarded over a broader geographical region, often nationally.
For doctors, a test called the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), commonly referred to as “the board exam,” is required for licensure. Don’t let the nickname confuse you, though. Passing this test doesn’t result in board certification in any specialty, but instead in eligibility for full licensure as a physician.
Board certification is voluntary for physicians, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This is because the state license is used to assess compliance with the government’s minimum requirements to practice medicine. Board certification instead demonstrates your fulfillment of standards above the minimum level of competency, according to U.S News & World Report. Board certification in a medical specialty is reserved for physicians who go above and beyond what’s legally required of them, although many employers prefer candidates who are board-certified.
For PAs, there are two types of certification to be aware of. Most PAs choose to attain the status of Physician Assistant-Certified, which is mandatory in some states. You can get this credential after you pass the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)’s Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) test. You must pass the PANCE test to attain a license to practice as a PA in every state, much as a doctor must pass the USMLE test to get a medical license. Another, voluntary form of certification exists in the form of the NCCPA’s Specialty Certificates of Added Qualifications (CAQS).
One additional factor that can further blur the distinction between licensing and certification is that the state entities that regulate licensing of medical practitioners are regularly referred to as state licensing boards. Even though PAs and doctors go through different licensing and certification processes, the same licensing boards typically regulate both occupations.
Only the NCCPA certifies PAs, while doctors may seek certification from the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) or the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists (AOABOS).
Getting Certified as a Physician Assistant
Both physicians and physician assistants must complete exams to validate their competence to achieve certification. For the Physician Assistant-Certified credential, all PAs must earn a passing score on the PANCE, an exam that tests your knowledge of the basics of medical and surgical practice. To maintain PA certification, you must complete continuing education requirements on a recurring basis as well as taking a recertification exam every 10 years, according to the BLS.
For PAs, the NCCPA’s specialty certificates of added qualification are a more fitting equivalent to specialty board certification for physicians. This voluntary credential shows that the practitioner has achieved competencies above and beyond the minimum requirements in medical specialties, rather than in general foundational knowledge.
The specialties in which CAQs are available for physician assistants include emergency medicine, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, hospital medicine, orthopedic surgery, nephrology, pediatrics and psychiatry. To get a CAQ, you need experience in your desired area of specialty as well as a passing score on a specialized exam.
The NCCPA offers certificates of added qualification in just 7 specialties, compared to the 26 medical specialties in which doctors can seek board certification.
Additional Resources
Does a PA Have a Medical License?
Is Getting Into a PA Program More or Less Competitive Than a Med School?