MS in Physician Assistant Studies - Center City
At a Glance
Certification
Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE)
PANCE is the qualifying examination administered by the National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) for physician assistant graduates. The examination is a multiple-choice, comprehensive assessment of an individual's clinical knowledge. The NCCPA is the only certifying organization for physician assistants in the United States.
To be eligible for PANCE, you must graduate from a PA program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) as a Physician Assistant Program or a Surgeon Assistant Program. PA program graduates are deemed to have graduated from an accredited program if their PA educational program was accredited at the time of their matriculation.* Following successful completion of the PANCE, a physician assistant is "certified" to practice and can use the initials "PA-C."
* The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Thomas Jefferson University Physician Assistant Program. Learn more about the Center City PA Program Accreditation.