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Elective Component

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Elective Component

Pathway II is NCCPA’s Web-based, take-at-home recertification alternative to the Physician Assistant National Recertifying Exam (PANRE). Like PANRE, the Pathway II exam has 300 multiple-choice questions that are designed to assess your general medical and surgical knowledge.

Unlike PANRE, PAs interested in Pathway II must meet an additional requirement for this open-book exam by earning 100 elective component points. Those points may be earned any time during your six-year certification maintenance cycle prior to the exam application deadline for the exam you choose. Points may earned in nine areas of education and experiential activities.

Please note: The last administration of Pathway II will take place in 2010; therefore if you will not be in the fifth or sixth year of your certification maintenance cycle, you will not be able to take Pathway II.

In general, there are two options for recording and submitting your elective component points to NCCPA.

  1. Sign in to your personal certification record to log your points as you earn them. This option has the advantage of allowing you to always know exactly how many points you have left to earn. Print Getting Started with Online Logging (PDF) for some helpful tips.

  2. Print the Elective Component Workbook (PDF) to track your points and then submit your completed workbook when you're ready to apply.
 Before getting started, here are some tips to keep in mind when submitting your elective component points:
  • Activities must be completed prior to being submitted for credit.
  • Elective component points are not the same as CME hours, and points are not always awarded on a one-to-one ratio. Each component has a specified point value scale and a component maximum. Please read each section carefully.
  • Even though some activities may fit into more than one component, each activity may only be submitted one time. Further, the same CME hours may not be used to meet both NCCPA’s regular two-year certification maintenance requirement and the elective component requirement. However, extra clinical, Category I hours that were logged during an earlier CME cycle may be applied towards the elective component requirement.
  • If you choose to submit your points via the workbook, print legibly in blue or black ink. If you need additional room, simply copy the page and continue. (Be sure to put your name and certification number of any copied pages!)
  • If you submit activities online, you do not need to also submit them in the workbook.
  • Once submitted, elective component submissions may take up to two weeks to process. However, as long as your 100 points, application and payment are received online or by mail or fax by the exam application deadline, you'll be able to take the exam even if your elective component points are approved after the deadline.
  • You will be automatically withdrawn from the exam if you're unable to meet the 100-point requirement. You may transfer to another exam (if sufficient time remains to process the transfer) without any financial penalty.
  • A nonrefundable application fee of $125 will apply if you request to be withdrawn or transferred from an exam window after it has been determined that you are eligible to take the Pathway II and your elective component points have been approved. A withdrawal cannot be processed if received later than four weeks prior to the opening of the exam administration.
  • Don't forget to apply for the exam! Submission of your elective component points is not the same as applying for the exam. To take the Pathway II exam, NCCPA must receive an application, your exam payment and your elective component requirement. The easiest way to submit all three is by signing in to your personal certification record.

Pathway II's Nine Elective Component Areas

1 Extra Clinical Category I (Preapproved) CME Hours
Clinical, Category I CME hours earned during your six-year certification maintenance cycle prior to the exam application deadline may be submitted. Hours used to meet NCCPA’s two-year certification maintenance requirements cannot be submitted again; however, if you would like to use extra clinical, Category I hours that you’ve already logged -- hours above and beyond the minimum required for certification maintenance -- please write the cycle those hours were logged under the “Cycle Logged” column in the workbook*. You can access a list of the CME hours that we have on file for you by signing in to your personal certification record and clicking on CME History. If “Combined hours” appears in the Program Title space, just note the number of “Combined hours” you would like moved for each cycle.

Point value: One point per clinical, Category I CME hour
Component 1 Maximum: 50 points

*If you are logging a new activity, just leave the “Cycle Logged” column blank.
2 Clinical Skills Training

Activities that led to the development of a new skill (or recertification via formal skills training) that is relevant to the practice of medicine or surgery are eligible for credit in this component. Clinical skills training includes three areas:

Certificate Programs: Certification or recertification through certificate programs for which at least 8 clinical, Category I hours are awarded (i.e., ACLS, PALS, etc.). If these certificate programs were logged to meet your regular certification maintenance requirements, they cannot be used towards this component. If they were logged in excess of your regular certification maintenance requirements, submit them in the elective component workbook.
Point Value: 25 points per training course

Other Formal Training: Activities that are hands-on or experiential in nature and for which clinical, Category I CME hours are granted (other than those certificate programs listed above). If these activities were logged to meet your regular certification maintenance requirements but you have other extra hours to meet those requirements, these activities may be transferred to meet the elective component requirement. In those cases, note the cycle in which those hours were logged in the “Cycle Logged” column in the workbook.
Point Value: One point per CME hour

Informal Training: Hands-on diagnostic skills learned through on-the-job or other informal training. Such skills may be taught by any healthcare professional. Standard skills included as part of the PA program curriculum are not acceptable.
Point Value: Five points per new skill

Component 2 Maximum: 50 points
3 Medical Teaching
Teaching Healthcare Professionals: Teaching PA students, PAs, MDs, nurses and others via formal lectures, professional society presentations, grand rounds or precepting. Only the first lecture presentation each year on a particular topic is eligible for elective component points. In other words, if you give the same presentation 12 times a year, you may only submit it for elective component points once for each year you have conducted the presentation.
Point Value: Two points per teaching hour

Teaching Laypersons: Teaching patients and other members of the community. Elective component points will be awarded for only the first presentation given on a specific topic during the current six-year certification maintenance cycle preceding the exam application deadline regardless of the number of times the presentation is given.
Point Value: One point per teaching hour (15 point maximum)

Component 3 Maximum: 50 points
4 Publications
Preparation of published clinically-relevant articles, case reports or textbook chapters may be submitted for credit. If you are not identified in the publication as the author or co-author, the primary author must provide a written statement verifying that you were significantly responsible for researching, writing and editing the article. Articles or editorials published in institutional or professional newsletters or articles published about you or your work are not eligible for elective component points.

Point Value: 20 points for each article in a peer-reviewed journal
                       10 points for each article in a non-peer-reviewed journal or published                         textbook chapter
Component 4 Maximum: 40 points

 
5 Postgraduate Courses
Postgraduate courses offered by an accredited U.S. academic institution can be submitted here. The course must be professionally relevant and build or reinforce existing medical knowledge. Self-study courses, courses taken on a not-for-credit basis, contact hours (CEUs) and courses taken to complete a degree that will be submitted in Component 6 are not eligible for points in Component 5.

Point Value: 5 points per institutionally set credit hour
Component 5 Maximum: 50 points
6 Professionally Relevant Postgraduate Degree
The completion and receipt of a professionally relevant master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited U.S. academic institution or the successful completion of a residency program recognized by the Association of Postgraduate Physician Assistant Programs (APPAP) may be submitted for credit on this page. To be eligible for credit, the degree must have been awarded during the six-year certification maintenance cycle and prior to the exam application deadline. The degree received at the end of your initial PA program is not eligible for points.

If your advanced degree is not in a medical field, you must submit a written statement with this form indicating how the degree is relevant to your practice as a physician assistant. Advanced degrees that do not assist you in your practice are not eligible for elective component points.

*Documentation is required in this area! Submit a copy of your diploma or degree certificate with this form. If you do not include the copy, the processing of your elective component points will be delayed.

Point Value: 50 points per degree or postgraduate residency program
Component 6 Maximum: 50 points
7 NCCPA's Surgery Examination
Elective component points will be awarded to PAs who achieved special recognition on NCCPA’s Surgery Exam. The Surgery Exam must have been taken during your six-year certification maintenance cycle and prior to the exam application deadline.

Point Value: 25 points
Component 7 Maximum: 25 points
 
 
8 Self-assessments and Specialty Review

Elective component points will be awarded for formal, specialty home-study programs that include a self-assessment exam. To be eligible, these assessments and reviews must be developed and accredited by the appropriate medical specialty society and approved for Category I CME credit. Click on the link to view a list of Web sites that may offer self-assessments.

Review materials, such as Audio Digest, recertification review courses and Medical Challenger, which are not specifically developed by a medical specialty society, are not eligible for elective component points in this area.

If you logged a self-assessment or specialty review for Category I credit for certification maintenance and you have logged extra Category I hours above those required for certification maintenance, you can request the assessment be transferred to Component 8 by writing the cycle those hours were logged in the “Cycle Logged” column.

Point Value: One point per CME hour
Component 8 Maximum: 40 points

9 Other
Elective component points are sometimes awarded for clinical or clinically-relevant activities that (1) are not eligible for credit in any of the previous eight component areas and (2) are performed outside the scope of your primary job responsibilities.

Points earned in excess of any of the maximum number of points listed in the previous eight components cannot by submitted here.

*Documentation is required in this area! Component 9 activities must be preapproved by NCCPA and must be completed before being submitted for elective component points. For fastest processing, submit your preapproval request(s) by fax (678.417.8135) or mail (12000 Findley Road, Suite 200, Duluth, GA 30097) at least two weeks prior to submitting your Elective Component Workbook. Your request for preapproval MUST include the following information:
  1. Your name, certification number and e-mail address.
  2. The month and year in which the activity was completed.
  3. A complete description of the activity.
  4. The benefit received by participating in this activity.
  5. Time spent in the activity.
After your request is reviewed by NCCPA staff, you’ll receive notification of the approval or denial of your request by e-mail.

Point Value: Determined on a case-by-case basis
Component 9 Maximum: 25 points


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