Message from the President and CEO

On behalf of the staff at the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), I am pleased to introduce this first annual Statistical Profile of Recently Certified Physician Assistants, a complement to the 2013 Statistical Profile of Certified Physician Assistants that debuted earlier this year.

The Recently Certified Module of the NCCPA PA Professional Profile, the database from which much of the information in this report is drawn, was launched mid-December 2012. Its questions are presented to PAs during their first six months as certified PAs. This report includes response data obtained from those responding to those questions from the launch of the Recently Certified Module through December 31, 2013.

As a long time PA educator, the new certified PAs who provided the information included in this report hold a special place in my heart. They are the future of the profession and health care, and with the extensive growth of the profession projected by all measures, that future looks bright. Recently certified PAs have endured an intensive educational process that has prepared them for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) and professional practice. Now, they begin the journey of their career as a certified PA—a profession that allows them to fulfill their dream of making a difference in the lives of the patients they will care for throughout their career and a profession that provides them with an opportunity to pursue that dream in every state, specialty, and practice setting.

We hope all those concerned with the PA profession and with health care workforce issues find this report to be an invaluable source of insight and information. To all who took the time to complete the Recently Certified Module of the PA Professional Profile, we thank you and wish you all the best in your new career!

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About the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants

The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is the only certifying organization for the 139,000 physician assistants (PAs) in the United States. The PA-C credential is awarded by NCCPA to PAs who fulfill certification, certification maintenance and recertification requirements. NCCPA also administers the Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) program for experienced, Certified PAs practicing in seven specialties. For more information, visit https://www.nccpa.net