Physician Assistant Specialty Credentials: The Plot Thickens
The NCCPA isn’t the only organization working on physician assistant specialty credentials.
Apparently, a relatively new group calling itself the American Board of Physician Assistant Specialists is looking into creating “board certification” for PAs in certain specialties.
The ABPAS recently sent out a message to the leaders of some PA specialty organizations, asking them to participate in an information session at the May AAPA conference in San Diego.
Today, the AAPA sent out a response e-mail referencing the ABPAS e-mail and emphasizing AAPA's intention to work with the NCCPA in the NCCPA’s efforts to create a specialty credential program no later than 2011.
After 40 years of little organized support for a PA specialty credential process, it suddenly seems that the profession is racing to create such a process.
The bottom line? Specialty credentialing is coming by 2011.
Will it be good for the profession? Don’t expect PAs to agree on an answer.