Last week, a reader commented with praise for both NPs and PAs on our 2012 National Salary Survey of NPs & PAs. ''I am proud to see PAs and NPs getting along in the medical field. Both are great professions. I was an RN for 13 years prior to becoming a PA. I have been a PA for 8 years. I chose PA, because in 2001, NPs were basically ...

This week, readers of ADVANCE for NPs & PAs let us know their opinions on many posts, comments and articles. On Facebook, our readers liked career development tips, the newest practices in skincare, NP certification information and the latest posts from our various bloggers. We also posted an article discussing the growing ...

If you're not chatting with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, ''like'', ''follow'' and ''connect'' with us and start sharing in the conversations! If you are, keep following and spread the word! This week, our social media sites exploded with great comments from our readers. Here are some of the highlights, copied verbatim and without ...

The relaunch of ''PAEasy,'' an online test-prep product for PA students and PAs preparing to take the PANCE and PANRE, respectively, was announced today by its publisher. In a press release, McGraw-Hill Professional says the package not only is available for individual purchase, but also, for the first time, is able to be licensed to ...

Randy D. Danielsen, PhD, PA-C, asked me to pass on this announcement. Note that the deadline is imminent, so act fast if you’re interested. The NCCPA Foundation invites applications for two openings on its eight-member governing board of directors. Board members serve a three-year term, to begin as soon as selections are made, and will be ...

The NCCPA has announced a name change for PAs. No, not that name change. The commission has renamed its PA “specialty certification” program a “certificate of added qualifications” program, according to a press release. While the release itself isn’t posted at the NCCPA’s website today, the new “CAQ” language is already in place there. In ...

Physician assistants are increasingly more likely to head into specialties such as surgery and emergency medicine rather than primary care, according to the News & Observer. Researchers at the Duke University PA program studied the job choices of PAs from 1997 to 2006 and found that the number of PAs going into primary care declined to 41% ...

On the topic of ARC-PA’s standards for PA programs, I have two questions. One, why does a PA program director need to be a PA or a physician? It certainly should be a consideration, but not a requirement. At least two terrific PA educators were not PAs: PAEA immediate past president and University of Colorado Child Health Associate PA program ...

Back in May 2006, the NCCPA pledged to develop ''a solution to meet the needs of specialty PAs.'' Since that time, the NCCPA has done a great job creating productive debate about the problems facing PAs in specialties. But it really hasn't offered any solutions. The NCCPA hasn't forgotten its pledge. At its August board of directors meeting in ...

NCCPA has posted to its Web site information about the practice-focused PANRE. Beginning in March 2009, PAs recertifying through PANRE will have a new choice to make. While 60% of the generalist exam will cover the same content as always, the remaining 40% can be directed in one of three areas: Adult medicine Surgery Primary ...