New Grad Physician Assistant – Congratulations!
New Grad Physician Assistant
You made it through this rigorous program and are now on your way to being a PA-C. Time to celebrate with friends and family and hopefully get some monetary gifts because you will need to save that money.
I know you are saying save for what a trip so I can enjoy myself….NOPE!
You need that money to pay for the following:
- PANCE exam so you can be CERTIFIED ($550 for 10 years)
- STATE LICENSE (Vary State to State)
- DEA LICENSE - FORM 224 ($888 for 3 years)
- CDS LICENSE (Vary State to State)
Your licensing can be a total of almost $2000🤑. You will need these before you even start the job, especially the certification. Now, most jobs will reimburse these items, but you must pay out of pocket for it first. Depending on your job, reimbursement may take 1-2 weeks.
You will need all these licenses and certifications renewed for you to work. You probably think that’s a lot of money, and you are right, but most jobs will cover the cost of renewing your license.
Most jobs will offer to cover the cost of your license renewals or reimburse you through the CME your company covers.
If the employer does not cover these expenses, I will discuss this topic in another post about negotiating contracts.
PANCE Exam
PANCE stands for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination. It is a certification exam that all PA students must pass in order to practice medicine in any state.
If you are interested in taking the exam, you can register by clicking on the provided link (PANCE).
However, please note that you will need to create an account before you can register for the exam.
DEA and CDS
DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) is a license required for Physician Associates to prescribe controlled substances (Schedule II-IV) in the United States.
You will be required to complete an 8 hour course on prescribing opioids in order to get the license and renew your license.
In order to have a DEA you will also need at CDS (Controlled Drug Substances) license which will vary by state.
Click here for the DEA registration form. Once your on the DEA website scroll down within the DEA site and select Physician Assistant (see below as referece).
State PA License
If you are interested in working as a Physician Associate in the United States, it is important to note that you must obtain a state license for each state in which you want to practice.
The requirements for obtaining a license may vary from state to state, and the processing time can also differ.
Generally, the timeframe for obtaining a license can range from 2 to 6 weeks. It is crucial to research the specific requirements for each state you are interested in practicing in to ensure that you meet all the necessary qualifications.
What is CME?
It is an abbreviation for Continuing Medical Education and is an education credit required for your license renewal. CMEs are approved courses or reading materials that help increase your knowledge and skills within the medical field to provide the best care for your patients.
If your job has UpToDate excellent, if they don’t, you should invest in it because you can get CME credits that you need to submit every two years and pay for as well.
Join AAPA! It is a yearly renewal to gain access to jobs, contract reviews, educational resources, conferences, and networking.
Keep in mind you do not need to purchase UpToDate or AAPA before applying for the job. Sign-up after you get the job so you can submit it as an expense and get reimbursed.
***If you have any specific questions feel free to contact me****
Welcome to the New Graduate PA Life!😬👩🏾⚕️👨🏾⚕️
