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Best physician assistant student certifications
Physician assistant student certifications allow job seekers to demonstrate their competency as an physician assistant student to employers. However, not all physician assistant student certifications provide the same value for job seekers.
The best certifications for a physician assistant student are Physician Assistant - Certified (PA-C), Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA), and Certification in General Surgery.
Below is a list of the best physician assistant student certifications. Obtaining an physician assistant student certification will give you a leg up when you apply for jobs and increase your potential salary.
9 best certifications for physician assistant students
| Rank | Physician assistant student certification | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physician Assistant - Certified (PA-C) | NCCPA |
| 2 | Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) | American Red ... |
| 3 | Certification in General Surgery | AOBS |
| 4 | Emergency Medicine | ABPS |
| 5 | Family Medicine | ABMS |
| 6 | Pediatrics | ABMS |
| 7 | Surgery | ABPS |
| 8 | Medical Assistant | ASPT |
| 9 | Certification in Pediatric Anesthesiology (PA) | ABA |
9 best physician assistant student certifications
1. Physician Assistant - Certified (PA-C)
A PA is a nationally certified and state-licensed medical professional. PAs practice medicine on healthcare teams with physicians and other providers. They practice and prescribe medication in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the majority of the U.S. territories and the uniformed services.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 6 year(s)
2. Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)
Train to be a certified nurse assistant working with other health care professionals to provide quality care for elderly or sick individuals in nursing homes and hospitals and at home.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required?
3. Certification in General Surgery
The ABS considers certification in surgery to be based upon a process of education, evaluation and examination. The ABS holds undergraduate and graduate education to be of the utmost importance and requires the attestation of the residency program director that an applicant has completed an appropriate educational experience and attained a sufficiently high level of knowledge, clinical judgment and technical skills, as well as ethical standing, to be admitted to the certification process. Individuals who believe they meet the ABS' educational, professional and ethical requirements may begin the certification process by applying for admission to the Qualifying Examination (QE). The application is reviewed and, if approved, the applicant is granted admission to the examination. Upon successful completion of the QE, the applicant is considered a candidate for certification and granted the opportunity to take the Certifying Examination (CE). If the candidate is also successful at this examination, the candidate is deemed certified in surgery and becomes a diplomate of the ABS.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 10 year(s)
4. Emergency Medicine
The ABPS's emergency medicine board certification exams enable successful candidates to present themselves to the public as qualified medical specialists in emergency medicine. Completing the emergency medicine board certification exams indicates mastery of emergency medicine experience and knowledge, as well as a professional commitment to adhere to the ABPS Medical Code of Ethics.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 8 year(s)
5. Family Medicine
A Family Physician is concerned with the total healthcare of the individual and the family and is trained to diagnose and treat a wide variety of ailments in patients of all ages. The Family Physician receives a broad range of training that includes adult medicine and care of the aged, the care of children, women's health, maternity care, preventive medicine and behavioral science.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 7 year(s)
6. Pediatrics
A physician specializing in Pediatrics is concerned with the physical, emotional, and social health of children from birth to young adulthood.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 10 year(s)
7. Surgery
The ABPS surgery board certification exams enable successful candidates to present themselves to the public as qualified medical specialists in surgery. Completing the surgery board certification exams indicates mastery of surgery experience and knowledge, as well as a professional commitment to adhere to the ABPS Medical Code of Ethics.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 8 year(s)
8. Medical Assistant
The medical assistant job description varies depending on the employer's needs. A medical assistant is a multi-skilled professional and an asset to a physician.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)
9. Certification in Pediatric Anesthesiology (PA)
The pediatric anesthesiology discipline includes the evaluation, preparation and management of pediatric patients undergoing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in operative and critical care settings. In addition, this discipline also entails the evaluation and treatment of children with acute and chronic painful disorders.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 7 year(s)
What is the best certification for a physician assistant student?
The best physician assistant student certification is Physician Assistant - Certified (PA-C). The Physician Assistant - Certified (PA-C) is awarded by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. This certification is great to have as it shows an improvement in your competency to perform your role. You can earn this certification at the beginning of your career, as it often doesn't require a minimum education level and work experience.
Here's a bit more background on how to obtain this physician assistant student certification:
- To become a certified Physician Assistant - Certified (PA-C), you need to pass the exam.
- Lucky you - certification doesn't require more than two years of work experience.
- Renew certification every 6 year.
What are some of the most in-demand certifications for physician assistant students?
The most in-demand physician assistant student certification is Emergency Medicine based on all active job postings. Having this physician assistant student certification will give you access to more physician assistant student jobs with higher salaries.
The most common combination of physician assistant student certifications include: Physician Assistant - Certified (PA-C), Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA), and Certification in General Surgery.
Online courses for physician assistant students to earn certifications
1. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...
2. Clinical Kidney, Pancreas and Islet Transplantation
Kidney transplantation is a major advance of modern medicine which provides high-quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease. What used to be an experimental, risky, and very limited treatment option more than 50 years ago is now routinely performed in many countries worldwide. The number of renal transplants is expected to rise sharply in the next decade since the proportion of patients with end stage renal disease is increasing. Are you interested in clinical kidney, pancreas...
3. Introduction to Longevity Medicine
A Medical Guide to Longevity Medicine for Physicians...
4. Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine Advanced Diploma
A complete program in one course, This Diploma is an Encyclopedia in The Natural Medicine field...
5. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers
This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...
6. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative
Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...
7. Virtual Assistant Training, a Complete Guide: Work From Home
Rock Star Virtual Assistant Training: Create an online business + become a freelancing virtual professional in any field...
8. Doctor of Natural Medicine
This course is a mini encyclopedia in natural medicine field...
9. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale
Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...
10. Health for All Through Primary Health Care
This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...
11. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes
COURSE 3 of 7. This course is designed to introduce you to critical office-based processes that a value-based practice must manage in the drive towards improved patient outcomes. In Module 2, we’ll focus on office-based and clinical patient-based supporting functions. At every level in healthcare, guidelines, processes, and functions exist to improve outcomes, and following a consistent process will return the best effect. Refine your understanding of value and learn strategies to provide real...
12. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children
Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...
13. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course
The Palliative Care Always Capstone course is designed to let you test your knowledge about palliative and help others understand the value of palliative care, while showing your creative side. In this course, you will impact community awareness about palliative care, promote self-care and wellness, show-off your communication skills in a virtual environment, and finish the course off by proving your thoughts on ways to offer psychosocial support to a patient and family...
14. COVID-19 Training for Healthcare Workers
COVID-19 is rapidly spreading across the globe and all providers must be prepared to recognize, stabilize and treat patients with novel coronavirus infection. Following completion of this short course physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals will have a unified, evidenced-based approach to saving the lives of patients with COVID-19, including those who are critically ill. Learning modules are broken into short videos presented in a richly illustrated and compelling manner. The...
15. Introduction to Cataract Surgery
This comprehensive course will give you the fundamental knowledge needed to begin performing cataract surgery by phacoemulsification and extracapsular removal. Each step from preoperative evaluation to postoperative care will be covered to help prepare you for the operating room...
16. Case Studies in Personalized Medicine
Learn how advances in biomedicine hold the potential to revolutionize drug development, drug treatments, and disease prevention: where are we now, and what does the future hold? This course will present short primers in genetics and mechanisms underlying variability in drug responses. A series of case studies will be used to illustrate principles of how genetics are being brought to bear on refining diagnoses and on personalizing treatment in rare and common diseases. The ethical and...
17. Trauma Emergencies and Care
Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...
18. Wilderness First Aid - Introduction
In this course, students will learn the basics of wilderness medicine, including how it is a unique clinical environment, and concepts of scene safety. They will learn how to perform a basic assessment of a patient, including a physical exam, gather history data using the SAMPLE approach, and how to evaluate a patient for a potential spinal cord injury...
19. Health Care Delivery in Healthcare Organizations
Have you ever needed health care and thought that there must be better ways to get or deliver health care? For example, have you found yourself thinking that there should be a way to get a diagnostic test or treatment at home? Or do you work in a healthcare organization and find yourself thinking that there must be better ways to deliver health care? If you have, this course is for you. Course content includes an overview of health care delivery including healthcare consumerism, the patient's...
20. Motivational Enhancement Techniques: Working with Patients with Opioid & Substance Use Disorders or High Risk Use MAT Waiver Training S...
WORKING WITH PATIENTS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS OR HIGH RISK This optional online course opportunity is made possible through a joint partnership with University of Virginia School of Medicine (UVASOM) and Nursing (SON) and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), DATA 2000 sponsor. This content was created by the AAAP and has been used with permission. The course consists of one 1-hour session for healthcare providers who wish to enhance their effectiveness in treating high-risk...