Do physician assistants trained outside of the US have to attend a U.S. PA program to work as a PA in the United States? It is said that some states allow for this without attending a US-based PA program. Is this true?

To become a PA in the United States, individuals must also attend and graduate from an ARC-PA–accredited entry-level PA program and pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certifying of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

For information on PA programs, contact the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA). Eligibility criteria for taking the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) are available on the NCCPA website.

Additional information on practicing as a PA in the U.S. can be found on the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) website.