The clinical postgraduate PA program accreditation process conducted by the ARC-PA is a voluntary one entered into by institutions and programs that sponsor a structured educational experience. The process gives applicant programs the opportunity to demonstrate compliance with the approved accreditation standards. While the process is voluntary, it provides programs an external validation of their educational offering. Additionally, the process offers prospective PA trainees one means by which they can judge the quality of the educational experience offered by the program or institution.