NCCPA Ambassador Conference
Let me just start by saying that this was the very first professional conference that I have attended as a licensed physician assistant, and it did not disappoint. The whole purpose behind the NCCPA ambassador program is to spread awareness of the Physician Assistant profession through social media, publications, and collaborations with other PAs.
Day 1:
The morning was spent with a welcome breakfast and icebreaker activities at the NCCPA headquarters in John’s Creek, GA. We then got to meet the NCCPA president Dr. Morton-Rias which was amazing. She did an overview of the purpose of ambassadors and the NCCPA as a whole. This was followed by an office tour. We had the opportunity to meet those that help create examinations, process CME credits, and a ton of the workers behind the scenes that ensure our certifications stay active. The afternoon started with Tony Adkins PA-C “The Dancing PA”…this was the highlight of my day. Hearing how Tony interacts with his patients and inspires other health care workers around him was amazing. We learned a few dance moves too…
After Tony left we moved into a discussion about the PA Health Foundation. This foundation is a nonprofit that aims to improve how certified PAs can help with access to health care. This foundation has grants in a verity of categories such as mental health and oral care. If you have an idea to help expand health care, I strongly encourage you to take a look at their sponsorship options. Learning the history of the PA profession was also a large part of the first day. The Physician Assistant History Society collects publications, books, images, and anything else that depicts all the amazing things that PAs do. This was particularly interesting because two of the other ambassadors have written books that were on display.
Another key highlight was learning about the PANRE Pilot Examination. This is a new way of recertification that the NCCPA is testing out. It officially began in January 2019 and extends into December 2020. This assessment consists of multiple-choice based questions just like the PANCE and PANRE. The layout consists of 25 questions that must be completed per quarter over about 2 years. This has been preferred by many practicing physician assistants because it allows you to review and re-learn material versus cramming for a one-time 6-hour exam. Further development regarding this pilot will continue to be discussed by the NCCPA.
Dinner was spent at a very sophisticated steakhouse in the area. Spending the rest of the evening just chatting with the members of NCCPA and other PAs was great. The physician assistants at this conference were from all over the country, practicing in every speciality imaginable.
Day 2:
The day started with breakfast at NCCPA headquarters and a presentation by the PANCE and PANCRE exam developers. They explained to us how they make examinations and the detailed process that goes into scoring. This was some quality information, I definitely would have loved to have it last year haha…BUT seriously, learning about their process that keeps us all safe practicing medicine was intriguing. The rest of the day was mainly discussing the next steps for the ambassadors and when we would all be collaborating again at NCCPA headquarters.