Preparing for Life After PA School Graduation

Around six months out, start deciding how and when you'll study for the PANCE. A board review course is optional and a personal call. This author attended one and got a lot out of it for the added confidence, though plenty of friends skipped it and still passed. If you do take one, budget for the course, an optional binder, and travel costs like flights, hotels, and dinners. [VERIFY]

Six months out is also a fine time to start looking for jobs, though timing varies a lot. Many students line up a position before or around graduation, but some wait until after. If you're set on a specific specialty, location, or other perk, it helps to jump on openings early. Once you accept a position, expect a wave of credentialing paperwork: background checks, drug screens, immunization updates, and the kind of detailed history any job requires.

About three months before graduation, you become eligible to register for the PANCE once your program authorizes you. Then you can pick a location, day, and time. The cost was $500 in June 2018. [VERIFY]

You're eligible to take the PANCE seven days after graduation, and whether you take it right away or wait a few weeks is up to you. This author waited so she could attend a board review course first. Scores typically come back in about one to two weeks, so try to relax until then. There's no point stressing about results before you see them. [VERIFY]

Once you're certified, you can submit your state board licensing application(s) for wherever you plan to practice. Some PAs apply to more than one board (for example, both the State Board of Medicine and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine) depending on who they'll work under. This process can take a while, so start as early as you can. If it stalls, calling your state representative has helped many new PAs move things along. You may also need a National Practitioner Data Bank self-query and your NPI (National Provider Identifier) number, which identifies you as a healthcare provider. [VERIFY]

After your state license, you may need additional licenses like a DEA registration, which cost this author $731 and renews every two years (some employers pay for it). [VERIFY] Your employer often submits a written agreement to the state naming your supervising physician and scope, which links your DEA license to that physician so you can prescribe. Most employers have a credentialing specialist to help, so lean on them with questions. And if you have downtime before starting, rest, read up lightly on your specialty, or start earning CME credits early.

Becoming a PA-C comes with a long checklist, but breaking it into a timeline makes it manageable. Map out your PANCE plan, start your job search when it feels right, and tackle licensing early so paperwork doesn't delay your start date. Lean on your credentialing specialist, and go show the world what an amazing PA you're going to be.