Timeline

1991

AAPA assumes administrative responsibility of the Accreditation Review Committee on Education for Physician Assistants (formerly the JRC-PA).

Navy PAs are Commissioned.

Clinician Reviews is published as the first clinical journal targeting both PAs and NPs. It is owned and published by PAs.

1992

Army and Coast Guard PAs Commissioned.

The AAPA and the APAP Board of Directors begin their first series of annual joint planning meeting.

The Canadian National Forces begin training and using PAs.

The APAP faculty development scholarship is established.

1993

The Role of the Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care, edited by Clawson and Osterwise, is published.

The first pilot test administration of NCCPA's Pathway II recertification examination is offered as an alternative to the proctored PANRE. Pilot testing and refinement continues through 1997.

Advance for Physician Assistants is published to provide PAs with the latest in practice and clinical information.

AAPA reports that 26,400 PAs are in active practice in 50 states, territories and the District of Columbia.

1994

Physician Assistants: A Guide to Clinical Practice, edited by Ballweg, Stolgerg, and Sullivan, is published.

1995

The Physician Assistant Medical Handbook, edited by Labus, is published.

Physician Assistants in the Health Workforce, 1994, report by the Advisory Group on PA and the Workforce (AGPAW), is published.

APAP establishes PATH (Program Assistance and Technical Help) to provide guidance to new and developing programs. PATH becomes fully operation in 1996.

Surgical Physician Assistant is published as a joint effort of the Association of PAs in Cardiovascular Surgery, the American Association of Surgeon Assistants, and PAs in Orthopeadic Surgery.

1996

American Medical Association (AMA) grants observer status to AAPA in the AMA House of Delegates.

APAP develops and publishes PACKRAT (PA Clinical Knowledge Rating and Assessment Tool), a student self-assessment examination, to specifically identify areas of strengths and weaknesses in both specialty and task categories.

1997

The Physician Assistant Emergency Medical Handbook, by Salyer, is published.

The AAPA reports 28,500 PAs in active practice; prescribing authorized in 40 states, the District of Columbia and Guam.

Physician Assistants in American Medicine, by Hooker and Cawley, is published.

NCCPA redesigns PANCE, eliminating clinical skills problems (CSPs) and the extended core component, and begins offering a second administration in the Fall. NCCPA introduces the Surgery Examination as a stand-alone exam allowing certified or certifying PAs to earn "special recognition."

APAP develops a Research Institute and Endowment Fund to support PA faculty research initiatives.

1998

Perspective on PA Education becomes the official peer-reviewed Journal of the Association of Physician Assistant Programs (APAP) with Donald Pedersen as Editor-in-Chief.

Pathway II pilot testing is complete, and the alternative exam is administered by the NCCPA as a formal alternative to PANRE.

NCCPA begins requiring PAs to pass one of the recertifying exams within two attempts.

The APAP Faculty Development Institute is established to provide oversight to all APAP sponsored faculty development activities.

1999

NCCPA's Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) is administered for the first time as computer-based examination.

The APAP develops and releases the GRADRAT (Graduate Rating and Assessment Tool), a self-assessment examination, designed to help certified PAs prepare for the PANRE (Physician Assistant National Recertifying Examination) administered by the NCCPA.

2000  

Mississippi is last state to enact legislation authorizing PAs to practice in the state ending 25 years of effort by local and national organizations.

NCCPA's Physician Assistant National Recertifying Examination (PANRE) and Surgery Examination are administered for the first time as computer-based exams. NCCPA also launches a new Web-based CME logging system and provides secure access for PA-C designees to their certification maintenance record.