Standards Ready for Final Comment before Implementation
(March 2012)
The ARC-PA is entering the final phase of approval for the Accreditation Standards for Clinical Postgraduate PA Programs. The review has been ongoing since early 2011. Comments were received until July 2011 and changes were discussed with those program representatives and other interested parties at the PAEA meeting during the APPAP/ARC-PA session in November 2011. The ARC-PA clinical postgraduate committee is now publishing the Standards for any final comments.
Details about changes to this second edition of the Standards are available here. In the absence of recommended substantive changes (i.e., those that could not be made easily with annotations or definition) these Standards will be published as final 2nd edition, effective on July 1, 2012.
Comments should be submitted to postgradstds@arc-pa.org no later than June 23, 2012.
New application materials will be available as soon as the Standards are published as final.
ARC-PA Policies Available:
(May 2011)
The ARC-PA has compiled a Policy Manual available as an informational resource for physician assistant program faculty, staff and the general public in reference to Commission activities directly related to program accreditation. The manual can be found in the Resources page of this section. Additionally after the Standards for clinical postgraduate programs are revised, an Accreditation Manual for clinical postgraduate programs will be available.
Accreditation Process AND Application Under Revision
(March 2012))
The ARC-PA revised the accreditation process for clinical postgraduate PA programs. Revisions to the process are available on the Process page of this web section.
The accreditation application and appendices are under revision. Programs in the process should continue to use the documents they have downloaded. Programs just entering the process should contact the ARC-PA office for more information.
Clinical Postgraduate PA Programs Overview
(updated December 2009)
Clinical postgraduate programs are formal educational programs that offer structured curricula, including didactic and clinical components, to educate NCCPA eligible or certified PA's for a defined period of time in preparation for practice in a medical or surgical specialty. Programs typically involve full time study of 12-24 months duration and follow several models including fellowships, graduate degree programs, and residency programs. Graduate degree programs and masters completion programs without a strong focus on clinical education in a recognized clinical specialty discipline are not included in this definition.
The mission of the ARC-PA is to protect the interests of the public and PA profession, and welfare of the student by defining the standards for PA education and evaluating PA educational programs. At its March, 2006 meeting the commission voted to provide accreditation services for clinical postgraduate programs. At its September, 2006 meeting the commission approved the distribution of accreditation standards for comment. The commission approved accreditation standards in March, 2007.
Accreditation Process
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. To be eligible to apply for accreditation, programs must be operational with at least one enrolled PA resident at the time of application. The accreditation process was revised in May 2011.
Special Note: Scheduling Site Visits
12.09
Clinical postgraduate programs applying for initial accreditation should contact associate director Laura Stuetzer regarding the process (curriculum and administrative reviews) and timeline involved in document review and preparation to schedule a site visit.
Background
Accreditation of clinical postgraduate programs is voluntary. It serves to provide programs an external validation of their educational offering. Additionally the process offers prospective learners one means by which they can judge the quality of the educational experience offered by the program or institution.
The PA profession is based on the model of broad based, generalist medical education provided by accredited entry-level PA programs. When supplemented with practice-based training and appropriate physician supervision, this preparation allows PAs to successfully integrate into medical specialties or practice settings throughout their careers.
The fact that PAs continue to refine their knowledge and skills via practice-based training is a hallmark feature of the physician assistant profession. With ever changing health care needs, including changes in physician staffing, this model allows PAs to rapidly adapt to the medical needs of their communities. Employers, physicians and patients, benefit from this model.
Some PAs may elect to obtain additional specialty education and training by participation in formal post-graduate PA training programs or residencies. Such specialty training is not, however, required for successful physician-PA teams to provide specialty medical care and should not be mandated by employers or governmental agencies.