AAPA Category 1 vs. AMA PRA Category 1 CME: What’s the Difference?

AAPA Category 1 and AMA PRA Category 1 are two different CME credit systems: AAPA Category 1 is the credit built for physician assistants, and AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ is the credit built for physicians. For PAs, the takeaway is simple — the NCCPA counts both toward your Category 1 requirement, so either one satisfies your certification maintenance.

What is AAPA Category 1 CME?

AAPA Category 1 is the CME credit the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) reviews and approves for physician assistants. It is the credit PAs log with the NCCPA for certification maintenance, where one credit equals one hour of participation.

What is AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™?

AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ is the American Medical Association’s credit, provided by organizations accredited by the ACCME. By AMA policy it can only be awarded to physicians (MDs and DOs) — a PA who attends an AMA Category 1 activity receives a certificate of participation rather than the AMA credit itself, which can then be logged with the NCCPA.

Which one do PAs actually need?

Either. For NCCPA certification maintenance, PAs must earn at least 50 Category 1 credits every two years, and the NCCPA accepts Category 1 credit from several bodies — including AAPA Category 1 CME and AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™:

• AAPA Category 1 counts as Category 1 toward your requirement.
• AMA PRA Category 1 (logged as a certificate of participation) also counts as Category 1.

In other words, you do not need AMA credit specifically. AAPA Category 1 fully satisfies your Category 1 requirement — see our guide on how many CME credits PAs need.

Can physicians use AAPA Category 1 activities?

Yes, but they log them differently. Because AMA PRA Category 1 can only be awarded to physicians by ACCME-accredited providers, a physician who completes an AAPA Category 1 activity typically claims it as AMA PRA Category 2 credit.

What about nurse practitioners?

NP certifying bodies such as the AANP and ANCC accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Nurse practitioner acceptance of AAPA Category 1 credit varies from state to state — check with your state board of nursing to confirm.

Bottom line for PAs

If you are a PA, AAPA Category 1 is exactly the credit you need. Every one of our packages is accredited for AAPA Category 1 CME — browse the specialty CME packages, or cover multiple cycles at once with Total Program Access (up to 468.75 AAPA Category 1 credits).

Frequently asked questions

Is AAPA Category 1 the same as AMA PRA Category 1?

They are two separate credit systems — AAPA Category 1 for PAs, AMA PRA Category 1 for physicians — but for PAs the NCCPA counts both as Category 1 toward certification maintenance.

Can a PA earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit?

No. By AMA policy, only physicians can be awarded AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. A PA attending such an activity logs a certificate of participation as Category 1 with the NCCPA.

Does AAPA Category 1 count for PA recertification?

Yes. AAPA Category 1 credit counts toward the 50 Category 1 credits PAs must earn each two-year cycle for NCCPA certification maintenance.

Can physicians use AAPA Category 1 CME?

Yes, typically by claiming it as AMA PRA Category 2 credit, since AMA PRA Category 1 can only be awarded by ACCME-accredited providers.