Course price: $399.99
Access: 30 months
CME: Up to 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME from the PANRE Clinical Review Module
Included practice: More than 2,500 PANRE practice questions, including five 240-question practice examinations
Optional add-ons: Amazon or Apple Gift Cards from $100 to $1,500
Your CME budget should support both your professional requirements and your clinical development. The PANRE Review Course with Gift Card is designed to combine exam preparation, CME completion, and flexible use of employer-sponsored CME funds in one purchase.
The key point is straightforward: the Amazon and Apple Gift Cards are optional, paid add-ons. They are not free gifts, rebates, or additional CME. Selecting a $100 gift card adds $100 to the course price. Selecting a $1,500 gift card adds $1,500.
How the PANRE Review Course Supports Your CME Plan
The PANRE Review Course with Gift Card includes the PANRE Clinical Review Module, which is designated for up to 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME.
Those 100 hours apply specifically to the PANRE Review Course. They do not automatically apply to the separate Pharmacology CME course or other CME Review Courses products.
The course is delivered online and includes:
- More than 2,500 board-style PANRE questions
- Five full-length practice examinations with 240 questions each
- Detailed explanations and cited references
- Review content across the organ systems and task areas tested on the NCCPA PANRE content blueprint
- A performance dashboard with question tracking and topic-level results
- 30 months of access from the date of purchase
To claim CME, you must complete the applicable course content, pass the post-test with the required score, and complete the activity evaluation. You should claim only the amount of CME that matches your actual participation, up to the 100-hour maximum.
The course is listed at $399.99 before an optional gift card is selected. For example:
- Course only: $399.99
- Course plus $100 Amazon Gift Card: $499.99
- Course plus $500 Apple Gift Card: $899.99
- Course plus $1,500 Amazon Gift Card: $1,899.99
The gift card value does not increase the number of CME hours. It is an optional, separately priced component of the package.
Use the Add-On Strategically
Before selecting an add-on, review your employer’s CME policy. Some organizations allow CME funds to be used for educational materials, digital resources, and related professional expenses. Others restrict purchases to registration fees, courses, travel, or specific vendors.
If gift card add-ons are permitted under your policy, consider the following approach:
1. Determine your remaining CME allowance
Check how much of your annual or certification-cycle allowance remains. If you have $600 available, do not select a package that exceeds the amount your employer will reimburse unless you are prepared to pay the difference.
2. Prioritize the CME value first
The primary purchase is the PANRE Review Course and its potential 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME. The gift card is an optional add-on. Select the course because it supports both PANRE preparation and CME completion: not because of the gift card.
3. Match the denomination to your budget
Gift card options range from $100 to $1,500. Choose the amount that fits your documented CME allowance and your employer’s reimbursement rules.
4. Use the access period
Thirty months of access allows you to prepare in stages. You can review high-yield topics early, complete practice questions during a focused study period, and return to weaker areas before the PANRE or PANRE-LA.
5. Know how delivery works
Gift cards are processed and emailed separately, generally within 2–3 business days after purchase. Gift card packages are nonrefundable, so confirm the brand and denomination before completing checkout.
Practice Questions Should Drive Your Study Plan
A course is more useful when you use the questions diagnostically. Do not simply record a percentage and move on. Identify whether each missed question reflects:
- A knowledge deficit
- Misinterpretation of the clinical stem
- Failure to recognize a red flag
- Incorrect prioritization of diagnostic testing
- Confusion between initial management and definitive management
The PANRE Review Course provides five full-length 240-question examinations. Use the first exam to establish a baseline. Then organize subsequent review around the systems and task areas where your performance is weakest.
The same principle applies to PANCE prep courses. Whether you are preparing for the PANCE, PANRE, or PANRE-LA, active retrieval and review of explanations are more useful than repeatedly reading notes without testing yourself.
Clinical Practice Question
Vignette
A 58-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with sudden-onset pleuritic chest pain and dyspnea. She underwent total knee arthroplasty 10 days ago. HR is 118/min, RR is 24/min, BP is 132/78 mm Hg, temperature is 37.1°C, and SaO2 is 91% on room air. Lung examination is clear. There is mild unilateral calf swelling.
Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?
A. Obtain a D-dimer level
B. Order CT pulmonary angiography
C. Obtain a portable chest radiograph only
D. Begin thrombolysis immediately
E. Schedule outpatient venous duplex ultrasonography
Answer
B. Order CT pulmonary angiography.
This patient has a high clinical probability of pulmonary embolism based on recent surgery, tachycardia, hypoxemia, pleuritic chest pain, and unilateral leg swelling. She is hemodynamically stable and has no stated contraindication to iodinated contrast. CT pulmonary angiography is the appropriate diagnostic study.
A D-dimer is most useful when pretest probability is low or intermediate; it is not the preferred next step in a patient with a high probability of PE. A chest radiograph may identify alternative diagnoses but cannot exclude PE. Thrombolysis is reserved for selected patients with hemodynamic instability or significant right-heart strain, not this stable patient. Outpatient evaluation is inappropriate given her symptoms and vital-sign abnormalities.
This is the type of question that rewards recognizing both the diagnosis and the correct sequence of care. PANRE preparation should include repeated practice with diagnostic pathways, not only memorization of disease facts.
Gift Card Add-Ons Are Not the CME
The Amazon or Apple add-on can help you use an eligible CME budget for a practical purchase, but it does not replace the educational value of the course.
The 100 Category 1 AAPA credits come from completing the PANRE Clinical Review Module and meeting its completion requirements. The gift card does not provide CME, does not increase your credit total, and does not change the course requirements.
Physician assistants should confirm their current NCCPA CME requirements and maintain appropriate documentation of completed activities. Nurse practitioners should verify whether their state board, certifying organization, or employer accepts AAPA Category 1 credit. Acceptance can vary by state. Physicians should also confirm how the activity applies to their own CME requirements, as AAPA Category 1 credit may be reported differently for physicians.
Add PAtopia for Flexible Exam Practice
If you are also comparing PANCE prep courses or want a separate question-based study platform, PAtopia is available through the web and mobile apps.
PAtopia is an exam-preparation resource, not the source of the 100 AAPA Category 1 CME hours. The AAPA Category 1 credit in this article is tied specifically to the PANRE Review Course.
Final CME Budget Checklist
Before purchasing, confirm:
- Course: PANRE Review Course with up to 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME
- Price: $399.99 before any add-on
- Access: 30 months
- Practice content: More than 2,500 questions and five full-length practice examinations
- Gift card: Optional, paid Amazon or Apple add-on from $100 to $1,500
- Delivery: Gift card emailed after processing, generally within 2–3 business days
- Policy: Employer permits the intended use of CME funds
- Credit: You complete the activity requirements and claim only the credit you earn
When your employer allows it, a CME package with a gift card add-on can make your remaining CME dollars more practical. The educational priority remains the same: use the PANRE Review Course to prepare for recertification and complete up to 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME.
About the author: Jeremy Boroff, MPAS, PA-C, has 24 years of experience in Emergency Medicine. He is an educator and the founder of CME Review Courses, where he develops clinical review and exam-preparation resources for physician assistants and other healthcare professionals.