PANRE Review Course: Know What You Are Buying
Price: $399.99
Access: 30 months
CME: Up to 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME through the PANRE Review Course
Deliverables: 2,500+ practice questions, five 240-question PANRE practice examinations, study library, explanations, and cited references
The PANRE Review Course with Gift Card is designed for practicing PAs preparing for the PANRE or PANRE-LA while completing a substantial portion of their CME requirements.
The 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME apply specifically to the PANRE Review Course. They do not automatically apply to other CME Review Courses products, including the Pharmacology course or specialty CME packages. Claim only the credit that corresponds to your actual participation and completion of the activity requirements.
The course covers the organ systems and task areas identified in the NCCPA Blueprint, includes five full-length 240-question practice examinations, and provides 30 months of access. That access period is important because PANRE preparation is often performed around a full clinical schedule rather than during a single uninterrupted study block.
Optional Amazon and Apple Gift Card add-ons from $100 to $1,500 can be added to the purchase. These are not free gifts. The selected gift card amount is an additional charge added to the base course price. For example, selecting a $500 Amazon Gift Card creates a total purchase price of $399.99 plus the $500 add-on. Check your employer’s CME policy before purchase to confirm how CME funds may be used.
The add-ons are intended to help you use available CME dollars for educational tools, clinical references, technology, or other approved professional needs. Amazon and Apple are not affiliated with or sponsoring CME Review Courses.
Mistake 1: Buying CME in Small Pieces Without a PANRE Plan
A common mistake is purchasing several unrelated CME activities because each one appears inexpensive or convenient. The result may be adequate activity volume but poor exam preparation.
If PANRE review is one of your current priorities, select a course that performs both functions:
- Provides a structured review of the NCCPA Blueprint
- Includes board-style practice questions
- Offers explanations that identify knowledge gaps
- Provides a substantial amount of AAPA Category 1 CME
- Allows enough access time to study without rushing
The PANRE Review Course provides up to 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME and is designed around PANRE preparation. That can reduce the need to coordinate multiple small CME activities during the same certification cycle.
Do not assume that every board-review product provides AAPA Category 1 credit. Confirm the specific course, credit designation, completion requirements, and expiration dates before using your CME budget.
Mistake 2: Confusing a PANRE Review Course With PANCE Prep Courses
The PANRE and PANCE test overlapping medical knowledge, but they are not the same professional examination. A PA preparing for recertification needs a resource designed for the PANRE or PANRE-LA, not simply a collection of entry-level student materials.
PANCE prep courses can be useful for PA students and recent graduates building foundational knowledge. They may be less efficient for an experienced PA who needs to review broad clinical content, identify weak systems, and prepare for a recertification examination.
The appropriate resource depends on your exam:
- PANRE Review Course: Designed for practicing PAs preparing for PANRE or PANRE-LA.
- PANCE prep courses: Designed primarily for students preparing for initial certification.
- PAtopia: Designed for PA students preparing for PACKRAT, EOR examinations, the End of Curriculum examination, and the PANCE.
Using the wrong resource can cost you both study time and CME dollars. Match the product to the examination you are taking.
Mistake 3: Reading Explanations Before Committing to an Answer
Passive review creates false confidence. If you read the correct answer before making a decision, you are testing recognition rather than recall.
Use each question as a clinical decision:
- Read the patient demographics, symptoms, examination findings, and vital signs.
- Identify the immediate problem.
- Decide whether the patient is stable or unstable.
- Select an answer before reviewing the explanation.
- Record why your answer was correct or incorrect.
- Revisit missed questions after a delay rather than immediately memorizing the explanation.
The PANRE Review Course uses five-answer multiple-choice questions with explanations and cited sources. Complete a timed block, then review the rationale. This approach more accurately identifies whether your problem is knowledge, interpretation, prioritization, or time management.
Mistake 4: Ignoring the NCCPA Blueprint Distribution
Another mistake is studying only the topics you see frequently in practice. Clinical experience is valuable, but it does not guarantee balanced preparation across all tested systems.
A clinician who works primarily in emergency medicine may be comfortable with acute cardiopulmonary disease but less comfortable with dermatology, reproductive medicine, hematology, or professional practice. A hospitalist may need to deliberately review outpatient, reproductive, dermatologic, and EENT topics.
Use the NCCPA PANRE/PANRE-LA content information to organize your review. Compare your practice-question performance by system and allocate additional time to consistently weak areas.
Do not spend every study session reviewing familiar content simply because it feels productive. The goal is to improve performance across the examination, not to confirm what you already know.
Mistake 5: Waiting Until the Final Weeks
Short access periods and delayed preparation can create unnecessary pressure. A 30-month access period allows you to begin with diagnostic testing, build a study schedule, and return to difficult topics over time.
A practical schedule is:
- First phase: Complete a baseline practice examination.
- Second phase: Review weak organ systems and task areas.
- Third phase: Complete additional timed examinations.
- Final phase: Repeat missed questions and review high-risk topics.
Use the full-length examinations to measure progress, not just to generate a percentage score. Look for recurring patterns: missed “next best step” questions, incorrect pharmacology, difficulty with screening recommendations, or failure to identify unstable patients.
Mistake 6: Misunderstanding CME Gift Card Add-Ons
The phrase “CME gift cards” can create confusion. The Amazon and Apple options offered with the PANRE Review Course are optional paid add-ons. They are not free gifts, rebates, or bonuses.
The base PANRE Review Course is listed separately from the selected Amazon or Apple Gift Card amount. Available add-ons range from $100 to $1,500. Gift cards are generally delivered by email within two to three business days, according to the product information.
Before selecting an add-on:
- Confirm your employer’s allowable CME expenses.
- Confirm the total amount available in your CME budget.
- Remember that the add-on increases the total purchase price.
- Select the card brand and amount carefully.
- Review the applicable gift-card terms before completing checkout.
The add-on may help you use available CME funds efficiently, but it does not change the number of AAPA Category 1 CME credits awarded by the PANRE Review Course.
Practice Clinical Vignette
Your patient is a 57-year-old woman who presents to the emergency department with sudden dyspnea and pleuritic right-sided chest pain that began two hours ago. She returned from a long international flight three days ago. HR is 124/min, BP is 118/72 mm Hg, RR is 28/min, and SaO2 is 88% on room air. Examination shows unilateral left calf swelling and tenderness. She is alert and hemodynamically stable. What is the most appropriate next diagnostic step?
A. D-dimer assay
B. CT pulmonary angiography
C. Immediate systemic thrombolysis
D. Chest radiograph only
E. Lower-extremity venous ultrasound as the sole diagnostic study
Correct answer: B. CT pulmonary angiography.
This patient has a high pretest probability for pulmonary embolism based on acute dyspnea, tachycardia, hypoxemia, recent prolonged travel, and unilateral leg findings. In a hemodynamically stable patient with high clinical suspicion, proceed directly to CT pulmonary angiography if there is no contraindication.
A D-dimer is most useful when pretest probability is low or intermediate; it should not delay definitive imaging in this presentation. Systemic thrombolysis is reserved for selected patients with hemodynamic compromise or other high-risk features. A chest radiograph may evaluate alternative diagnoses but does not exclude PE. Lower-extremity ultrasound can identify DVT, but it is not the preferred sole diagnostic test when pulmonary embolism is suspected and CT is appropriate.
A Practical Way to Avoid These Mistakes
Use your PANRE study resource as an assessment system rather than a reading assignment. Complete questions under time constraints, review explanations, track weak systems, and schedule repeat testing.
The PANRE Review Course combines exam preparation with up to 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME, 30 months of access, and thousands of board-style questions. If you are using a CME allowance, optional Amazon or Apple Gift Card add-ons from $100 to $1,500 may be added to the purchase. Again, these add-ons are paid options and are not free gifts.
For PA students, PAtopia provides a separate exam-preparation library with 11,000+ board-style questions, all seven EOR rotations, and 15 full-length PANCE practice examinations. The web version is available through the PAtopia student section.
PAtopia is also available through:
The mobile app includes a free three-day trial with no account or sign-in required. Choose the resource that matches your examination and professional stage.
Final CME Tip
The most expensive PANRE mistake is not always buying the wrong course. It is buying a resource without a plan, failing to use the questions actively, and allowing CME funds or study time to expire unused.
Start with a baseline examination. Use the NCCPA Blueprint to identify coverage gaps. Schedule recurring question blocks. Confirm your CME requirements. Then select a course that provides both practical PANRE preparation and meaningful CME value.
The PANRE Review Course provides up to 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME specifically through the PANRE Review Course, 30 months of access, and extensive practice material. Optional Amazon and Apple Gift Card add-ons are available for $100 to $1,500, but they are paid additions to the course purchase; not free gifts.
About the Author
Jeremy Boroff, MPAS, PA-C, has 24 years of Emergency Medicine experience as a practicing physician assistant. He is an educator, PA exam-preparation author, and the founder of CME Review Courses. His educational work includes PANRE, PANCE, EOR, and specialty CME review content written for clinicians and PA students.