Course price: $399.99
Access: 30 months
Deliverables: 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME through the PANRE Review Course, 2,500+ practice questions, and three 240-question mock exams
If you are a PA approaching an NCCPA certification maintenance deadline, the type of CME you purchase matters. A course may provide clinical education, but that does not automatically mean it qualifies as AAPA Category 1 CME.
The key distinction is whether the activity has been formally reviewed and designated for Category 1 credit by an accepted accrediting organization. For PAs, AAPA Category 1 CME can help satisfy the Category 1 portion of the NCCPA requirement while also providing structured exam preparation.
The PANRE Review Course with Gift Card is designed to combine both objectives: prepare for the PANRE or PANRE-LA and provide 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME in one course purchase.
What Is AAPA Category 1 CME?
AAPA Category 1 CME consists of planned educational activities designed to maintain, improve, or expand the clinical knowledge and professional skills used in PA practice.
The activity must meet established educational standards. In practical terms, that generally means the course has:
- Defined learning objectives
- Clinically relevant content
- A structured educational format
- An evaluation or assessment process
- Formal accreditation or designation
- Documentation showing the type and amount of credit awarded
The important point is that Category 1 CME is not simply any medical information you read or review. The activity must be formally designated for that credit type.
The AAPA CME FAQs explain that Category 1 CME includes approved clinical and professional education used to maintain knowledge, skills, and professional performance.
How Category 1 Differs From Category 2 CME
For NCCPA certification maintenance, PAs must earn 100 CME credits every two years, including at least 50 Category 1 CME credits. The remaining 50 credits may be Category 1, Category 2, or a combination of both.
Category 1 CME
Category 1 CME is formally reviewed and designated by an accepted accreditor or sponsor. Examples include:
- AAPA Category 1 CME
- AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from an eligible provider
- AOA Category 1-A credit
- AAFP Prescribed Credit
- Certain other recognized credit systems accepted by NCCPA
The activity typically involves an organized course, conference, self-assessment, or performance improvement program.
Category 2 CME
Category 2 CME is elective education related to medicine, patient care, or the PA profession that has not been formally designated for Category 1 credit.
Examples may include:
- Reading medical journals or textbooks
- Reviewing clinical research
- Participating in certain professional meetings
- Precepting students
- Completing other practice-related educational activities that do not carry Category 1 designation
Category 2 credit can be useful, but it does not replace the minimum Category 1 requirement for NCCPA certification maintenance.
The NCCPA CME requirements provide the current details on Category 1, Category 2, self-assessment, and performance improvement CME.
Who Can Claim AAPA Category 1 Credit?
Physician Assistants
PAs are the primary audience for AAPA Category 1 CME. If you complete an activity designated for AAPA Category 1 credit, you can generally claim the awarded credit toward NCCPA certification maintenance, provided the activity falls within your current CME earning window.
For the PANRE Review Course, participants must complete the course requirements and electronic evaluation before claiming the credit. You should claim only the amount of credit that corresponds to your participation.
Nurse Practitioners
NPs may find the clinical content useful, but acceptance of AAPA Category 1 CME varies by state, employer, and credentialing organization.
Some state boards and employers accept AAPA Category 1 credit for NP continuing education. Others require credit approved through nursing-specific organizations. NPs should verify acceptance with their state board of nursing and credentialing body before purchasing.
Physicians
Physicians may also use the clinical content for professional education. However, this activity is not Category 1 CME for physicians. Physicians should generally claim it as Category 2 CME, subject to their state medical board and employer requirements.
This distinction is important when comparing a course’s educational value with its credit value. The same clinical material may count differently depending on your profession and licensing requirements.
How the PANRE Review Course’s 100 AAPA Category 1 Hours Work
The 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 credit apply specifically to the PANRE Review Course. They do not apply to the Pharmacology Course.
The PANRE course is designated for 100 AAPA Category 1 Self-Assessment CME credits, with AAPA reference number CME-203981. The course covers major clinical areas tested on the current NCCPA Blueprint and is structured around board-style questions, explanations, and review materials.
The course includes:
- More than 2,500 board-style practice questions
- Three full-length mock exams
- 720 mock-exam questions total
- Interactive quizzes with explanations
- Organ-system review modules
- A performance dashboard
- Unlimited question attempts
- 30 months of online access
This makes the course useful for both certification maintenance and PANRE preparation. You are not completing a disconnected CME activity solely to collect credit. You are reviewing the clinical content you may need for the recertification exam while working toward the CME requirements attached to your certification cycle.
The NCCPA gives a 50% additional weighting to eligible self-assessment CME when logged for NCCPA certification maintenance. This weighting applies to NCCPA certification maintenance only. It does not change the number of hours awarded on the course documentation, and state licensing boards may require you to report the actual awarded amount without additional weighting.
The PANRE Review Course with Gift Card includes the complete course details, accreditation statement, and available purchase options.
Do Not Confuse the PANRE Course With the Pharmacology Course
CME Review Courses offers a separate Pharmacology CME Review Course.
That course provides 12 hours of AAPA Category 1 Self-Assessment CME in pharmacology. It is intended for clinicians who need focused pharmacology education, including prescribing principles, drug safety, contraindications, and medication management.
It does not provide the 100 Category 1 hours associated with the PANRE Review Course.
If your primary goal is to complete a large portion or all of your NCCPA CME requirement while preparing for recertification, the PANRE course is the relevant product. If you need additional pharmacology-specific education, the Pharmacology Course can be considered separately.
Paid CME Gift Card Add-Ons: What the Purchase Includes
The PANRE Review Course can be purchased with optional Amazon or Apple Gift Card add-ons ranging from $100 to $1,500.
These are paid add-ons, not free gifts. The selected gift card amount is added to the total purchase price. For example, choosing a $500 Amazon Gift Card add-on increases the package total by $500.
The add-on structure may help clinicians use an employer-sponsored CME allowance for a substantial educational purchase while also obtaining funds for additional professional resources. Depending on your employer’s policy, the gift card may be used for items such as:
- Medical textbooks
- Clinical reference tools
- Computer or tablet equipment
- Educational subscriptions
- Other approved professional-development expenses
Before purchasing, confirm that your employer permits this type of CME package and add-on structure. Amazon and Apple are independent companies and are not affiliated with or sponsors of CME Review Courses. Gift cards are processed separately and typically delivered by email within two to three business days.
Practice Clinical Vignette
Your patient is a 67-year-old man with hypertension and hyperlipidemia who presents with sudden, severe chest pain radiating to the interscapular region. His BP is 204/112 mmHg in the right arm and 178/96 mmHg in the left arm. HR is 118/min. Chest radiography shows a widened mediastinum.
Which medication should be administered first to reduce aortic wall shear stress?
A. IV nitroprusside
B. IV labetalol
C. Oral amlodipine
D. IV heparin
E. Sublingual nitroglycerin
Correct answer: B. IV labetalol.
In suspected acute aortic dissection, initiate rapid beta-blockade to reduce HR and ventricular contractility before adding a vasodilator. IV labetalol decreases shear stress through beta blockade with additional alpha blockade. Nitroprusside may be added after beta blockade if hypertension persists, but using it first can produce reflex tachycardia. Heparin is inappropriate when dissection is suspected because of hemorrhage risk. Oral therapy is too slow for this hypertensive emergency.
One Course Purchase, 100 Category 1 Hours
For a PA, the value of the PANRE Review Course is the combination of exam preparation and CME fulfillment.
You receive:
- A course designed for PANRE and PANRE-LA preparation
- 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME from the PANRE Review Course
- More than 2,500 practice questions
- Three 240-question mock exams
- 30 months of access
- Optional paid Amazon or Apple Gift Card add-ons from $100 to $1,500
Always confirm your personal NCCPA earning window, state licensing requirements, and employer reimbursement rules before enrolling. For most PAs who need both recertification preparation and a substantial amount of Category 1 CME, completing one comprehensive course can be more efficient than assembling credits from multiple unrelated activities.
Continue Studying With PAtopia
If you are still in PA school or preparing for the PANCE, PAtopia’s web version provides PANCE, PACKRAT, EOC, and EOR review resources. PAtopia is an exam-preparation platform and is separate from the AAPA-accredited PANRE CME activity.
You can also study on mobile:
PAtopia includes board-style practice questions and study libraries for clinicians seeking pance prep courses and PA school exam preparation.
About the Author
Jeremy Boroff, PA-C is an emergency medicine physician assistant with more than two decades of clinical experience. He has served as an advanced practice clinician director, written PA board-review materials, and developed PANRE, PANCE, EOR, and specialty CME courses for physician assistants. His educational content focuses on practical clinical reasoning, exam-relevant decision-making, and evidence-based patient care.