Choosing a board review course is one of the most critical professional decisions a Physician Assistant (PA) makes every few years. Whether you are preparing for the traditional PANRE or participating in the PANRE-LA, the sheer volume of medical knowledge required to satisfy the NCCPA Blueprint can be overwhelming. Not all courses are created equal, and many fail to respect the limited time and specific needs of a practicing clinician.
At CME Review Courses, we understand that your time is valuable and your CME budget should work for you. Our content is written by PAs for PAs, ensuring that the clinical complexity and high-yield focus match the reality of the profession.
Before you invest your time and money, here are 10 things you should know about selecting the right board review course.
The first and most important criterion for any board review course is its alignment with the NCCPA Blueprint. The NCCPA periodically updates the exam content, shifting percentages across organ systems. A course that relies on outdated materials from three years ago will leave you over-prepared for rare conditions and under-prepared for the core content categories like Cardiology (13%), Pulmonary (10%), and GI (9%). Ensure your course covers all 15 official content categories in the correct proportions.
Not all CME credits are created equal for the PA-C. While many courses offer AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, PAs should prioritize AAPA Category 1 Credit. This is the gold standard for our profession. Our PANRE Review Course provides 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 credit, which is specifically designed to fulfill your major credit requirements in one efficient package. If you are a Nurse Practitioner, keep in mind that the acceptance of AAPA credits varies from state to state, so always verify with your state board.
Most employers provide a dedicated CME allowance, but many PAs struggle to spend the entire amount or find it difficult to justify high costs for materials that expire. An efficient way to use your CME money is to select a course that offers Amazon or Apple Gift Card add-ons. This allows you to add a $100 to $1,500 gift card to your purchase, which can be used to further enrich your education by purchasing medical equipment, reference books, or technology.
There is a distinct difference between board review content written by academic physicians and content written by practicing PAs. PAs understand the nuances of the "Physician Assistant" perspective, focusing on the diagnostic and management steps most likely to appear on the exam. Our courses are developed by Jeremy Boroff, PA-C, ensuring the content is peer-relevant and practical.
Avoid courses that force you into a rigid subscription model or require multiple logins that expire after 90 days. As a working professional, you need a course that you can own. Our review exams are available in formats that allow you to own the content permanently, with no expiration and no recurring fees. This is particularly useful for the PANRE-LA, where you may need to reference specific organ system reviews over a three-year period.
Passive reading of textbooks is the least effective way to retain medical information. The most effective method is retrieval practice. When choosing a course, look for a "forced recall" design. For example, our practice exams reveal the correct answer only after the choices, forcing you to commit to an answer before checking. This simulates the high-stakes environment of the actual testing center.
A generic review is often not enough. If you work in a specialty like Orthopedics or Dermatology, you may feel rusty in Cardiology or OB/GYN. Your review course should allow you to dive deep into specific domains. We offer comprehensive content across:
The PANRE has moved away from "first-order" questions (simple recall) and toward complex clinical vignettes. A high-quality course will provide vignettes that include patient demographics, vitals, and physical exam findings, requiring you to make a multi-step diagnostic or management decision.
Many states and hospital systems now require specific pharmacology CME hours. It is highly efficient to choose a provider that offers both a general PANRE review and a dedicated Pharmacology Course. Our Pharmacology Course also carries AAPA Category 1 Credit, making it easy to satisfy those specific requirements while preparing for boards.
Before purchasing, look for clear, bolded logistics. You should know exactly what you are getting, for how much, and how long you will have access to it.
View the PANRE Review Course Options Here
Your patient is a 64-year-old male with a history of hypertension and tobacco use who presents to the emergency department with sudden onset of severe, tearing chest pain that radiates to his back. His blood pressure in the right arm is 190/110 mmHg, and in the left arm, it is 160/95 mmHg. His heart rate is 105 bpm. A chest X-ray reveals a widened mediastinum.
Which of the following is the most appropriate initial pharmacological management for this patient?
A. Intravenous Nitroprusside
B. Intravenous Esmolol
C. Intravenous Hydralazine
D. Oral Amlodipine
E. Intravenous Heparin
Explanation:
The correct answer is B. Intravenous Esmolol.
The patient’s presentation is classic for an acute aortic dissection (tearing pain, blood pressure discrepancy, widened mediastinum). The primary goal in the management of aortic dissection is "anti-impulse therapy" to reduce the shear stress on the aortic wall. This requires lowering both the heart rate and the blood pressure.
Esmolol (or another IV beta-blocker like Labetalol) is the first-line treatment because it reduces the heart rate (target < 60 bpm) and the contractility of the heart (dP/dt). Only after the heart rate is controlled should vasodilators like Nitroprusside (A) be added, as vasodilators can cause reflex tachycardia, which increases the shear stress on the dissection and may propagate the tear. Hydralazine (C) is contraindicated for the same reason: it can cause reflex tachycardia. Amlodipine (D) is an oral medication and is inappropriate for an acute hypertensive emergency. Heparin (E) is contraindicated in suspected or confirmed aortic dissection as it can worsen the hemorrhage.
Preparation for the PANRE should not be a months-long marathon through 2,000 irrelevant questions. It should be a focused, high-yield review of the topics the NCCPA actually tests. By choosing a course written by PAs, you ensure that you are studying the right material in the most efficient way possible.
Whether you are looking for the full 100-hour PANRE Review Course or looking to bolster your knowledge in a specific area like Internal Medicine or Emergency Medicine, we provide the tools you need to pass your exams and improve your clinical practice.
We also cater to Internal Medicine Physicians who find value in our clinical content. While our courses count as Category 1 AAPA Credit for PAs, physicians can often claim them as Category 2 CME. This makes our packages a versatile option for the entire clinical team.
Stop overpaying for subscriptions you don't use. Invest in a review course that respects your profession and your wallet.
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