The two-year CME cycle for Physician Assistants can feel like a constant race against the clock. Between clinical shifts, administrative paperwork, and personal life, finding the time to hunt down individual credits is a logistical nightmare. Every PA knows the pressure of the NCCPA requirement: 100 credits every two years, at least 50 of which must be Category 1.
If you are looking for a way to streamline this process, the "trick" isn't about cutting corners; it’s about consolidation. Instead of piecing together 1-hour webinars or weekend conferences, you can knock out your entire Category 1 requirement in a single, comprehensive review.
Course Name: Family Medicine CME Package
Credit Value: 100 Hours of Category 1 AAPA Credit
Access Duration: 12 Months
Deliverables: Comprehensive Video Modules, 1,000+ Practice Questions, PDF Handouts
Gift Card Add-Ons: $100 to $1,500 Apple or Amazon Gift Cards available for purchase
The Strategy: 100 Credits in One Place
When you utilize a panre review course designed for total credit coverage, you eliminate the need to track multiple certificates from various sources. Our Family Medicine CME Package is specifically designed to provide 100 Category 1 AAPA credits. This covers your entire two-year requirement for Category 1 credits in one purchase.
The content is mapped directly to the PANCE/PANRE blueprints, ensuring that while you are earning your credits, you are also preparing for your recertification exam. This dual-purpose approach is the most efficient use of a PA’s limited time.
Understanding the Gift Card Add-On
One of the most frequent questions we receive is regarding the cme gift cards. It is important to clarify the structure of these offers. We offer the ability to include an Amazon or Apple Gift Card add-on ranging from $100 up to $1,500.
These are NOT free gifts. These gift cards are added to the total purchase price of your CME package. This allows PAs to use their employer-provided CME allowance to its full potential. If your employer provides a $3,000 annual CME budget and you have only spent $1,000 on credits, you can choose a gift card add-on to utilize the remaining funds for tech upgrades or clinical resources. You can view all options at CME with Gift Card.
Clinical Focus: Dermatology for the Primary Care and ER PA
To give you a taste of the educational content within our pance prep courses, we are focusing today on high-yield Dermatology. On the PANRE, Dermatology accounts for a significant portion of the blueprint. You must be able to differentiate between inflammatory conditions and infectious processes quickly.
Psoriasis Pathophysiology and Management
Psoriasis is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease with a strong genetic component. The most common form, plaque psoriasis, is characterized by well-demarcated, erythematous plaques with silvery scales. This is due to keratinocyte hyperproliferation.
When managing these patients, you must consider the "Rule of Tens." If more than 10% of the Body Surface Area (BSA) is involved, topical treatments (like high-potency corticosteroids) are usually insufficient, and systemic therapy or phototherapy is indicated.
Clinical Pearls for Psoriasis:
- Auspitz Sign: Pinpoint bleeding when a scale is removed.
- Koebner Phenomenon: New lesions appearing at the site of skin trauma.
- Arthritis: Up to 30% of patients with psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis, often involving the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints.
Clinical Practice Questions
Test your knowledge with these clinical vignettes. These reflect the style of questions found in our panre review course.
Question 1
Your patient is a 34-year-old male presenting with a persistent, itchy rash on his elbows and knees. On physical exam, you note well-demarcated erythematous plaques with overlying silvery scales. You notice that when you scrape one of the scales, several small droplets of blood appear. What is this clinical finding called?
A) Nikolsky sign
B) Auspitz sign
C) Koebner phenomenon
D) Darier sign
Explanation:
B) Auspitz sign is the correct answer. This is a classic finding in psoriasis where the removal of a scale results in pinpoint bleeding from the exposed dermal papillae. Nikolsky sign refers to the sloughing of skin with slight pressure (seen in Pemphigus Vulgaris or SJS). Koebner phenomenon is the development of lesions in areas of trauma. Darier sign is the formation of a wheal upon stroking the skin (seen in mastocytosis).
Question 2
Your patient is a 28-year-old female who presents with a "herald patch" on her trunk, followed one week later by a generalized eruption of smaller, oval, erythematous scaling plaques in a "Christmas tree" distribution on her back. She denies recent illness. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A) Secondary syphilis
B) Tinea corporis
C) Pityriasis rosea
D) Guttate psoriasis
Explanation:
C) Pityriasis rosea is the correct answer. The presence of a larger herald patch followed by a Christmas tree distribution is pathognomonic. Secondary syphilis would typically involve the palms and soles and require a RPR/VDRL. Tinea corporis would show a central clearing and positive KOH prep. Guttate psoriasis often follows a streptococcal infection and presents with small "drop-like" lesions.
Question 3
Your patient is a 45-year-old male with a history of obesity and hypertension who presents with a velvety, hyperpigmented, intertriginous plaque on the back of his neck. He mentions he has been feeling more thirsty than usual lately. What is the most appropriate next step in management?
A) Biopsy of the lesion
B) Topical antifungal cream
C) Hemoglobin A1c testing
D) Topical hydrocortisone 2.5%
Explanation:
C) Hemoglobin A1c testing is the correct answer. The lesion described is Acanthosis Nigricans, which is strongly associated with insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. While it can rarely be associated with internal malignancy (gastric adenocarcinoma), the most common cause is metabolic syndrome. Evaluation for diabetes is the priority.
Question 4
Your patient is a 19-year-old male athlete presenting with a circular, erythematous, pruritic rash with a raised border and central clearing on his right thigh. A KOH prep of skin scrapings shows septate hyphae. What is the first-line treatment?
A) Topical Ketoconazole
B) Oral Griseofulvin
C) Topical Clobetasol
D) Oral Cephalexin
Explanation:
A) Topical Ketoconazole (or other topical azoles/allylamines) is the correct answer for Tinea Corporis. Oral Griseofulvin is typically reserved for Tinea Capitis. Topical Clobetasol (a steroid) should be avoided as it can cause "tinea incognito" by suppressing the inflammation while the fungus flourishes. Cephalexin is an antibiotic and has no role in treating fungal infections.
Question 5
Your patient is a 62-year-old female presenting with a "pearly" papule on her right cheek that has a central ulceration and telangiectasias. She states the lesion has been growing slowly over the past year and occasionally bleeds. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A) Squamous cell carcinoma
B) Basal cell carcinoma
C) Malignant melanoma
D) Seborrheic keratosis
Explanation:
B) Basal cell carcinoma is the correct answer. The description of a pearly papule with telangiectasias and a "rodent ulcer" appearance is classic for BCC, the most common skin cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma usually appears more crusty, scaly, or ulcerated without the pearly sheen. Melanoma is typically pigmented with irregular borders. Seborrheic keratosis has a "stuck-on" appearance.
Maximize Your CME Allowance
When choosing a pance prep course, you aren't just paying for the credits; you are paying for the quality of the review. Our courses are designed by practicing PAs who understand the clinical realities of the job.
Whether you need to focus on Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, or Emergency Medicine, our modules provide the depth required for both the boards and daily practice.
By purchasing the 100-credit package, you fulfill your Category 1 requirements for the cycle and can add an Apple or Amazon gift card to your order. Again, these cme gift cards are add-ons and are not free. They are integrated into the total cost, allowing you to maximize your professional development funds in a way that benefits your clinical practice and your personal workflow.
Don't wait until the month before your NCCPA deadline. Get your 100 Category 1 AAPA credits finished today so you can focus on what matters: your patients.
Summary of Benefits
- Total Compliance: 100 Category 1 AAPA credits in one course.
- Board Prep: Content covers the entire PANCE/PANRE blueprint.
- Flexibility: 12 months of access to all materials.
- Add-On Value: Custom gift card amounts ($100-$1,500) available at checkout to maximize your employer's CME budget.
To get started, visit CME Review Courses and select the package that fits your needs. Use the simple trick of consolidation to take the stress out of your CME cycle.