What is required for a PA to maintain their certification?

To maintain certification, a Physician Assistant (PA) is required to complete 100 hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) every two years. This requirement ensures that PAs stay current with the latest medical knowledge, practices, and advances in healthcare that are crucial for providing high-quality patient care. The CME hours can be fulfilled through various educational activities, including conferences, online courses, or workshops related to the PA's practice area.

Other choices do not align with the current certification maintenance requirements for PAs. The need to pass an annual exam is not a requirement; PAs take a recertification exam every ten years, rather than annually. Obtaining a PhD is not necessary for maintaining PA certification and is not relevant to the PA's scope of practice. While community service is valuable, it is not part of the certification maintenance requirements set by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).