The PA profession is experiencing a period of unprecedented growth. The numbers tell a compelling story: The number of board-certified PAs reached 189,907 at the end of 2024, a notable 27.8% increase over the last five years (NCCPA). Aspiring PAs are also flocking to the field, with the number of applicants to PA schools reaching 34,625 in the 2024-2025 school year, which is a 14.1% jump since 2019.
To meet this rising demand, PA programs are expanding rapidly. The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) now lists 317 accredited entry-level PA programs, with more joining the pipeline every year. Several universities, including Baylor, Lenoir Rhyne, Larkin, and Mount St. Mary’s, earned Accreditation-Provisional status this past summer and are preparing to seat new cohorts in 2026. This expansion, particularly in new programs that emphasize community-based training, directly ties education to healthcare access and outcomes in underserved communities (ARC-PA).
A Changing Assessment Landscape: Why Modern Tools Matter
For PA educators and students, recent trends in PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination) performance have been a key area of focus. We’ve seen PANCE pass rates tighten since the pandemic and recent blueprint adjustments. While the national average for first-time takers was 92% in 2024, down from 95% in 2020, it’s worth noting that this average is statistically influenced by a small number of programs. The vast majority of established programs continue to have very high first-time pass rates—often well over 95%. This shift in the national data is a topic of widespread discussion among PA faculty, who point to a number of factors, including lingering disruptions from the COVID era and the need to realign curricula with updated exam blueprints. The challenge of maintaining and continually updating high-quality, aligned curriculum is why targeted support is more important than ever for faculty and students alike (NCCPA).
How Lecturio helps PA educators and students
Sustaining a high-quality education at scale requires the right tools. Lecturio is designed to help programs maintain consistency and save faculty time, while empowering students to learn actively and effectively. We are dedicated to the advancement of PA education, and we’re constantly working to deliver high-quality materials created by experts specifically for PA students. We meet the unique challenges of PA educators head-on with these resources:
- 500+ new PANCE-style questions, updated to align with current blueprint categories.
- 10 dedicated PA study plans that blend videos, recall tools, and questions for comprehensive preparation.
- 400+ hours of video content covering high-yield systems and topics essential for PA students.
These resources help programs keep content current, streamline lecture preparation and assessment creation, and provide students with structured, adaptive practice. Combined with robust analytics, our platform helps educators identify knowledge gaps sooner and enables more effective remediation.
We’re Here to Celebrate and Collaborate
PA Week is a time to honor the clinicians, educators, and students who drive this profession forward. We’re excited to celebrate with you and to keep investing in the tools that make your work easier and your outcomes stronger.
Want to learn more about how we are supporting PAs? You can also book a quick call with one of our PA learning specialists to see how we can support your program.
