Physician Assistant Series, 0603

Individual Occupational Requirements

Basic Requirements

All applicants must meet the following basic requirements for all grade levels:

• Graduation from a physician assistant educational program, accredited by the Accreditation Review Committee on Education for the Physician Assistant  (ARC-PA) or its predecessors, at a college, university, or educational institution that is accredited by an accrediting body or organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education  at the time the degree was obtained.
• Successful completion of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) examination; must maintain status as a certified physician assistant, including completion of all requirements for Continuing Medical Education (CME) and re-certification.

Licensure

For all grade levels and positions, applicants must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a Physician Assistant from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

Basic Requirements for the GS-7 (or equivalent) Grade Level

Applicants must meet at least one of the following requirements:

• Completion of an accredited physician assistant educational program (certificate of completion, associate degree, bachelor's degree); or
• Completion of a bachelor's degree in a related health care or health related science and graduation from an accredited physician assistant educational program.

Basic Requirements for the GS-9 (or equivalent) Grade Level

In addition to the requirements for the GS-7 (or equivalent) level, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• Completion of Master of Physician Assistant Studies; or
• Completion of a master's degree in a related health care or health related science and completion of an accredited physician assistant educational program.  Examples of related master's degree programs include, but are not limited to, Master of Medical Sciences, Master of Public Health, Master of Biomedical Sciences, or other related major fields of study; or
• A minimum of one full year of work experience as a certified physician assistant equivalent to the GS-7 grade level and graduation from an accredited physician assistant educational program as described above.

Basic Requirements for the GS-11 (or equivalent) Grade Level

In addition to the requirements for the GS-9 (or equivalent) level, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• Completion of Doctorate of Physician Assistant Studies, Doctorate of Science Physician Assistant (DScPA) or equivalent; or
• Completion of a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in a related health field and completion of an accredited physician assistant educational program. Examples of related doctoral degree programs include, but are not limited to, public health; allied health field; public health education; or other related health science programs; or
• A minimum of one full year of work experience as a certified physician assistant equivalent to the GS-9 grade level and completion of an accredited physician assistant educational program as described above.

Basic Requirements for the GS-12 (or equivalent) and above Grade Level

A minimum of one full year of work experience as a certified physician assistant equivalent to the next lower grade level and completion of an accredited physician assistant educational program is required.