Ask a Certified PA when they first learned of the profession and more often than not, they’ll tell you that the learned about PAs well into their college studies.

As the nation’s #1 health care job and as #1 in the 100 best jobs in the United States, it is important to share information about the profession with younger students so that they too may consider, and begin preparing for a career as a PA.

NCCPA’s Back 2 School program, an on-going initiative that encourages Certified PAs to speak to elementary and secondary students about the profession, was created to do just that.

The program’s goals are to:

• Increase awareness of the profession
• Introduce the profession to students at an early age, allowing them to plan and prepare
• Increase diversity of the profession
• Help to develop a pipeline of Certified PAs to meet the country’s health care demands

You can learn how you can help prepare the next generation of Certified PAs by joining NCCPA for a one-of-a-kind virtual Back 2 School Pep Rally on Thursday, April 1 at 7 p.m. (EST)! The pep rally will celebrate the Back 2 School with NCCPA initiative and will feature remarks from NCCPA President and CEO Dawn Morton-Rias about the program’s importance and purpose. Certified PAs who have recently participated in outreach efforts will share their experiences. A high school counselor will give their perspective on the positive impact Certified PAs can make in speaking with students. Attendees will also learn how to get involved and will be able to ask questions about the program.

NCCPA will connect interested PAs with presentation opportunities in their local area, and will also provide an age/grade level presentation deck for the PA to share with the students. Links to digital downloads and activities to help students learn more about Certified PAs will also be available.

This exciting initiative stems from PA roundtable discussions conducted by NCCPA last year.

If you’re interested in attending the April 1 pep rally,  please RSVP here.