A 62-year-old female comes to the office complaining of cough and shortness of breath. She states she has had a cold and cannot seem to recover from it. She is wheezing. She says she has smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for more than 40 years. She has pursed lips while breathing and a barrel chest. There are decreased bilateral breath sounds with wheezes and crackles. Lung function testing (spirometry) shows that the forced vital capacity (FVC) is reduced. The amount of air exhaled during the initial 1 second (FEV1) is reduced, and it is decreased to a greater degree than the entire FVC. Chest X-ray shows hyperinflated lungs with flattened diaphragm, hyperlucent lungs, and enlargement of the central pulmonary artery.

The material on the PANCE and PANRE is organized by the NCCPA into two dimensions, as indicated in the content blueprint for the examination. - Organ systems and the diseases, disorders and medical assessments physician assistants encounter within those systems; and - The knowledge and skills physician assistants should exhibit when confronted with those diseases, disorders and assessments. Medical Content Categories % Allocation: Cardiovascular System 13% Dermatologic System 5% Endocrine System 7% Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat 7% Gastrointestinal System/Nutrition 9% Genitourinary... Show more

The material on the PANCE and PANRE is organized by the NCCPA into two dimensions, as indicated in the content blueprint for the examination.

- Organ systems and the diseases, disorders and medical assessments physician assistants encounter within those systems; and
- The knowledge and skills physician assistants should exhibit when confronted with those diseases, disorders and assessments.

Medical Content Categories % Allocation:

Cardiovascular System 13%
Dermatologic System 5%
Endocrine System 7%
Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat 7%
Gastrointestinal System/Nutrition 9%
Genitourinary System (Male and Female) 5%
Hematologic System 5%
Infectious Diseases 6%
Musculoskeletal System 8%
Neurologic System 7%
Psychiatry/Behavioral Science 6%
Pulmonary System 10%
Renal System 5%
Reproductive System (Male and Female) 7%

 

The task categories tested and the weight each is given on the exam are as follows:

Task Categories % Allocation:

History Taking and Performing Physical
Examination 17%
Using Diagnostic and Laboratory Studies 12%
Formulating Most Likely Diagnosis 18%
Managing Patients 0%
Health Maintenance, Patient Education, and Preventive Measures 10%
Pharmaceutical Therapeutics 14%
Clinical Intervention 14%
Applying Basic Scientific Concepts 10%
Professional Practice 5%

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