Eligibility

Education

The certification candidate must have graduated an Anesthesiologist Assistant educational program offered at an institution that is accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education (USDE) or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

The certification candidate who will be awarded a Master’s degree upon academic program completion must receive academic instruction in the following general content areas:

General content areas must include:

  1. Basic Medical Sciences: Those basic medical sciences that are needed as a foundation for the clinical role of the Anesthesiologist Assistant. In particular, the basic science curriculum must include appropriate content in anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, and pharmacology, with particular emphasis on the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, nervous, and neuromuscular systems.
  2. Medical Biophysics: Medical biophysics appropriate to anesthesia practice, including and emphasizing the principles underlying the function of the devices used in anesthesia delivery systems, in life support systems such as ventilators, and in basic and advanced patient monitors.
  3. Patient Monitoring: The principles of patient monitoring emphasizing the design, function, and recognition of artifacts and interpretation of data relevant to anesthesia care.
  4. Lab Instrumentation: The function of lab instruments and interpretation of data obtained from clinical laboratories, cardiac and pulmonary laboratories.
  5. Data Analysis: The concepts of data analysis as related to the collection, processing, and presentation of basic science and clinical data in medical literature emphasizing methods that support an understanding of clinical decision-making.
  6. Patient Assessment: Patient assessment, including techniques of interviewing to elicit a health history and performing a physical examination at the level appropriate for preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative anesthetic evaluations.
  7. Clinical Instruction: Extensive instruction in the clinical practice of anesthesia and patient monitoring, principally in an operating room setting, but also in preoperative areas, postoperative recovery areas, intensive care units, pain clinics, affiliated clinical laboratories and other supporting services.
  8. Quality Assurance: Clinical quality assurance conferences and literature reviews.
  9. Emergency Preparedness: Competencies in emergency preparedness consistent with professional standards.

Clinical Experience for Primary Certification:

The purpose of the National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants (NCCAA) includes ensuring that Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAAs) have the necessary knowledge and skills to practice safely and effectively. For entry level CAAs, the NCCAA verifies academic qualifications with each academic program for certification eligibility and tests knowledge by using a Certification exam. As a prerequisite for certification eligibility and to maintain and protect the strength of the CAA credential, the NCCAA collects a record of clinical experience from student anesthesiologist assistants (SAAs) to verify entry level clinical standards are met for new CAAs. Clinical hours and experiences are self-reported to the NCCAA via a digital mobile application. The clinical experience record is verified with academic institutions and reviewed to determine certification eligibility. SAAs are required to complete education and clinical training minimums prior to becoming eligible for board certification by examination. For a complete list of clinical experience requirements see the NCCAA Standards for Clinical Experience, available on the NCCAA website or within the NCCAA mobile application.

For a complete list of clinical experience requirements, click here.

Examination Candidacy

The eligibility period for the initial Certifying Examination shall extend for no more than two (2) years from the date of graduation from an NCCAA-approved anesthesiologist assistant educational program and shall begin on the date of the first attempt at the Certifying Examination. During the period of eligibility, the examination candidate shall have a maximum of six (6) opportunities to take the Certifying Examination.

Appeal of Adverse Action – Applicants

Learn about how to submit an appeal if your certification application is denied. click here.