Peripheral Nerve Problems for the Physician Assistant Exam
Many disorders can affect the integrity of the peripheral nerves. For the Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE), make sure you are familiar with peripheral neuropathy and complex regional pain syndrome [more…]
Physician Assistant Exam: How to Identify Brain Infections
The two big nervous-system infection types you need to be aware of for the Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE) are meningitis and encephalitis. These conditions can be fatal if not quickly recognized and [more…]
Types of Headaches for the Physician Assistant Exam
Headaches are a common reason people visit a healthcare provider, and at their worst, headaches can be debilitating. For Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE) purposes, be familiar with migraine headaches, [more…]
Physician Assistant Exam: Loss of Consciousness
Passing out is never a good thing. When you’re evaluating a Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE) question involving someone who has lost consciousness, you often need to figure out whether the person had a [more…]
Physician Assistant Exam: Transient Ischemic Attack and Stroke
The Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE) will want you to be aware of the vascular system. Two of the most common vascular problems are transient ischemic attack, so stroke and you can count on them being [more…]
A Review of Neurological Disorders for the Physician Assistant Exam
You will need to know about many neurologic disorders for the Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE). Among them are disorders like myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and Tourette’s [more…]
Skin Malignancy Conditions for the Physician Assistant Exam
Skin cancer is a common finding that is covered on the Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE), and it’s usually identified by a person’s primary care provider. The four cutaneous malignancies you should know [more…]
Physician Assistant Exam: Eczema and Dermatitis
Eczema and dermatitis refer to anything that causes skin inflammation, and the causes are covered on the Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE). Dermatitis is a nonspecific term that refers to skin inflammation [more…]
Skin Infections Review for the Physician Assistant Exam
For the Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE), you need to be familiar with various types of skin infections, from bacterial infections to viral infections to cutaneous fungal infections. You’ll see many of [more…]
Pigmentation Problems for the Physician Assistant Exam
Hyper- and hypo-pigmentation conditions will be covered on the Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE). There are a number of causes of pigmentation issues. For instance, adrenal insufficiency is a medical condition [more…]
Physician Assistant Exam: Types of Acne
Acne is a common issue that affects many people and will be covered on the Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE). Acne comes in two basic flavors for the test: acne rosacea and acne vulgaris. [more…]
A Review of Skin Conditions for the Physician Assistant Exam
There are multiple skin conditions you will need to be aware of for the Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE). Although there are several more that should be studied, make sure you familiarize yourself with [more…]
Physician Assistant Exam: How to Inspect for Spider and Insect Bites
It’s not nice to be bitten by insects or spiders — especially spiders. The Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE) will force you to face any fears you have to investigate the body for bites. [more…]
Physician Assistant Exam: Skin or Hair Loss Medical Conditions
For the Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE), you will need to review some very serious and potentially life-threatening stuff: skin conditions where you can lose the outer layer, the epidermis of the skin [more…]
Microcytic Anemia for the Physician Assistant Exam
Microcytic anemias, characterized by a low MCV, usually < 79 fL, are covered on the Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE). The main microcytic anemias on the PANCE are iron-deficiency anemia, anemia of chronic [more…]
A Review of Anemias for the Physician Assistant Exam
The Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE) will expect you to be familiar with different types of anemia, like macrocytic anemia, normocytic anemia and aplastic anemia. Make sure you know the basics. [more…]
Physician Assistant Exam: Extravascular Hemolysis or Intravascular Hemolysis
Normal red blood cells live for about 3 to 4 months. An understanding of this is important for Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE) purposes. Hemolysis is the destruction of red blood cells in the circulation [more…]
A Review of Hereditary Anemias for the Physician Assistant Exam
The Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE) may ask you about two basic hereditary causes of anemias: glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and sickle cell anemia. Familiarize yourself with the [more…]
Types of Myeloproliferative Disorders on the Physician Assistant Exam
There are different types of myeloproliferative disorders, but for the Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE), focus on polycythemia vera Polycythemia vera is a myeloproliferative disorder [more…]
Physician Assistant Exam: How to Test for Thrombocytopenia Conditions
Thrombocytopenia is defined as a platelet count of < 150,000. For Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE) purposes, the primary causes of low platelets are idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, thrombotic thrombocytopenic [more…]
A Review of Coagulation Disorders for the Physician Assistant Exam
On the Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE), there are some blood-related questions concerning coagulation problems and their evaluation and management. To prepare for the test, focus on platelets’ coagulation [more…]
Clotting Problems on the Physician Assistant Exam
The Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE) will ask questions involving too much clotting of the blood. These problems are often associated with a hypercoagulable or thrombophilic state. Medical conditions that [more…]
A Review of Hematologic Malignancies for the Physician Assistant Exam
For the Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE), you will need to know various hematologic malignancies. They include multiple myeloma, amyloidosis, leukemia, and lymphoma. They can occur together, or they can [more…]
A Review of Leukemias for the Physician Assistant Exam
Leukemias are high levels of abnormal white cells that overwhelm and overtake the bone marrow. For Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE) purposes, be familiar with four types of leukemias — two acute leukemias [more…]
Lymphoma Basics for the Physician Assistant Exam
The lymphomas are malignancies that affect the lymphatic system and will be covered on the Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE). The two major groups of lymphoma that you should be familiar with are Hodgkin’s [more…]
