David Flaherty passes Emergency Medicine PA exam

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — David Flaherty, PA-C, MPAS of Dover-Foxcroft has passed the certification examination in emergency medicine offered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
    Flaherty, who has worked as a PA in Mayo Regional Hospital’s emergency department since May, 2011, has 23 years’ experience as a physician assistant. With his completion of the NCCPA certification process, all of the PAs in Mayo’s Emergency Department, both full-time and per diem, have now passed the national certifying examination demonstrating their advanced knowledge in emergency medicine.
    Besides passing the emergency medicine specialty exam, physician assistants must satisfy three other NCCPA requirements prior to certification:
    • Candidates must earn a minimum of 150 hours of Category I continuing medical education credits focused on emergency medicine practice, including completion of an advanced cardiac life support course.
    • PAs seeking the emergency medicine certification must have at least 3,000 hours of experience working as a PA in emergency medicine.
    • Candidates must provide attestation from a supervising physician who works in the specialty that the PA has performed the procedures and patient management relevant to the practice setting.
    Emergency medicine certification remains valid for six years.
     Flaherty earned his PA certificate and B.S. degree in health sciences from the Physician Assistant Program at The George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, in 1989. He added a master’s degree in physician assistant studies (MPAS) from the University of Nebraska. Flaherty is also a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves, PA Medical Specialist Corps.