Physician Assistant Exam For Dummies: with CD

Making Everything Easier!TM

Learn:

How the PANCE and PANRE exams are organized and scored Which topics you know well by answering hundreds of test questions Test–taking strategies that will help you ace the exam

Review concepts with 300 flashcards and take 4 practice tests on the companion CD

Sharpen your PANCE and PANRE test–taking skills and score higher on your exam

Physician Assistant Exam For Dummies, Premier Edition, offers test–taking strategies for passing both the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) and the Physician Assistant National Recertifying Exam (PANRE). This test guide provides a detailed review of medical topics that are likely to appear on the exams, including the body′s systems and structures; pediatric, psychiatric, and reproductive medicine; diseases and cancer; pharmacology; and much more.

To be a PA get an overview of the exams, a breakdown of the questions, details on how the test is scored, and test–taking strategies you can use to ensure success Get to the heart of the matter delve into the systems that make up approximately half of the test: cardio, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal Be a cut above discover what you need to know about surgery; the genitourinary system; the eyes, ears, nose, and throat; and reproductive medicine Make special note get up to speed on pediatrics, psychiatry, pharmacology, infectious diseases, cancers, and more Practice makes perfect take five practice tests: one PANCE exam in the book and four tests on the accompanying CD (complete with answers and explanations)

CD Includes

3 PANCE tests and 1 PANRE test 300 flashcards covering medical conditions, symptoms, and treatments Slideshow of dermatologic diseases

See the appendix for details and complete system requirements.

Open the book and find:

Nearly 1,500 practice test questions in the book and on the CD Details about diagnosis and treatment in the context of test preparation and clinical practice How to prep for the test, sign up for it, and what to expect on exam day Ten important medical abbreviations Mistakes test–takers make Practice questions and explanations included in the review chapters What to expect as a PA

Introduction 1

Part I: Scratching the Surface of the PANCE and PANRE 7

Chapter 1: Becoming a Physician Assistant 9

Chapter 2: Presenting the PANCE and PANRE 13

Part II: Getting to the Heart of the Test: Four Foundational Systems 21

Chapter 3: Tending to the Heart and the Great Vessels 23

Chapter 4: Taking a Deep Breath: The Lungs 59

Chapter 5: Hungering for the Digestive System 83

Chapter 6: Knowing the Hard Facts about Bones and Joints 107

Part III: Reviewing Surgical Topics and Other Organ Systems 133

Chapter 7: Checking Out Common Surgical Topics 135

Chapter 8: Exploring Problems of the Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat 149

Chapter 9: Reviewing Reproductive Medicine 167

Chapter 10: Understanding the Genitourinary System 185

Part IV: Pursuing Primary Care, Pharmacology,

and Behavioral Health 213

Chapter 11: Prepping for Pediatrics 215

Chapter 12: Managing Health Maintenance and Medical Ethics 223

Chapter 13: Tending to Behavioral Health 235

Chapter 14: Focusing on Pharmacology and Toxicology 251

Part V: The Brain, Blood, Bugs, Skin, and Glands 265

Chapter 15: Evaluating the Endocrine System 267

Chapter 16: Keeping Neurology in Mind 287

Chapter 17: Touching on Dermatology 307

Chapter 18: Handling Hematology and Oncology 323

Chapter 19: Dealing with Bugs and Drugs: Infectious Diseases 345

Part VI: Tackling a PANCE Practice Test 361

Chapter 20: PANCE Practice Test 363

Chapter 21: PANCE Practice Test Answers and Explanations 413

Part VII: The Part of Tens 445

Chapter 22: The Top Ten (Plus a Bonus) Medical Triads 447

Chapter 23: Ten Important Medical Abbreviations 451

Chapter 24: Ten Mistakes that Test–Takers Make 455

Appendix A: About the CD 461

Index 465

Rich Snyder, DO, is board certified in both internal medicine and nephrology. He teaches, lectures, and works with PA students, medical students, and medical residents. Barry Schoenborn, coauthor of Medical Dosage Calculations For Dummies, is a long–time technical and science writer.