appap

What appap does

APPAP (Association of Postgraduate Physician Assistant Programs) is a US-based nonprofit professional trade organization founded in May 1988 at the AAPA Convention in Los Angeles. It operates as the only national professional body dedicated to PA postgraduate education, serving 162 member programs (82 Active, 4 Provisional, 9 Institutional covering 80 program slots, and 51 Individual members). Its core function is to support the development and standardization of postgraduate residency and fellowship programs that train NCCPA-eligible/certified PAs for defined periods (minimum 12 months) in medical and surgical specialties.

APPAP delivers value through a portfolio of membership tiers, a public Program Directory, an annual joint APPAP/APGAP APP Fellowship Conference (2026 edition scheduled for September 21-23 at the Westin Chicago River North), a periodic CME Educational Series (e.g., 'Coaching for Course Correction' on May 1, 2026), research awards (Linda Brandt Research Award, AAPA Research Poster Award), and statistical research reports including the Statistical Profile of APRN and PA Residency/Fellowship Programs. The underlying technology is a GrowthZone CMS-based website (members.appap.org) providing member login, event registration, application-to-join, and a searchable program directory; there is no proprietary AI or advanced technology stack.

The business model is membership-dues-driven subscription revenue across four tiers: Active Program ($400/yr), Provisional Program (reduced, unstated), Institutional ($1,000/yr covering up to 3 programs, additional at $200/yr), and Individual ($50/yr). CME sessions are free for members and $25 for non-members, and conference registration (early bird, main conference) and exhibitor/sponsorship revenue provide secondary income. APPAP maintains strategic alliances with ARC-PA (accreditor), AAPA, PAEA, NCCPA, and APGAP (NP counterpart), which jointly operate the annual conference and co-produce research.

Name

appap

Legal name

Association of Postgraduate Physician Assistant Programs

Website

https://appap.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Short description

APPAP is a US nonprofit trade association, founded in 1988, that supports postgraduate physician assistant education programs through tiered membership, an annual conference with APGAP, CME webinars, a public program directory, and research awards serving 162 member programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Active Program Membership Dues: Postgraduate PA programs pay annual membership dues. Active programs receive full membership benefits including voting rights, website listing, conference participation, and committee eligibility.
2. Provisional Program Membership Dues: Newly developing programs pay reduced fees to join before graduating their first class.
3. Institutional Membership Dues: Hospitals and health systems sponsoring multiple programs pay institutional dues covering up to 3 programs, with additional programs at discounted rates.
4. Individual Membership Dues: Individuals interested in postgraduate PA education pay annual membership fees for access to trainings, resources, and committee participation.
5. CME Educational Sessions: Continuing medical education sessions offered free for members and at $25 for non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

APPAP is a nonprofit professional trade association that supports postgraduate physician assistant education programs through tiered memberships, an online program directory, an annual joint fellowship conference with APGAP, a CME webinar series, and research award programs. The organization serves 162 established postgraduate PA programs plus provisional, institutional, and individual members across North America, advocating for PA specialty training and providing governance, networking, and curated research resources.

Product overview

APPAP (Association of Postgraduate Physician Assistant Programs) is a professional trade organization that supports the development and optimization of PA postgraduate education programs. Rather than a unified software product, the organization offers a portfolio of membership tiers (Active, Provisional, Institutional, Individual) that provide access to a Program Directory, annual APP Fellowship Conference, CME Educational Series webinars, research awards (Linda Brandt Research Award, AAPA Research Poster Award), and access to research reports. The organization facilitates networking and collaboration among 162 established member programs through events, committees, and resources focused on advancing physician assistant postgraduate training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program (Active, Provisional, Institutional, and Individual tiers) Tiered annual membership offering with four types: Active Program Membership ($400/yr) for postgraduate PA programs with established curricula training NCCPA-eligible PAs for at least 12 months and awarding certificates or degrees; Provisional Program Membership for newly developing programs that have not yet graduated a first class; Institutional Membership ($1,000/yr) for hospitals and health systems sponsoring up to 3 programs with additional programs at $200/yr; and Individual Membership ($50/yr) for PA professionals interested in postgraduate PA education.
• APP Fellowship Conference Annual in-person conference jointly convened with APGAP (Association of Post-Graduate NP Programs) bringing together program directors, PA educators, and trainees for continuing medical education, networking, and professional development. Features pre-conference sessions, main conference programming, and early bird pricing.
• CME Educational Series Monthly/periodic continuing medical education webinars covering clinical and program management topics, offered free to APPAP members and at $25 per session for non-members.
• Program Directory Public-facing searchable online directory listing all APPAP member postgraduate PA programs with dedicated program pages, accessible to prospective PA residents, students, and graduate PAs seeking specialty training.

Quantifiable outcome

• 162 established member programs representing the majority of PA postgraduate programs nationally
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ARC-PA (Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPPAP collaborates with ARC-PA as the accrediting body for PA programs. APPAP bylaws state the organization shall collaborate with accrediting bodies for postgraduate programs. ARC-PA accreditation is referenced in membership criteria requirements.
• AAPA (American Academy of PAs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPPAP has gained support from AAPA and works with AAPA on mutual goals to expand the PA profession. APPAP assists AAPA's House of Delegates through elected delegates. Linda Brandt Research Award applications are submitted through AAPA Research in Action presentations at AAPA annual conference.
• PAEA (Physician Assistant Education Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPPAP has gained support from PAEA and works with PAEA on mutual goals to expand the PA profession. PAEA Annual Report data on PA specialty distribution and work settings is referenced in APPAP materials.
• NCCPA (National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPPAP references NCCPA certification requirements for program admission. NCCPA has turned more attention to studying demographics and outcomes of postgraduate programs, collaborating with APPAP on research initiatives.
• APGAP (Association of Post-Graduate NP Programs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPGAP formed in 2014 (NPs) while APPAP formed in 1988 (PAs). The two organizations jointly hold the annual APP Fellowship Conference and collect data together on programs and program directors. Joint Research Workgroup meets monthly to review external data requests.
• AASPA (American Association of Surgical Physician Assistants)minorOthersListed as a PA resource organization on APPAP's resources page alongside other professional PA organizations.
• SEMPA (Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants)minorOthersListed as a PA resource organization on APPAP's resources page alongside other professional PA organizations.
• AAPA Student AcademyminorOthersListed as a PA resource organization on APPAP's resources page. Student Academy represents PA students who may be future postgraduate program applicants.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP): AANP is the largest national professional association for nurse practitioners, paralleling AAPA's role for PAs. It is comparable as a broad incumbent in the parallel NP professional ecosystem that APPAP's APGAP partner represents at the postgraduate segment.
• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME): ACGME accredits physician (MD/DO) residency and fellowship programs. It is comparable as a broad incumbent in the graduate medical education accreditation space, providing a structural reference point for how postgraduate clinical training is organized and accredited at scale.
• American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA): AAPA is the broader national professional society for the entire PA profession, supporting practicing PAs and students at large. It is a broad incumbent in the same category space; APPAP collaborates with AAPA on mutual goals but AAPA's scope dwarfs APPAP's narrow postgraduate education focus.
• National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA): NCCPA is the national certifying body for PAs and an adjacent incumbent in the PA professional ecosystem. It is comparable because APPAP's membership criteria explicitly require NCCPA certification eligibility, and NCCPA collaborates with APPAP on postgraduate outcomes research, putting them in an adjacent regulatory and data position.

Regional players

• American Association of Surgical Physician Associates (AASPA): AASPA is a specialty-focused professional association for surgical physician associates. It is comparable as a peer professional association within the broader PA ecosystem that APPAP lists as a resource organization, though its surgical specialty focus is narrower than APPAP's cross-specialty postgraduate scope.

Direct peers

• Association of Post-Graduate NP Programs (APGAP): APGAP is the closest direct peer, representing postgraduate Nurse Practitioner programs (formed 2014, parallel to APPAP's 1988 founding for PAs). The two organizations jointly host the annual APP Fellowship Conference and operate a joint Research Workgroup, making them the most directly comparable peer in scope, governance model, and member base.
• Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA): PAEA is the national association for PA educational programs, focusing on pre-licensure PA education. It is a direct peer in PA-education association space, sharing the same member community (program directors/faculty) and overlapping mission of advancing PA education, but covering the entry-level rather than postgraduate segment.

Others

• Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA): ARC-PA is the accreditor for PA programs and an ecosystem partner to APPAP, which collaborates with ARC-PA as required by its bylaws. It is comparable as an adjacent enabling organization in the PA education value chain rather than a direct competitor or peer association.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theAPPAP
• Instagraminstagram.com/theAPPAP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/appap-org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about appap