Calling All Applications for AAPA 2026!

The time to apply is now!

June 10, 2025

AAPA 2025 offered more than 7,000 PAs and PA students a chance to network with their peers, engage with the PA community, and attend more than 250 CME sessions from seasoned experts. CME presentations aren’t just a chance for PAs to share their knowledge and expertise with one another—they’re an opportunity to create lasting partnerships.

Now it’s time to select presenters and graders for AAPA 2026 in New Orleans. Applications are now open! Apply by July 31, 2025.

Pick the option that works best for you
There are several presentation options available for AAPA 2026, including hour-long lectures, hands-on workshops, small, case-based interactive sessions, and 30-minute lectures. Read the AAPA 2026 Call for Presentations to learn more about the CME offerings, submission requirements, and helpful tips and resources. Proposals can be submitted until July 31, so make sure you submit yours before it’s too late!

“New to the Stage” Opportunities
Those who wish to present, but have limited national speaking experience, can submit a New to the Stage proposal and, if accepted, will be matched with a seasoned speaker to guide them through the faculty experience.

Jennifer Prochniewski, MMS, MS, CCC-SLP, PA-C, CPAAPA, DFAAPA, applied to the New to the Stage program for AAPA 2024 and was paired with Bettie Coplan, PhD, PA-C, as her mentor. Coplan was there as a resource, but it was still Prochniewski’s presentation. “She gave me support through the structure of the program but gave me freedom to work and set the pace on my own, so I still felt like an independent presenter,” Prochniewski said.

Prochniewski had previously presented within her organization, Mayo Clinic Arizona, and at Arizona State Association of PAs’ annual CME conference, but felt she needed additional support to make the leap to presenting on a national stage. During her first presentation at AAPA 2024, the New to the Stage program gave her the guidance she needed to take that next step and grow professionally. The following year, at AAPA 2025, Prochniewski had the confidence to present a 30-minute lecture on her own, titled, “Dysphagia in Primary Care.”

“[New to the Stage] is a great program, and I encourage people to apply,” she said. “I would also encourage people who are more seasoned in the field to consider applying as well if they have not presented on the national level. The mentoring really helped me to take the next step in my presentation comfort level.”

[Submit your application to present at AAPA 2026!]

Other ways to stay involved
If you are not ready to present, consider volunteering as a grader. AAPA is currently looking for members to peer review CME proposals for AAPA 2026! This short-term volunteer opportunity, occurring between August 6-20, 2025, allows you to provide input into the session selection process.

Volunteers choose from 37 different specialty tracks based on their preferences and experience. All work is done independently and electronically, and each grader will need to dedicate an estimated 20-25 hours over the two-week period to review. To learn more about the grading process and see if it’s a right fit for you, visit AAPA 2026 CME Presentation Graders.

[Become a grader and submit your application today!]

On the horizon: Call for moderators!
There are several ways to contribute during AAPA 2026, like volunteering as a moderator. Moderators play a key role by introducing presenters, keeping time, and evaluating the sessions they moderate. Volunteers not only impact the success of the conference, but also earn an AAPA Category 1 CME credit!

The call for moderator applications will go out in the coming months, so keep an eye out!

AAPA 2026 will be held May 15-19, in New Orleans and all Grader and CME Presentation submissions are due by July 31, 2025.

If you have questions, please contact AAPA staff via email at [email protected].

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