Summary

AAPA serves as the primary source and authorized agent for the PA profession in the American Medical Association's (AMA) credentials profiling service, which is used by nearly every hospital in the country. AAPA collects graduation data directly from PA programs to meet AMA and Joint Commission "primary source" requirements. This article explains how the credentialing process works and what steps to take — whether you are a PA, or an employer and credentialing specialist.

Before You Begin

• Understand that all formal credential profile requests must be submitted directly to the AMA — not to AAPA. 
• Have the PA's information available when submitting a request through the AMA's profile service.

For Employers and Credentialing Specialists

Step 1: Submit Your Request to the AMA

To request the AMA's credential profile service for a PA, follow the steps on the AMA's website:

 https://commerce.ama-assn.org/amaprofiles/ 

Step 2: Contact the AMA for Setup Assistance

For additional information or help setting up the profile, contact the AMA directly:

• AMA Profiles Support: ProfilesLevel2@z.ama.org

Step 3: Contact AAPA If You Have Additional Questions

If you have questions specifically for AAPA after following the steps above, reach out to the AAPA credentialing team:

• Email: credentialing@aapa.org

For PAs

If your employer or a credentialing specialist has asked about your AMA credentials profile, please be aware that:

• Your employer or credentialing specialist must submit the formal request for your credential profile information directly to the AMA. This cannot be submitted on your behalf by AAPA.
• The request should be made through the AMA's credential profile service:  https://commerce.ama-assn.org/amaprofiles/ 
• For help setting up the profile, your employer or credentialing specialist may contact the AMA at ProfilesLevel2@z.ama.org.

If you have questions specifically for AAPA, reach out to:

• Email: credentialing@aapa.org

Confirmation / Expected Result

Once AAPA has completed processing a PA's credentials profile, the following timeline applies:

• The AAPA Masterfile is sent to the AMA every Monday.
• After the Masterfile is sent, it takes approximately 2–3 business days for new profiles and updated information to appear in the AMA system.

If you have submitted a request and are checking on the status, contact AAPA at credentialing@aapa.org for an update.

Troubleshooting

If you are unable to complete your request through the AMA's profile service or have questions about the status of a credential profile, use the following contacts:

• AMA Profiles Support (for setup and request questions): ProfilesLevel2@z.ama.org
• AAPA Credentialing Team (for AAPA-specific questions): credentialing@aapa.org

Important Notes

• All credential profile requests must go through the AMA directly, not through AAPA. AAPA's role is to supply verified data to the AMA as the authorized primary source.
• AAPA collects graduation data directly from PA programs to meet AMA and Joint Commission "primary source" requirements.
• The AMA Masterfile is updated and sent to the AMA every Monday. Allow 2–3 business days after that for profile information to appear in the AMA system.

Related Articles or Links

• AMA Credential Profile Service