The OPA has been serving the orthopedic community for 50 years, and established it's roots in the US military around 1967.  The certification of Orthopaedic Physician's Assistants (OPA-C) and Orthopaedic Assistants (OA-C) exam and certification have been offered exclusively by the National Board for Certification of Orthopaedic Physician's Assistants (NBCOPA)/ National Board for Certification of Orthopaedic Assistants (NBCOA) since 1979. The NBCOPA/NBCOA is a separate entity from the American Society of Orthopaedic Assistants (ASOA), which has recently dissolved. As always any OPA-C or OA-C will credential and re-credential through NBCOPA to maintain certifications.  The exam was formally established nearly 40 years ago and sets the standard as the first Orthopaedic competency exam for allied health professionals.  This exam is open to all health professionals that meet the minimum qualifications.

Any questions and inquiries about existing policies, rules, regulations, verification and deadlines relating to certification or recertification should be addressed to Melody Raymond, the NBCOPA/NBCOA's administrator, using the contact page.

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