The Academic Fellowship in Physician Assistant Education

The rapid growth of the physician assistant (PA) profession has required PA programs to increase their efforts in the recruitment and retention of experienced faculty. One approach was the establishment of the academic fellowship concept in 1998. Since then, 5 PA programs have designed fellowships, 3 of which were implemented and graduated fellows. To institute and develop an academic fellowship takes time, resources, and buy-in from faculty and students. The structure of the curricula within the fellowships has been similar since 1998 and includes faculty development opportunities, lecture development and delivery, student assessment, small group facilitation, interprofessional education, and committee work. Most fellowship-trained educators have entered faculty positions after completion of their fellowship. They appear to use sound educational strategies in their teaching and are successful in their scholarly productivity. Academic fellowships are just one route in the transition to PA education, and while they may require a significant investment from the sponsoring institution and program, they can provide a unique opportunity for PAs to immerse themselves in the faculty experience before the full commitment to a career change.