Reasons clinical education directors intend to leave their jobs

The goals of this study were to characterize clinical coordinators compared to other Physician Assistant (PA) faculty, and investigate factors associated with intent to leave their position, institution, and academia in the U.S.

This was a secondary analysis of data obtained from the 2019 Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) Faculty and Directors Survey. We examined bivariate associations with faculty role and conducted multiple logistic regression to identify predictors of intent to leave among clinical directors.

Clinical directors indicated an intention to leave their position more often than other faculty. Factors influencing intent to leave were a lack of satisfaction with professional development and moderate to high levels of burnout. Clinical directors with severe burnout had 27x the odds of intending to leave academia.

Our results suggest why clinical directors intend to leave and underscore the need for professional development opportunities and faculty mentoring. Faculty-centered work arrangements are needed to reduce burnout among clinical directors.