Fragments of Community: Physician Assistant Student Perspectives on Experience of Community With Faculty

Burnout is prevalent among both physician assistant (PA) students and faculty in the United States. Theories concerning the root cause of this burnout include a breakdown of community, which, in this context, serves as a framework comprising membership, influence, integration and fulfilment of needs, and shared emotional connection. A community framework has yet to be formally applied to the PA learning environment. The objective of this study was to explore the ways in which PA students experience community with faculty and how this perceived sense of community affects those students' perceived well-being.

This was a qualitative study completed using semistructured, one-on-one virtual interviews with PA students of the graduating class of 2024 at one institution devised by using an interview guide created by the investigators based on a community framework. Interviews were recorded and transcribed by Microsoft Teams and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Three major themes were produced from four participant interviews: (1) Students felt interactions with faculty were uniquely positioned to affect their well-being as influenced by their level of vulnerability as a student in a rigorous program; (2) students observed a wide range of faculty actions, values, and personality qualities that promoted a sense of community with faculty; and (3) students perceived a fragmentation between faculty members and the class itself, as well as between the two entities, which impaired their sense of community.

PA students are vulnerable community members with a wide range of needs. Faculty interactions are crucial to meeting those needs. Future research can involve the recruitment of additional students, cohorts, or programs for diversified perspectives.