Cognitive Apprenticeship in Physician Assistant Education-A Model for Faculty Onboarding

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Faculty Development
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Inadequate orientation and onboarding programs contribute to employee turnover and job dissatisfaction in physician assistant (PA) education.
• The PA profession is growing, necessitating high-quality faculty and improved retention strategies.
• Stronger onboarding programs are crucial for enhancing faculty job satisfaction and retention in PA programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the application of the cognitive apprenticeship model for strengthening faculty onboarding in PA education.
• To address faculty turnover and job dissatisfaction by improving the onboarding experience for novice PA educators.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (PubMed, ERIC, CINAHL, Business Source Premier, APA PsycInfo).
• Keywords included 'faculty,' 'onboarding,' 'orientation,' 'development,' and 'cognitive apprenticeship.'
• Eighty records were screened, with 6 selected for final review.

Main Results:

• The cognitive apprenticeship model has demonstrated success in various educational settings, including for early-career faculty and clinical educators.
• Key components of the model include modeling, coaching, scaffolding, articulation, reflection, and exploration.
• The model's effectiveness in diverse academic environments suggests its potential applicability to PA education.

Conclusions:

• The cognitive apprenticeship model offers a framework for enhancing faculty development and onboarding in educational contexts.
• Applying this model to PA education has the potential to significantly improve the onboarding experience for new faculty.
• Enhanced onboarding through this model may lead to increased job satisfaction and reduced faculty attrition in PA programs.