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The evolution of the PA profession in Switzerland
Cynthia Connard1, Claudia Rose Varnedoe, Anita Manser Bonnard
1At the time this article was written, Cynthia Connard and Claudia Rose Varnedoe were PA students in the School of Physician Assistant Studies at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health in Boston, MA. Anita Manser Bonnard is a lecturer at the Zurich University of Applied Science (ZHAW) Institute of Public Health in Winterthur, Switzerland. Nancy Hurwitz is assistant program director, director of clinical education, and an associate professor at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health. A.M. Bonnard discloses employment as the founding PA program director at ZHAW. The authors have disclosed no other potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
Abstract:
The physician associate (PA) profession was introduced in Switzerland through an informal hospital-based training program in 2014. In 2016, a formal education process was instituted at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) Institute of Public Health. ZHAW remains the only university with a PA curriculum in Switzerland. Presently, PAs are trained through a multi-tiered certification program with an option to complete a master's degree. Approximately 300 PAs practice in Switzerland as of 2025. As the number of PAs steadily increases, professional organizations, academic institutions, medical leaders, and Swiss authorities are working to develop policies for governance of the PA profession and to establish consistent expectations for PA education, training, and scope of practice.
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