Why We Left: A Qualitative Investigation of Former Physician Assistant Faculty

INTRODUCTION: In an era of rapid professional growth, retaining a workforce of career physician assistant (PA) educators is crucial; yet, PA education has historically struggled with faculty retention. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of PAs who have left academia in order to better understand PA faculty attrition. METHODS: Purposeful sampling was used to identify PAs who had recently left academic positions, with recruitment continuing until thematic saturation was reached. A total of 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted via phone or email, and a thematic qualitative analysis of the transcripts was completed. RESULTS: Ineffective leadership, unsustainable workloads, inadequate mentorship or training, erroneous expectations of academic work, and a "pull" back to clinical practice emerged as dominant themes in participants' decisions to leave academia. Ineffective leadership was an issue at both the program and the institutional level, resulting in feelings of inadequate institutional support. The availability of clinical jobs facilitated attrition decisions by providing an easily accessible exit from academia. DISCUSSION: This research provides a model for understanding PA faculty attrition and has implications for retention. Effective program leadership that supports new faculty development, creates sustainable workloads, and advocates for the program within the institution has a significant role in faculty retention. Leadership development should be a priority for the profession and is vital to securing a PA education workforce. A limitation of this study is that the data were collected prepandemic, so the impact of recent cultural and institutional changes is unknown.