Preparing PA Educators for the Future of Higher Education

Jenna Rolfs, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, DFAAPA

ADPA, President-Elect

The Physician Associate (PA) profession stands at a pivotal moment across higher education, healthcare, and industry. As healthcare systems rapidly evolve, the demand for leaders who can navigate complexity and drive organizational change continues to grow. Simultaneously, higher education faces structural pressures, from the approaching enrollment cliff to the need for sustainable revenue models that require strategic, future‑focused academic leadership.¹ While conversations about an entry‑level PA doctorate continue to gain momentum, existing evidence consistently demonstrates that PAs are already well‑positioned to meet emerging leadership demands across these sectors.²˒³

Within higher education specifically, PA educators must be equipped to proactively position themselves for career advancement and to meet expanding academic and leadership expectations.

Regardless of whether an entry‑level doctorate transition occurs, one reality remains: the PA profession cannot afford to be reactive. We must be responsive, strategic, intentional, and unified in cultivating the next generation of PA faculty and academic leaders.⁴

Looking Ahead in the Higher Education Landscape

The PA profession must remain unified in recognizing that academic preparation is essential for educators who seek longevity and advancement in higher education. Clinical excellence, while foundational, is no longer sufficient to sustain meaningful academic careers.

The profession can play a central role in improving workplace satisfaction, sustainability, and burnout prevention among PA educators by embracing several key strategies. Normalizing and supporting advanced academic preparation including post‑professional doctoral education in leadership, education, and systems‑level practice positions faculty for long‑term success. Equally important is the creation of structured faculty‑development pathways that intentionally prepare clinicians for teaching, scholarship, and academic leadership. Investing in mentorship and leadership pipelines ensures that PAs are equipped to advance into roles such as program director, associate dean, dean, vice president, and other academic executive positions. These pathways help educators experience genuine career progression rather than viewing academia as merely a stable income source. Finally, advocating for institutional parity with peer health professions whose faculty already operate within doctoral‑level frameworks is critical to establishing the PA profession as a fully recognized academic discipline with clear, structured career trajectories.

If the PA profession ultimately transitions to an entry‑level doctorate, the academic infrastructure must already be in place. Faculty cannot be built overnight; they must be cultivated through intentional mentorship, leadership development, and long‑term investment. Programs will require educators who are skilled in curriculum design, assessment, accreditation, and outcomes‑based education to ensure the profession is prepared for this evolution.⁴

The Skill Set PA Educators Must Develop for Sustainability in the Higher Education Landscape

To remain competitive for advancement within higher education, PA educators must cultivate a hybrid skill set that blends clinical expertise with academic leadership competencies.

1. PA Educators must be fluent in educational design and assessment expertise.  This includes curriculum design and mapping, learning outcomes and competency-based education, assessment strategies and program evaluation, accreditation standards, and continuous quality improvement.⁵  Teaching cannot only be about content delivery; it is about designing systems of learning that demonstrate measurable outcomes.

2. PA educators must develop and continue to cultivate their skill set in scholarly research. Higher education advancement increasingly depends on scholarly contributions. This can be done through developing skills in educational research and quality improvement, grant writing, conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications, and data-driven program evaluation. Scholarship provides credibility to a profession’s voice in national academic dialogue and strengthens its standing within institutions.

3. PA educators must be prepared to function as administrators, not only instructors.  This includes developing skills sets in strategic planning and change management, budgeting and resource allocation, faculty development and mentorship, and conflict resolution and team leadership. As programs grow and health sciences divisions expand, PA educators must be prepared to lead complex organizations within academic institutions.

4. PA educators must be prepared to collaborate across disciplines.  Higher education increasingly values collaboration across disciplines, and interprofessional and systems thinking are essential leadership traits.  PA educators need to be mentored and developed to work alongside all health professionals.  Additionally, they must be equipped with the essential skills to navigate institutional politics and governance while aligning PA education with broader university missions. This systems-level thinking is essential if the profession is to influence policy and academic direction.

5. PA educators and programs must be ready for doctoral-level identity and professional maturity.  If the profession moves toward an entry-level doctorate, PA educators must model what doctoral-level academic rigor represents.  Doctoral preparation should not be viewed as inflation of credentials but as preparation for expanded responsibility and authority within healthcare systems, higher education, and industry.

6. Preparing for an Entry-Level Doctorate:  Proactive, Not Reactive

The question is not whether the profession will change, but whether we will be prepared when it does. Waiting for a formal decision places PA programs at a strategic disadvantage. Institutions will expect doctoral prepared faculty, strong academic governance, mature research and assessment infrastructures, and leaders capable of managing doctoral‑level curricula. Preparation today safeguards the profession’s future tomorrow. To meet this moment, the PA profession must shift its mindset from clinical workforce development alone to academic workforce sustainability. This shift requires expanding access to and affordability of doctoral education, so PA educators can pursue advanced training in education, leadership, and systems‑level practice.

PA educators who cultivate these competencies not only future‑proof their own careers but also strengthen the profession’s credibility, competitiveness, and influence within the evolving landscape of healthcare education. Academic excellence must be recognized as equal in importance to clinical excellence.

Regardless of whether the profession ultimately adopts an entry‑level doctorate, expectations within higher education will continue to rise. PA educators have the opportunity to lead by being prepared. The future of PA education will be shaped not by waiting for change, but by building the academic capacity to drive it.

References

1.     Boyd‑Swan C, Reynolds CL. How are institutions positioned on the brink of the enrollment cliff? Evidence from Ohio. EdWorkingPaper. 2024;24‑1114. doi:10.26300/hkw3‑0n45

2.     Kibe LW, et al. Academic leadership in physician assistant/associate roles: analysis of doctoral degree and leadership attainment. Published 2022. PMCID: PMC9684828.

3.     Maupin EJ. The importance, benefits, and contributions of PAs in healthcare leadership. JAAPA. 2024;37(9):29‑32. doi:10.1097/01.JAA.0000000000000112

4.     Jalaba SM, Ruger KM. Leadership from a different lens: shaping the future of healthcare education. J Physician Assist Educ. 2024;35(2):187‑190. doi:10.1097/JPA.0000000000000581

5.     Al‑Eyd G, Achike F, Agarwal M, et al. Curriculum mapping as a tool to facilitate curriculum development: a new School of Medicine experience. BMC Med Educ. 2018;18(1):185. doi:10.1186/s12909‑018‑1289‑9

6.     Rolfs J, Munsell D, Kilgore J. Review of post‑professional doctoral education for PAs. Medical Research Archives. 2025