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

INTRODUCTION: Internal and external to physician assistant/associate (PA) education, research highlights inadequate orientation or onboarding programs as a key reason for employee turnover and job dissatisfaction. Given the significant growth of the PA profession and the need for high-quality PA program faculty, stronger onboarding programs are required to contribute toward improved faculty job satisfaction and retainment. This paper focuses on the application of a cognitive apprenticeship model to PA education to strengthen faculty onboarding. METHODS: PubMed, ERIC, CINAHL, Business Source Premier, and APA PsycInfo databases were searched on September 4, 2025, using combinations of the following key words: faculty, onboarding, orientation, development, and cognitive apprenticeship. RESULTS: Eighty records were screened with 6 included in final review. The cognitive apprenticeship model has been effectively used in the educational setting with early-career women faculty, instructional faculty, clinical educators including emergency department educators, and doctoral students entering academia. All applications of the cognitive apprenticeship model include variations of the 6 key methods: modeling, coaching, scaffolding, articulation, reflection, and exploration. DISCUSSION: Numerous successful applications of the cognitive apprenticeship model enhance faculty development and onboarding in educational settings. Applying this model to PA education may improve the onboarding experience for novice faculty. In turn, stronger onboarding may lead to greater job satisfaction and reduced faculty attrition.