A Comparison of German and United States Physician Assistant Curricula

Abstract

How does physician assistant (PA) education compare in different countries? That is a question often posed in academic circles, yet very little comparative research on the subject exists. This is largely due to the challenges and pitfalls that await any scholar who attempts to walk through the obstacle course of cultural, language, and geopolitical differences that makes up any country-to-country comparison. That is why this first-in-kind exploratory analysis is an important step that attempts to clarify questions rather than answers. A rigorous multidisciplinary approach would be needed to answer the questions implied by an examination such as this, but we can at least begin the conversation by pointing out the most obvious similarities and differences. This is my last publication as feature editor of Global Perspectives, and I would like to leave the readers of JPAE with this opportunity to look at how international PA education is provided, through an analytical lens, because while the name of the profession, scope of practice, and education models may differ, we can all learn from each other.