Celebrating PAEA’s 50th Anniversary

This year, PAEA’s 50^th Anniversary is an opportunity to honor how far our profession and community of educators have come. This Association and its members have done remarkable work to elevate perceptions of the PA profession, support PA educators in their work to train competent and compassionate providers, and build community among our rapidly growing membership. The last 50 years have brought change to our Association far beyond what those present for PAEA’s inception could have imagined possible.

Amid all this change, it’s important to remember that our profession is still young. Our history informs our future, and while the COVID-19 pandemic has been a reminder that we can’t predict the future, we can always choose to adapt to it. This spirit of adaptability is the very same attitude that we ask our students to adopt over the course of their PA education as we guide them toward excellence in medical practice and leadership. As technological innovation changes how we deliver care, the traits that are central to the continued success of PAs working in clinical practice and education—curiosity, caring, and lifelong learning—remain the same.

The future is bright for PAs and the educators that train them. We’re excited to continue the next 50 years of this journey together.