This study investigated the factors, both personally and institutionally, long-term physician assistant (PA) faculty associate with longevity in their field. A qualitative, phenomenological design utilized extended interview interactions between the researcher and participants to understand why these individuals have continued in PA education for more than ten years when many faculty leave in the first three years of teaching. The personal traits of flexibility and organization were named most often as beneficial for PA educators. The data\u27s thematic analysis revealed that collegiality, strong programmatic and institutional support, and faculty development starting with a formal onboarding process were associated with PA faculty retention. These themes correlated well with a literature review on faculty retention and job satisfaction in medical educators
