Developing professional identity is an important process that all students of medicine undergo as they begin their transformation from layperson to practitioner. Physician assistant (PA) students undergo this transformation, however little is known about their experience, especially within the didactic phase of their education. This qualitative study employed an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to further understand how PA students in the didactic phase of their education explained and made sense of their developing professional identities as medical practitioners. Three major findings emerged from the analysis of the data including 1) Relationship to Self, 2) Relationship to Others, and 3) Relationship to Process. The findings provided insight into the experience of PA students in the phenomenon of professional identity development and further illuminated the complex transformation that takes place within the didactic phase of their education. The study provided a foundation on which to consider future recommendations for practice and areas for further research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]