April 28, 2025 • 22 mins
Jessica Dell'Aquila's career journey breaks the conventional mold of what we expect from healthcare professionals. Starting with a clear vision at just 18, she enrolled in Seton Hall's innovative six-year dual degree program, emerging with both her undergraduate biology degree and master's in physician assistant studies—a testament to her focused determination from the beginning.
Her clinical career began at Penn Medicine, where a unique rotational position in general surgery exposed her to multiple specialties in rapid succession. When presenting the opportunity to join the transplant team permanently, Jessica found her clinical calling. Working with transplant patients offered profound rewards as she guided them through their entire hospital journeys—from pre-operative preparation through recovery and discharge.
But after five years of clinical excellence, Jessica felt an unmistakable pull toward something different. Despite finding deep satisfaction in patient care, she recognized untapped potential within herself that traditional clinical roles couldn't fully nurture. This realization led her to make a bold pivot into the medical device industry, specifically as a clinical specialist in structural heart.
What makes Jessica's transition particularly fascinating is how she leverages her clinical expertise in an entirely new context. Her days now involve supporting physicians during procedures, providing critical guidance on device selection, developing educational programs, and contributing to business strategy. The learning curve has been steep—mastering cardiac medicine after specializing in abdominal transplant, learning to read various types of echocardiograms, and developing business acumen—but her clinical foundation has proven invaluable.
Perhaps most insightful is Jessica's reflection on how respect is earned differently in her new role. While her PA credential previously carried inherent respect, she now builds credibility purely through the value she delivers and relationships she cultivates. For healthcare professionals contemplating similar transitions, Jessica recommends exploring roles that align with both clinical experience and personal temperament, with clinical specialist positions serving as excellent entry points.
Looking for career guidance or curious about transitioning from clinical practice to industry? Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn to learn more about navigating this rewarding but less-traveled professional path.
To connect with Jessica, find her on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about the dual B.S./M.S program at Seton Hall here.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Ashley (00:00):
Hello and welcome to Shadow Me Next, a podcast where
I take you into and behind thescenes of the medical world to
provide you with a deeperunderstanding of the human side
of medicine.
I'm Ashley, a physicianassistant, medical editor,
clinical preceptor and thecreator of Shadow Me Next.
It is my pleasure to introduceyou to incredible members of the
(00:22):
healthcare field and uncovertheir unique stories, the joys
and challenges they face andwhat drives them in their
careers.
It's access you want andstories you need, whether you're
a pre-health student or simplycurious about the healthcare
field.
I invite you to join me as wetake a conversational and
personal look into the lives andminds of leaders in medicine.
(00:43):
I don't want you to miss asingle one of these
conversations, so make sure thatyou subscribe to this podcast,
which will automatically notifyyou when new episodes are
dropped, and follow us onInstagram and Facebook at Shadow
Me Next, where we will reviewhighlights from this
conversation and where I'll giveyou sneak previews of our
upcoming guests.
Today, I'm joined by JessicaDeLacula, a physician assistant
(01:07):
who has made a fascinatingtransition from clinical
practice to the medical deviceindustry.
Jessica's journey started witha dual degree program at Seton
Hall, where she completed bothher undergraduate degree in
biology and her master's inphysician assistant studies.
In just six years Aftergraduating, she began her career
at Penn Medicine, gaininghands-on experience in general
(01:30):
surgery and transplant medicine,where she found her passion for
helping patients through theirtransplant journeys.
But after five years inclinical practice, jessica
decided to explore a new path inmedical device sales, where she
now works as a clinicalspecialist in structural heart,
providing education, supportingprocedures and helping shape
(01:52):
business strategies.
In today's episode, jessicashares her inspiring story of
career evolution, the lessonsshe learned along the way and
advice for PAs thinking aboutpivoting in their own careers.
Please keep in mind that thecontent of this podcast is
intended for informational andentertainment purposes only and
(02:12):
should not be considered asprofessional medical advice.
The views and opinionsexpressed in this podcast are
those of the host and guests anddo not necessarily reflect the
official policy or position ofany other agency, organization,
employer or company.
This is Shadow Me Next withJessica DeLacquola.
Hey, Jessica, thank you so muchfor joining me today on Shadow
(02:35):
Me Next.
This is going to be a fantasticconversation.
You are doing something that Ithink is so cool and, to be fair
, it's not something I wouldhave ever considered doing
myself as a PA until youmentioned it.
So thanks for joining us.
Tell us a little bit about yourdecision originally to become a
PA and then, oh my goodness, Ican't wait to hear the story
(02:56):
after that as to how you endedup where you're at.
Jessica (02:59):
Yeah, absolutely.
First off, thank you so muchfor having me.
And yeah, I really I think backto when I wanted to become a PA
and it feels like forever ago.
So throughout high school I wasalways interested in medicine.
I was initially thinking ofactually pursuing like a bio
degree in that medical schooland I was lucky enough to have
really great mentors.
So my father's a physician andmy stepmom is actually a PA and
(03:22):
they work together.
I got to see the lifestyledifferences between both and as
I got closer and closer toneeding to apply for colleges, I
realized that I really enjoyedthe career flexibility that a PA
offered right as a physician toswitch the specialty I'd have
to go back to a residency.
So, with that said, I in mysenior year of high school
(03:43):
applied to dual degree programsfor PA.
So then I went to Seton Halltheir dual degree program, so it
was a three plus three programwith the bio undergrad and the
master's in physician assistant.
So that was what led me tobecoming a PA.
I was.
I try to think back if I everthought about doing anything
else and I don't think I did.
Ashley (04:04):
That's amazing.
Oh, this dual degree program isso cool the three plus three.
I'm going to link that in theshow notes below because I think
that is something unique tothis conversation and something
that a lot of people might notbe aware of.
But obviously you had to makethat decision to want to become
a PA pretty early.
Then obviously, yeah.
Jessica (04:20):
Yes, I did so.
Basically, I went intoundergrad college so like at 18
years old, knowing that as longas I kept my grades at a certain
GPA and hit my patientexperience hours, that I was
going to be progressing intothat program.
So I'm really thankful that Idid that way.
I think as I progressed throughundergrad, pa school started
becoming immensely morecompetitive and I feel very
(04:42):
blessed that, like I just tookthat opportunity and went with
it, but I know that there'sstill those three plus three
six-year programs total.
There's also some five-yearprograms out there too, which I
do have a friend that did one ofthose and that was rough.
That's a lot of school, reallyfast.
Ashley (04:56):
No, it's true, it's true , and ultimately it's nice
though, because you had thisfocus in college that a lot of
people don't have, I think a lotof times we're kind of
navigating college with generalideas, trying to figure out
maybe where we're going to go orwhere we're going to fit in.
To have that constant direction, it must have been really
comforting for you, I wouldimagine.
Jessica (05:17):
I'm pretty type A.
For those that know me, I'mpretty type A.
So for me to just have blinderson for six years and be like
okay.
The next thing I will say,though, like in hindsight,
sometimes I do wish, like inundergrad I did have some
opportunity to maybe exploredifferent things and maybe more
time to take other types ofclasses.
But overall, though, I'm veryhappy that I went through the
(05:39):
program that way.
Ashley (05:41):
Tell me a little bit about your journey as a PA.
So you did this three plusthree program.
Where did you end up?
Jessica (05:46):
Yeah, so after PA school.
So I went to Seton Hall up inNew Jersey.
After PA school I moved over toPhilly and I started my career
at Penn Medicine there.
So I did about a year and ahalf of general surgery and they
actually have an interestingsetup there with some of the
general surgery positions arerotational, so every couple of
months I would actually cover adifferent service line.
(06:07):
So I got a very wide range ofexperience very quickly.
So I covered surgical oncology,I covered transplant, general
surgery, thoracic surgery.
So again, wide variety ofspecialties.
And during my time doing that Ireally enjoyed transplant
medicine.
So when they had a permanentposition open up on their team I
went for that.
Then I finished up my career atPenn in transplant surgery,
(06:31):
which was probably the mostrewarding field I've been in so
far.
And then when I moved toCharleston, south Carolina, I
did a short time in regenerativemedicine and then from there
decided I wanted to pivotoutside of clinical practice.
Ashley (06:45):
Let's step back into transplant medicine just a bit.
Tell us about what a day on thetransplant medicine team looked
like for you.
Jessica (06:53):
Yeah, so our team was a 24 seven APP run service, which
at the time was something that,like, our department, was very
proud of because it was thefirst APP run service on the
surgical line.
So what that looked like was12-hour shifts.
Day shifts and night shiftswere all covered by APPs, so we
would flip back and forth andthen pretty much a lot of our
role was floor management ofthese post-op and preoperative
(07:16):
surgical patients and makingsure, as they came in, we got
them ready to go for theirtransplant and then seeing them
all the way through from theirthe beginning of their hospital
stay whether it required the ICUor didn't and then through till
discharge.
Ashley (07:29):
Wow.
I think a lot of people forgetthat when you are the recipient
of a transplant, you have to bein the hospital beforehand, and
there's a lot of care that goesinto that.
First, then surgery, thenafterwards, so you take this
whole journey along with thepatient.
I'm sure that was part of whatmade it so rewarding, but I
would also imagine it's whatmade it so challenging too.
Jessica (07:51):
Yeah, I think a lot of these patients did have like
outpatient workups and then theywould get called in, but a lot
of them maybe, if they werereally sick, they were maybe
admitted to the medicine serviceprior and then we started to
assume the care.
So, yeah, you're with thosepatients for quite a bit of time
and you get to know them andtheir families and, yeah, it was
a very unique and rewardingexperience.
(08:11):
It's so rewarding and it'sinteresting, right, because you
have, even though I was on thesurgical side, there was so much
medicine, so the pharmacologybecomes super important because
of the way that drugs areprocessed through the body.
Infectious disease, like.
There's such a wide range ofmedical specialties that tie
well into the transplant, so yougot a lot of exposure really
quick.
Ashley (08:31):
Oh yeah, I mean, that's what it sounds like.
It sounds like you were justreally just thrown in to this
world of medicine pretty quicklyout of PA school.
And one day you wake up and yousay you know what I love being
a clinical PA?
This is fantastic.
I love working in surgery.
I love working with my patients.
But there's something elsethere.
Tell us about that.
Jessica (08:49):
So I was practicing for about five years.
So in the grand scheme of thecareer it's not that long.
But I think what did it for mewas during my career I was
working at Penn.
I also at that time did anambassadorship with the NCCPA to
help like with legislation forPAs and kind of marketing and
social media initiatives for PAs.
I had done a nutritionfellowship, like I was trying to
(09:10):
do all of this stuff throughAAPA, nccpa.
I started our social mediaprogram at Penn for APPs and I
was just trying to have my handsin all of this stuff.
And then at five years I waslike is this it?
Like I feel like I have allthese other interests and these
polls and I feel like I can'treally develop them
significantly if I stay clinical.
So that's what started toencourage me to learn about
(09:33):
other roles outside of clinicalpractice for a PA or just the
healthcare provider in general.
So it was, that was what thepoll was.
So I currently work in medicaldevice sales.
So I currently work forstructural heart and a day in my
life is I'm in a clinicalspecialist role.
So basically the main purposeof that role is to provide case
(09:54):
coverage and support for cases.
So I'm in the cath and the EPlab with the physicians as
they're utilizing our device.
I'm helping them make thedecision on what size of device
is appropriate, how we're goingto deal with the anatomy that's
in front of us and every patientis different.
So really becoming a part ofthat team and that clinical
conversation.
And then, when we're not in aprocedure, we're providing
(10:16):
education.
So I'm supporting a second tomarket product.
So there's a lot of educationinvolved in that of how are we
different from maybe thecompetition and developing like
programs to help continueeducation in that realm.
And beyond that, a lot of it isalso some business development
to working with my teamcollaboratively to think down
the line Okay, what hospitalsshould we continue working with?
(10:38):
Who should we maybe re-engagewith?
And a lot of businessdevelopment too.
Ashley (10:44):
Wow, it's so multifaceted.
Jessica (10:47):
That's what I love about it, right.
So it's the clinical side to me.
So when I was in transplant, itwas abdominal transplant, so
the heart, the cardiac space, isa little new to me.
So that was definitely alearning curve clinically.
But everything else has been alearning curve too, right.
Like market development, likethe business acumen I've had to
learn.
There's a lot and it's beenreally interesting.
Ashley (11:07):
You mentioned that when you were on transplant,
obviously you did a lot withsurgery, but when you're on
transplant, it was largelyabdominal.
This is more cardiac focused.
Regardless, did your clinicalexperience give you a
competitive edge when it came totransitioning into this the
medical device industry?
Jessica (11:24):
Yeah, I do, I think it did and listen, there was still
plenty to learn.
So I had to learn, for example,how to read echoes Like I've
never used echoes really as a PAunless it was a quick, fast
exam like with an ultrasound.
But I had to learn how to readTEEs and intracardiac echo and
that was definitely the learningcurve.
But when it came to patientselection for our product and
(11:45):
comorbidities and maybe riskbenefit for patient care,
postoperative patient regimensand critically thinking about
the patient as a whole, as wellas having a firm understanding
about insurance and howhealthcare systems actually
operate on a day-to-day, I thinkthat did give me a different
type of edge when havingconversations on maybe the
(12:06):
business side of medicine.
Ashley (12:07):
You have the business side of things, you have the
learner side of things, you havethe educator side of things
when you're talking tophysicians.
This brings up a question thatI was planning on saving until
the end, but this is just such agreat time to talk about it In
this position, especially whenyou consider the business
element of this.
Have you ever had to sell yourvalue to a clinician or a room
(12:28):
of people?
I mean, this is something.
As a PA, I think we do a lot.
We have to build rapport andbuild trust with our patients,
but this is a different thing.
What's your experience withthat, Dr Anneke?
Jessica (12:38):
Vandenbroek.
So that's a very interestingquestion and I think, coming to
this side of medicine, there'sdefinitely a difference.
So I felt like as a PA yes,like a certain point of like,
trust and respect you developedthrough the rapport that you
built, whether it was with yourhealthcare team, the physicians
you worked with or your patientsand their families title of a
(13:07):
PA still gave you an element ofrespect.
On the device side, I think,respect and trust and all of it
overall are just earned straightup from the relationship that
you build.
I think that when some people Iwork with found out I was the PA
previously, they're more justintrigued to like why did you
transition or do you like itbetter questions like that.
But at the end of the day, inthis role, you're in that room
as the representative from thecompany and you're there to
(13:27):
provide value.
So I think that the respect inthat way is always earned
through what you're providing,not necessarily a title.
You carry from a previousposition and that was like very
humbling for me because I thinkas a PA you did have to develop
relationships and earn respect.
But there was also some thatcame with the title and I think
(13:49):
here it's all about therelationships and how you carry
yourself and the little winsevery day.
Ashley (13:55):
I commend you so much.
It's bringing me back to acouple of episodes ago, when I
spoke to Eric Fogg, and he'sbeen a PA for a couple of
decades now and the only thingafter his name is PA.
He didn't have the alphabetsoup after his name and he says
Ash, you can stand on your titleas much as you want, but you
have to put your money whereyour mouth is.
You have to show up and youhave to do good day in and day
(14:16):
out, and you have done that.
And you stepped into this rolewhere you had to do that and and
I just commend you on thatbecause I think a lot of people
unfortunately do sit back andrely on our titles and all of
the hard work that you put in toget there as being a testament
of who we are, what we believein and why we do what we do.
But, like you said, you have toshow up every day and you have
(14:38):
to prove that and you have, andthat well done.
Jessica (14:41):
And you know what, though?
That's with every professionthere's good clinicians and
there's bad clinicians too, Idon't know.
I think with any profession,like with any kind of training,
like it's more just about howyou show up than what's after
your name.
Ashley (14:53):
Yeah, no, you're absolutely right.
While we're here and talkingabout just like general good
advice for people, there's asegment on this show called
quality questions, and this iswhere we discuss an interview
question that either you havebeen asked or you ask.
That kind of just gives us foodfor thought and it helps us in
our own interviews when we'repreparing to answer these
questions.
It's nice to have an arsenalthat we've prepared for and
(15:15):
practiced.
So, jessica, do you have aquality question for us?
Before we hear what Jessica'squality question is, keep in
mind that there's more interviewprep, such as mock interviews
and personal statement review,over on shadowmenextcom.
There, you'll find amazingresources to help you as you
prepare to answer your ownquality questions.
Jessica (15:35):
Yes, I do and I actually.
So I got this question from amentor that I utilized when I
was trying to make a transition,and the question is what is
your management style?
So if I'm interviewing withsomebody that you know would I
would definitely be, they wouldbe my manager, my direct report
Then I ask what is yourmanagement style like?
And if I'm interviewing withsomebody that's of a higher
(15:56):
level, I ask what theirleadership style is like, and
you can use the twointerchangeably, but I think it
will give you a really greatidea on what you can expect and
as well as what the culture islike where you're interviewing,
and I think you can gain a lotof insight onto how your
relationship with that directreport will be based on how they
answer that question.
Ashley (16:16):
I think it is so great.
I think largely because it'snot a yes or no question, really
right.
People can run with that somany different ways they can.
They can answer in the positiveand say this is what I prefer,
this is how I operate and thisis why.
Or they can answer in thenegative this is what I don't
prefer and this is how I do notoperate and this is why and I.
It's just there's so much roomfor conversation with that
(16:41):
question, which obviously iswhat I love in an interview.
Jessica (16:44):
And that's the thing for me is like one thing that I
always, whenever I've talked todifferent PAs on the phone, that
maybe I've reached out onLinkedIn about transitioning,
it's like I think you reallyhave to ask good questions,
right?
You can't, when you're tryingto learn about something or try
something new or learn, getinsight into somebody and their
personality.
You have to ask good questions,and I think learning how to ask
(17:05):
great questions is a skill setfor sure.
Ashley (17:08):
No, absolutely.
Chad GPT can only help you outso far.
Real quick, jessica, before wepivot one more time.
Roles in medical technology,medical device sales.
What roles do you think arebest suited for an experienced
PA?
Are there some that you've seenand you're just like you know
what?
Yes, a PA, they should totallybe in that role.
Jessica (17:28):
Yeah, that's a great question.
I think it really depends ontheir previous experience as
well as their skill sets.
So I think what I do like aclinical sales specialist is a
great entry point because you'relearning about sales and the
business side, but you're alsovery clinically strong and, like
most of my job, responsibilityis clinical, but it gives me the
opportunity to learn more aboutsales.
(17:50):
So if I ever want to pivot intoa full on sales role like I,
can then have that development.
It also allows me to haveexposure to marketing and
therapy development.
So if I ever want to pivot thatway, for PAs that maybe have a
heavier research background,maybe something like a medical
science liaison would be abetter pivot point for them.
I think when you're looking atthe industry in general, there
(18:10):
are so many different rolesthere's there's medical science
liaison, there's sales, there'smarketing, there's therapy
development, there's research.
I think it just is like wherewas your skillset and also your
personality?
I think you have to plug in andplay a little bit with
personality and how you feelabout interacting with people in
a day-to-day, just like youwould in clinical practice too,
(18:31):
though.
Ashley (18:31):
Yeah, no, exactly right, gosh.
It's so cool because it seemslike it's a field where you can
really find your niche prettywell.
It sounds like there'ssomething for everybody, which
is very cool really.
Jessica (18:44):
Yeah, I think there is, and I think something that I
love is there's so much toexplore and something I've
noticed as well.
At least, I think I've had avery positive experience, at
least with my transition and thecompany that I'm with.
But people are very eager togive you advice or mentor you or
be a soundboard as you'remaking this transition and
feeling out different things inyour career.
(19:05):
Anyone I've reached out to inthe medical industry has pretty
much gotten back to me and hasbeen open to a phone
conversation.
I think people in this industryare very they like to network,
they like to meet new people,and I think that's been a really
positive thing too.
Ashley (19:18):
That's great.
It sounds like it's reallysupportive, which is fantastic.
Jessica, as we wrap up, usuallythis is where I like to ask if
you have any advice topre-health students.
But instead and something thatI think will be more
enlightening for someone who isperhaps considering a career in
medicine and then maybe thinkingwhat, if I want to pivot what
does your career satisfactionlook like for you now, as
(19:43):
opposed to when you were a PA?
How has that evolved?
Jessica (19:46):
That's a really great question.
I think I feel like, if I'mbeing completely transparent, I
think I'm still trying to nailthat one down.
I feel like that's the movingtarget for me.
I think with every jobtransition I've had, I've been
satisfied, but then I'm alwayslike, oh well, what if I like
this better?
And I think that's somethingthat that quote be where you are
right.
I think that's something I needto embrace a little bit more.
(20:08):
Okay, this is where I'm at andthis is what I can learn with in
this scenario, in thissituation, in this job, and I
think that for me, careersatisfaction is as long as I'm
in a place where I am gettingmentorship, I'm growing and I'm
learning to me like, regardlessof what the job description is
or maybe even sometimes the pay,like that, at this point in my
(20:30):
career because I'm still prettyearly on that is the most
important thing Am I getting thesupport I need to develop into
the person I want to be and havea thriving career Incredible,
which it really it sounds likeyou are and the beautiful thing
about where you're at is itsounds like it just continues to
open up the opportunities, justcontinue to expand, which I
think is so important for somany of us.
Ashley (20:52):
And here's the beautiful thing You're a PA and you have
all of this clinical knowledgethat you can use in so many
different avenues as well, whichI think is just fantastic.
And I'll be interested, jessicawe'll have to follow up in 20
years when this podcast has 15listeners at that point by then
and you have been in thisprofession for so long, because
I would really love to know ifby then, after receiving such
(21:16):
good mentorship and havingpeople pour into you, if at that
point, you have then turned thetables and you are serving as
the mentor and you are pouringinto others and offering them
the support and the guidancewhich you are already about to
do Right With this new businessthat you're dreaming up and
putting into play right now.
It sounds like a really greatjourney.
(21:36):
Thank you so much for beingwith us on shadow me next today.
I think you have just thecoolest story.
I'm so glad that you shared itwith us, talked a little bit
about the challenges, but awhole bunch about the successes,
and the future is bright foryou, so tell us where can we
reach you if we have questionsabout what you're doing and how
can we connect.
Jessica (21:54):
Yeah, absolutely.
So.
I am probably most active onLinkedIn.
So Jessica Delacroix onLinkedIn.
Linkedin is probably the bestway to get in contact with me
professionally right now.
Ashley (22:04):
Awesome.
Thank you so much for sharingyour story with us and for
taking the time with us.
I really appreciate it.
Jessica (22:09):
Absolutely, Ashley.
Thank you so much for having me.
Ashley (22:12):
Thank you so very much for listening to this episode of
shadow me next.
If you liked this episode or ifyou think it could be useful
for a friend, please subscribeand invite them to join us next
Monday, as always.
If you have any questions, letme know on Facebook or Instagram
Access.
(22:33):
You want stories you need?
You're always invited to shadowme next.
Hello and welcome to Shadow Me Next, a podcast where
I take you into and behind thescenes of the medical world to
provide you with a deeperunderstanding of the human side
of medicine.
I'm Ashley, a physicianassistant, medical editor,
clinical preceptor and thecreator of Shadow Me Next.
It is my pleasure to introduceyou to incredible members of the
(00:22):
healthcare field and uncovertheir unique stories, the joys
and challenges they face andwhat drives them in their
careers.
It's access you want andstories you need, whether you're
a pre-health student or simplycurious about the healthcare
field.
I invite you to join me as wetake a conversational and
personal look into the lives andminds of leaders in medicine.
(00:43):
I don't want you to miss asingle one of these
conversations, so make sure thatyou subscribe to this podcast,
which will automatically notifyyou when new episodes are
dropped, and follow us onInstagram and Facebook at Shadow
Me Next, where we will reviewhighlights from this
conversation and where I'll giveyou sneak previews of our
upcoming guests.
Today, I'm joined by JessicaDeLacula, a physician assistant
(01:07):
who has made a fascinatingtransition from clinical
practice to the medical deviceindustry.
Jessica's journey started witha dual degree program at Seton
Hall, where she completed bothher undergraduate degree in
biology and her master's inphysician assistant studies.
In just six years Aftergraduating, she began her career
at Penn Medicine, gaininghands-on experience in general
(01:30):
surgery and transplant medicine,where she found her passion for
helping patients through theirtransplant journeys.
But after five years inclinical practice, jessica
decided to explore a new path inmedical device sales, where she
now works as a clinicalspecialist in structural heart,
providing education, supportingprocedures and helping shape
(01:52):
business strategies.
In today's episode, jessicashares her inspiring story of
career evolution, the lessonsshe learned along the way and
advice for PAs thinking aboutpivoting in their own careers.
Please keep in mind that thecontent of this podcast is
intended for informational andentertainment purposes only and
(02:12):
should not be considered asprofessional medical advice.
The views and opinionsexpressed in this podcast are
those of the host and guests anddo not necessarily reflect the
official policy or position ofany other agency, organization,
employer or company.
This is Shadow Me Next withJessica DeLacquola.
Hey, Jessica, thank you so muchfor joining me today on Shadow
(02:35):
Me Next.
This is going to be a fantasticconversation.
You are doing something that Ithink is so cool and, to be fair
, it's not something I wouldhave ever considered doing
myself as a PA until youmentioned it.
So thanks for joining us.
Tell us a little bit about yourdecision originally to become a
PA and then, oh my goodness, Ican't wait to hear the story
(02:56):
after that as to how you endedup where you're at.
Jessica (02:59):
Yeah, absolutely.
First off, thank you so muchfor having me.
And yeah, I really I think backto when I wanted to become a PA
and it feels like forever ago.
So throughout high school I wasalways interested in medicine.
I was initially thinking ofactually pursuing like a bio
degree in that medical schooland I was lucky enough to have
really great mentors.
So my father's a physician andmy stepmom is actually a PA and
(03:22):
they work together.
I got to see the lifestyledifferences between both and as
I got closer and closer toneeding to apply for colleges, I
realized that I really enjoyedthe career flexibility that a PA
offered right as a physician toswitch the specialty I'd have
to go back to a residency.
So, with that said, I in mysenior year of high school
(03:43):
applied to dual degree programsfor PA.
So then I went to Seton Halltheir dual degree program, so it
was a three plus three programwith the bio undergrad and the
master's in physician assistant.
So that was what led me tobecoming a PA.
I was.
I try to think back if I everthought about doing anything
else and I don't think I did.
Ashley (04:04):
That's amazing.
Oh, this dual degree program isso cool the three plus three.
I'm going to link that in theshow notes below because I think
that is something unique tothis conversation and something
that a lot of people might notbe aware of.
But obviously you had to makethat decision to want to become
a PA pretty early.
Then obviously, yeah.
Jessica (04:20):
Yes, I did so.
Basically, I went intoundergrad college so like at 18
years old, knowing that as longas I kept my grades at a certain
GPA and hit my patientexperience hours, that I was
going to be progressing intothat program.
So I'm really thankful that Idid that way.
I think as I progressed throughundergrad, pa school started
becoming immensely morecompetitive and I feel very
(04:42):
blessed that, like I just tookthat opportunity and went with
it, but I know that there'sstill those three plus three
six-year programs total.
There's also some five-yearprograms out there too, which I
do have a friend that did one ofthose and that was rough.
That's a lot of school, reallyfast.
Ashley (04:56):
No, it's true, it's true , and ultimately it's nice
though, because you had thisfocus in college that a lot of
people don't have, I think a lotof times we're kind of
navigating college with generalideas, trying to figure out
maybe where we're going to go orwhere we're going to fit in.
To have that constant direction, it must have been really
comforting for you, I wouldimagine.
Jessica (05:17):
I'm pretty type A.
For those that know me, I'mpretty type A.
So for me to just have blinderson for six years and be like
okay.
The next thing I will say,though, like in hindsight,
sometimes I do wish, like inundergrad I did have some
opportunity to maybe exploredifferent things and maybe more
time to take other types ofclasses.
But overall, though, I'm veryhappy that I went through the
(05:39):
program that way.
Ashley (05:41):
Tell me a little bit about your journey as a PA.
So you did this three plusthree program.
Where did you end up?
Jessica (05:46):
Yeah, so after PA school.
So I went to Seton Hall up inNew Jersey.
After PA school I moved over toPhilly and I started my career
at Penn Medicine there.
So I did about a year and ahalf of general surgery and they
actually have an interestingsetup there with some of the
general surgery positions arerotational, so every couple of
months I would actually cover adifferent service line.
(06:07):
So I got a very wide range ofexperience very quickly.
So I covered surgical oncology,I covered transplant, general
surgery, thoracic surgery.
So again, wide variety ofspecialties.
And during my time doing that Ireally enjoyed transplant
medicine.
So when they had a permanentposition open up on their team I
went for that.
Then I finished up my career atPenn in transplant surgery,
(06:31):
which was probably the mostrewarding field I've been in so
far.
And then when I moved toCharleston, south Carolina, I
did a short time in regenerativemedicine and then from there
decided I wanted to pivotoutside of clinical practice.
Ashley (06:45):
Let's step back into transplant medicine just a bit.
Tell us about what a day on thetransplant medicine team looked
like for you.
Jessica (06:53):
Yeah, so our team was a 24 seven APP run service, which
at the time was something that,like, our department, was very
proud of because it was thefirst APP run service on the
surgical line.
So what that looked like was12-hour shifts.
Day shifts and night shiftswere all covered by APPs, so we
would flip back and forth andthen pretty much a lot of our
role was floor management ofthese post-op and preoperative
(07:16):
surgical patients and makingsure, as they came in, we got
them ready to go for theirtransplant and then seeing them
all the way through from theirthe beginning of their hospital
stay whether it required the ICUor didn't and then through till
discharge.
Ashley (07:29):
Wow.
I think a lot of people forgetthat when you are the recipient
of a transplant, you have to bein the hospital beforehand, and
there's a lot of care that goesinto that.
First, then surgery, thenafterwards, so you take this
whole journey along with thepatient.
I'm sure that was part of whatmade it so rewarding, but I
would also imagine it's whatmade it so challenging too.
Jessica (07:51):
Yeah, I think a lot of these patients did have like
outpatient workups and then theywould get called in, but a lot
of them maybe, if they werereally sick, they were maybe
admitted to the medicine serviceprior and then we started to
assume the care.
So, yeah, you're with thosepatients for quite a bit of time
and you get to know them andtheir families and, yeah, it was
a very unique and rewardingexperience.
(08:11):
It's so rewarding and it'sinteresting, right, because you
have, even though I was on thesurgical side, there was so much
medicine, so the pharmacologybecomes super important because
of the way that drugs areprocessed through the body.
Infectious disease, like.
There's such a wide range ofmedical specialties that tie
well into the transplant, so yougot a lot of exposure really
quick.
Ashley (08:31):
Oh yeah, I mean, that's what it sounds like.
It sounds like you were justreally just thrown in to this
world of medicine pretty quicklyout of PA school.
And one day you wake up and yousay you know what I love being
a clinical PA?
This is fantastic.
I love working in surgery.
I love working with my patients.
But there's something elsethere.
Tell us about that.
Jessica (08:49):
So I was practicing for about five years.
So in the grand scheme of thecareer it's not that long.
But I think what did it for mewas during my career I was
working at Penn.
I also at that time did anambassadorship with the NCCPA to
help like with legislation forPAs and kind of marketing and
social media initiatives for PAs.
I had done a nutritionfellowship, like I was trying to
(09:10):
do all of this stuff throughAAPA, nccpa.
I started our social mediaprogram at Penn for APPs and I
was just trying to have my handsin all of this stuff.
And then at five years I waslike is this it?
Like I feel like I have allthese other interests and these
polls and I feel like I can'treally develop them
significantly if I stay clinical.
So that's what started toencourage me to learn about
(09:33):
other roles outside of clinicalpractice for a PA or just the
healthcare provider in general.
So it was, that was what thepoll was.
So I currently work in medicaldevice sales.
So I currently work forstructural heart and a day in my
life is I'm in a clinicalspecialist role.
So basically the main purposeof that role is to provide case
(09:54):
coverage and support for cases.
So I'm in the cath and the EPlab with the physicians as
they're utilizing our device.
I'm helping them make thedecision on what size of device
is appropriate, how we're goingto deal with the anatomy that's
in front of us and every patientis different.
So really becoming a part ofthat team and that clinical
conversation.
And then, when we're not in aprocedure, we're providing
(10:16):
education.
So I'm supporting a second tomarket product.
So there's a lot of educationinvolved in that of how are we
different from maybe thecompetition and developing like
programs to help continueeducation in that realm.
And beyond that, a lot of it isalso some business development
to working with my teamcollaboratively to think down
the line Okay, what hospitalsshould we continue working with?
(10:38):
Who should we maybe re-engagewith?
And a lot of businessdevelopment too.
Ashley (10:44):
Wow, it's so multifaceted.
Jessica (10:47):
That's what I love about it, right.
So it's the clinical side to me.
So when I was in transplant, itwas abdominal transplant, so
the heart, the cardiac space, isa little new to me.
So that was definitely alearning curve clinically.
But everything else has been alearning curve too, right.
Like market development, likethe business acumen I've had to
learn.
There's a lot and it's beenreally interesting.
Ashley (11:07):
You mentioned that when you were on transplant,
obviously you did a lot withsurgery, but when you're on
transplant, it was largelyabdominal.
This is more cardiac focused.
Regardless, did your clinicalexperience give you a
competitive edge when it came totransitioning into this the
medical device industry?
Jessica (11:24):
Yeah, I do, I think it did and listen, there was still
plenty to learn.
So I had to learn, for example,how to read echoes Like I've
never used echoes really as a PAunless it was a quick, fast
exam like with an ultrasound.
But I had to learn how to readTEEs and intracardiac echo and
that was definitely the learningcurve.
But when it came to patientselection for our product and
(11:45):
comorbidities and maybe riskbenefit for patient care,
postoperative patient regimensand critically thinking about
the patient as a whole, as wellas having a firm understanding
about insurance and howhealthcare systems actually
operate on a day-to-day, I thinkthat did give me a different
type of edge when havingconversations on maybe the
(12:06):
business side of medicine.
Ashley (12:07):
You have the business side of things, you have the
learner side of things, you havethe educator side of things
when you're talking tophysicians.
This brings up a question thatI was planning on saving until
the end, but this is just such agreat time to talk about it In
this position, especially whenyou consider the business
element of this.
Have you ever had to sell yourvalue to a clinician or a room
(12:28):
of people?
I mean, this is something.
As a PA, I think we do a lot.
We have to build rapport andbuild trust with our patients,
but this is a different thing.
What's your experience withthat, Dr Anneke?
Jessica (12:38):
Vandenbroek.
So that's a very interestingquestion and I think, coming to
this side of medicine, there'sdefinitely a difference.
So I felt like as a PA yes,like a certain point of like,
trust and respect you developedthrough the rapport that you
built, whether it was with yourhealthcare team, the physicians
you worked with or your patientsand their families title of a
(13:07):
PA still gave you an element ofrespect.
On the device side, I think,respect and trust and all of it
overall are just earned straightup from the relationship that
you build.
I think that when some people Iwork with found out I was the PA
previously, they're more justintrigued to like why did you
transition or do you like itbetter questions like that.
But at the end of the day, inthis role, you're in that room
as the representative from thecompany and you're there to
(13:27):
provide value.
So I think that the respect inthat way is always earned
through what you're providing,not necessarily a title.
You carry from a previousposition and that was like very
humbling for me because I thinkas a PA you did have to develop
relationships and earn respect.
But there was also some thatcame with the title and I think
(13:49):
here it's all about therelationships and how you carry
yourself and the little winsevery day.
Ashley (13:55):
I commend you so much.
It's bringing me back to acouple of episodes ago, when I
spoke to Eric Fogg, and he'sbeen a PA for a couple of
decades now and the only thingafter his name is PA.
He didn't have the alphabetsoup after his name and he says
Ash, you can stand on your titleas much as you want, but you
have to put your money whereyour mouth is.
You have to show up and youhave to do good day in and day
(14:16):
out, and you have done that.
And you stepped into this rolewhere you had to do that and and
I just commend you on thatbecause I think a lot of people
unfortunately do sit back andrely on our titles and all of
the hard work that you put in toget there as being a testament
of who we are, what we believein and why we do what we do.
But, like you said, you have toshow up every day and you have
(14:38):
to prove that and you have, andthat well done.
Jessica (14:41):
And you know what, though?
That's with every professionthere's good clinicians and
there's bad clinicians too, Idon't know.
I think with any profession,like with any kind of training,
like it's more just about howyou show up than what's after
your name.
Ashley (14:53):
Yeah, no, you're absolutely right.
While we're here and talkingabout just like general good
advice for people, there's asegment on this show called
quality questions, and this iswhere we discuss an interview
question that either you havebeen asked or you ask.
That kind of just gives us foodfor thought and it helps us in
our own interviews when we'repreparing to answer these
questions.
It's nice to have an arsenalthat we've prepared for and
(15:15):
practiced.
So, jessica, do you have aquality question for us?
Before we hear what Jessica'squality question is, keep in
mind that there's more interviewprep, such as mock interviews
and personal statement review,over on shadowmenextcom.
There, you'll find amazingresources to help you as you
prepare to answer your ownquality questions.
Jessica (15:35):
Yes, I do and I actually.
So I got this question from amentor that I utilized when I
was trying to make a transition,and the question is what is
your management style?
So if I'm interviewing withsomebody that you know would I
would definitely be, they wouldbe my manager, my direct report
Then I ask what is yourmanagement style like?
And if I'm interviewing withsomebody that's of a higher
(15:56):
level, I ask what theirleadership style is like, and
you can use the twointerchangeably, but I think it
will give you a really greatidea on what you can expect and
as well as what the culture islike where you're interviewing,
and I think you can gain a lotof insight onto how your
relationship with that directreport will be based on how they
answer that question.
Ashley (16:16):
I think it is so great.
I think largely because it'snot a yes or no question, really
right.
People can run with that somany different ways they can.
They can answer in the positiveand say this is what I prefer,
this is how I operate and thisis why.
Or they can answer in thenegative this is what I don't
prefer and this is how I do notoperate and this is why and I.
It's just there's so much roomfor conversation with that
(16:41):
question, which obviously iswhat I love in an interview.
Jessica (16:44):
And that's the thing for me is like one thing that I
always, whenever I've talked todifferent PAs on the phone, that
maybe I've reached out onLinkedIn about transitioning,
it's like I think you reallyhave to ask good questions,
right?
You can't, when you're tryingto learn about something or try
something new or learn, getinsight into somebody and their
personality.
You have to ask good questions,and I think learning how to ask
(17:05):
great questions is a skill setfor sure.
Ashley (17:08):
No, absolutely.
Chad GPT can only help you outso far.
Real quick, jessica, before wepivot one more time.
Roles in medical technology,medical device sales.
What roles do you think arebest suited for an experienced
PA?
Are there some that you've seenand you're just like you know
what?
Yes, a PA, they should totallybe in that role.
Jessica (17:28):
Yeah, that's a great question.
I think it really depends ontheir previous experience as
well as their skill sets.
So I think what I do like aclinical sales specialist is a
great entry point because you'relearning about sales and the
business side, but you're alsovery clinically strong and, like
most of my job, responsibilityis clinical, but it gives me the
opportunity to learn more aboutsales.
(17:50):
So if I ever want to pivot intoa full on sales role like I,
can then have that development.
It also allows me to haveexposure to marketing and
therapy development.
So if I ever want to pivot thatway, for PAs that maybe have a
heavier research background,maybe something like a medical
science liaison would be abetter pivot point for them.
I think when you're looking atthe industry in general, there
(18:10):
are so many different rolesthere's there's medical science
liaison, there's sales, there'smarketing, there's therapy
development, there's research.
I think it just is like wherewas your skillset and also your
personality?
I think you have to plug in andplay a little bit with
personality and how you feelabout interacting with people in
a day-to-day, just like youwould in clinical practice too,
(18:31):
though.
Ashley (18:31):
Yeah, no, exactly right, gosh.
It's so cool because it seemslike it's a field where you can
really find your niche prettywell.
It sounds like there'ssomething for everybody, which
is very cool really.
Jessica (18:44):
Yeah, I think there is, and I think something that I
love is there's so much toexplore and something I've
noticed as well.
At least, I think I've had avery positive experience, at
least with my transition and thecompany that I'm with.
But people are very eager togive you advice or mentor you or
be a soundboard as you'remaking this transition and
feeling out different things inyour career.
(19:05):
Anyone I've reached out to inthe medical industry has pretty
much gotten back to me and hasbeen open to a phone
conversation.
I think people in this industryare very they like to network,
they like to meet new people,and I think that's been a really
positive thing too.
Ashley (19:18):
That's great.
It sounds like it's reallysupportive, which is fantastic.
Jessica, as we wrap up, usuallythis is where I like to ask if
you have any advice topre-health students.
But instead and something thatI think will be more
enlightening for someone who isperhaps considering a career in
medicine and then maybe thinkingwhat, if I want to pivot what
does your career satisfactionlook like for you now, as
(19:43):
opposed to when you were a PA?
How has that evolved?
Jessica (19:46):
That's a really great question.
I think I feel like, if I'mbeing completely transparent, I
think I'm still trying to nailthat one down.
I feel like that's the movingtarget for me.
I think with every jobtransition I've had, I've been
satisfied, but then I'm alwayslike, oh well, what if I like
this better?
And I think that's somethingthat that quote be where you are
right.
I think that's something I needto embrace a little bit more.
(20:08):
Okay, this is where I'm at andthis is what I can learn with in
this scenario, in thissituation, in this job, and I
think that for me, careersatisfaction is as long as I'm
in a place where I am gettingmentorship, I'm growing and I'm
learning to me like, regardlessof what the job description is
or maybe even sometimes the pay,like that, at this point in my
(20:30):
career because I'm still prettyearly on that is the most
important thing Am I getting thesupport I need to develop into
the person I want to be and havea thriving career Incredible,
which it really it sounds likeyou are and the beautiful thing
about where you're at is itsounds like it just continues to
open up the opportunities, justcontinue to expand, which I
think is so important for somany of us.
Ashley (20:52):
And here's the beautiful thing You're a PA and you have
all of this clinical knowledgethat you can use in so many
different avenues as well, whichI think is just fantastic.
And I'll be interested, jessicawe'll have to follow up in 20
years when this podcast has 15listeners at that point by then
and you have been in thisprofession for so long, because
I would really love to know ifby then, after receiving such
(21:16):
good mentorship and havingpeople pour into you, if at that
point, you have then turned thetables and you are serving as
the mentor and you are pouringinto others and offering them
the support and the guidancewhich you are already about to
do Right With this new businessthat you're dreaming up and
putting into play right now.
It sounds like a really greatjourney.
(21:36):
Thank you so much for beingwith us on shadow me next today.
I think you have just thecoolest story.
I'm so glad that you shared itwith us, talked a little bit
about the challenges, but awhole bunch about the successes,
and the future is bright foryou, so tell us where can we
reach you if we have questionsabout what you're doing and how
can we connect.
Jessica (21:54):
Yeah, absolutely.
So.
I am probably most active onLinkedIn.
So Jessica Delacroix onLinkedIn.
Linkedin is probably the bestway to get in contact with me
professionally right now.
Ashley (22:04):
Awesome.
Thank you so much for sharingyour story with us and for
taking the time with us.
I really appreciate it.
Jessica (22:09):
Absolutely, Ashley.
Thank you so much for having me.
Ashley (22:12):
Thank you so very much for listening to this episode of
shadow me next.
If you liked this episode or ifyou think it could be useful
for a friend, please subscribeand invite them to join us next
Monday, as always.
If you have any questions, letme know on Facebook or Instagram
Access.
(22:33):
You want stories you need?
You're always invited to shadowme next.
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