Shadow Me Next!

22 - From Surgery to Sales: One PA's Journey with Jessica Dell'Aquila, PA-C

• Ashley Love • Season 1 • Episode 22

Share episode

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. 

Virtual shadowing is an important tool to use when planning your medical career. At Shadow Me Next! we want to provide you with the resources you need to find your role in healthcare and secure your place in medicine.

Check out our pre-health resources. Great for pre-med, pre-PA, pre-nursing, pre-therapy students or anyone else with an upcoming interview!
Mock Interviews: shadowmenext.com/mock-interviews
Personal Statement Review: shadowmenext.com/personal-statement
Free Downloads: shadowmenext.com/free-downloads

Want to request a guest? Shoot me an email: ashley@shadowmenext.com

Ashley:

Hello and welcome to Shadow Me Next, a podcast where I take you into and behind the scenes of the medical world to provide you with a deeper understanding of the human side of medicine. I'm Ashley, a physician assistant, medical editor, clinical preceptor and the creator of Shadow Me Next. It is my pleasure to introduce you to incredible members of the healthcare field and uncover their unique stories, the joys and challenges they face and what drives them in their careers. It's access you want and stories you need, whether you're a pre-health student or simply curious about the healthcare field. I invite you to join me as we take a conversational and personal look into the lives and minds of leaders in medicine. I don't want you to miss a single one of these conversations, so make sure that you subscribe to this podcast, which will automatically notify you when new episodes are dropped, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook at Shadow Me Next, where we will review highlights from this conversation and where I'll give you sneak previews of our upcoming guests.

Ashley:

Today, I'm joined by Jessica DeLacula, a physician assistant who has made a fascinating transition from clinical practice to the medical device industry. Jessica's journey started with a dual degree program at Seton Hall, where she completed both her undergraduate degree in biology and her master's in physician assistant studies. In just six years After graduating, she began her career at Penn Medicine, gaining hands-on experience in general surgery and transplant medicine, where she found her passion for helping patients through their transplant journeys. But after five years in clinical practice, jessica decided to explore a new path in medical device sales, where she now works as a clinical specialist in structural heart, providing education, supporting procedures and helping shape business strategies. In today's episode, jessica shares her inspiring story of career evolution, the lessons she learned along the way and advice for PAs thinking about pivoting in their own careers. Please keep in mind that the content of this podcast is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered as professional medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company.

Ashley:

This is Shadow Me Next with Jessica DeLacquola. Hey, Jessica, thank you so much for joining me today on Shadow Me Next. This is going to be a fantastic conversation. You are doing something that I think is so cool and, to be fair, it's not something I would have ever considered doing myself as a PA until you mentioned it. So thanks for joining us. Tell us a little bit about your decision originally to become a PA and then, oh my goodness, I can't wait to hear the story after that as to how you ended up where you're at.

Jessica:

Yeah, absolutely. First off, thank you so much for having me. And yeah, I really I think back to when I wanted to become a PA and it feels like forever ago. So throughout high school I was always interested in medicine. I was initially thinking of actually pursuing like a bio degree in that medical school and I was lucky enough to have really great mentors. So my father's a physician and my stepmom is actually a PA and they work together.

Jessica:

I got to see the lifestyle differences between both and as I got closer and closer to needing to apply for colleges, I realized that I really enjoyed the career flexibility that a PA offered right as a physician to switch the specialty I'd have to go back to a residency. So, with that said, I in my senior year of high school applied to dual degree programs for PA. So then I went to Seton Hall their dual degree program, so it was a three plus three program with the bio undergrad and the master's in physician assistant. So that was what led me to becoming a PA. I was. I try to think back if I ever thought about doing anything else and I don't think I did.

Ashley:

That's amazing. Oh, this dual degree program is so cool the three plus three. I'm going to link that in the show notes below because I think that is something unique to this conversation and something that a lot of people might not be aware of. But obviously you had to make that decision to want to become a PA pretty early. Then obviously, yeah.

Jessica:

Yes, I did so. Basically, I went into undergrad college so like at 18 years old, knowing that as long as I kept my grades at a certain GPA and hit my patient experience hours, that I was going to be progressing into that program. So I'm really thankful that I did that way. I think as I progressed through undergrad, pa school started becoming immensely more competitive and I feel very blessed that, like I just took that opportunity and went with it, but I know that there's still those three plus three six-year programs total.

Jessica:

There's also some five-year programs out there too, which I do have a friend that did one of those and that was rough. That's a lot of school, really fast.

Ashley:

No, it's true, it's true, and ultimately it's nice though, because you had this focus in college that a lot of people don't have, I think a lot of times we're kind of navigating college with general ideas, trying to figure out maybe where we're going to go or where we're going to fit in. To have that constant direction, it must have been really comforting for you, I would imagine.

Jessica:

I'm pretty type A. For those that know me, I'm pretty type A. So for me to just have blinders on for six years and be like okay. The next thing I will say, though, like in hindsight, sometimes I do wish, like in undergrad I did have some opportunity to maybe explore different things and maybe more time to take other types of classes. But overall, though, I'm very happy that I went through the program that way.

Ashley:

Tell me a little bit about your journey as a PA. So you did this three plus three program. Where did you end up?

Jessica:

Yeah, so after PA school. So I went to Seton Hall up in New Jersey. After PA school I moved over to Philly and I started my career at Penn Medicine there. So I did about a year and a half of general surgery and they actually have an interesting setup there with some of the general surgery positions are rotational, so every couple of months I would actually cover a different service line. So I got a very wide range of experience very quickly. So I covered surgical oncology, I covered transplant, general surgery, thoracic surgery. So again, wide variety of specialties. And during my time doing that I really enjoyed transplant medicine. So when they had a permanent position open up on their team I went for that. Then I finished up my career at Penn in transplant surgery, which was probably the most rewarding field I've been in so far. And then when I moved to Charleston, south Carolina, I did a short time in regenerative medicine and then from there decided I wanted to pivot outside of clinical practice.

Ashley:

Let's step back into transplant medicine just a bit. Tell us about what a day on the transplant medicine team looked like for you.

Jessica:

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 the first APP run service on the surgical line. So what that looked like was 12-hour shifts. Day shifts and night shifts were all covered by APPs, so we would flip back and forth and then pretty much a lot of our role was floor management of these post-op and preoperative surgical patients and making sure, as they came in, we got them ready to go for their transplant and then seeing them all the way through from their the beginning of their hospital stay whether it required the ICU or didn't and then through till discharge.

Ashley:

Wow. I think a lot of people forget that when you are the recipient of a transplant, you have to be in the hospital beforehand, and there's a lot of care that goes into that. First, then surgery, then afterwards, so you take this whole journey along with the patient. I'm sure that was part of what made it so rewarding, but I would also imagine it's what made it so challenging too.

Jessica:

Yeah, I think a lot of these patients did have like outpatient workups and then they would get called in, but a lot of them maybe, if they were really sick, they were maybe admitted to the medicine service prior and then we started to assume the care. So, yeah, you're with those patients for quite a bit of time and you get to know them and their families and, yeah, it was a very unique and rewarding experience. It's so rewarding and it's interesting, right, because you have, even though I was on the surgical side, there was so much medicine, so the pharmacology becomes super important because of the way that drugs are processed through the body. Infectious disease, like. There's such a wide range of medical specialties that tie well into the transplant, so you got a lot of exposure really quick.

Ashley:

Oh yeah, I mean, that's what it sounds like. It sounds like you were just really just thrown in to this world of medicine pretty quickly out of PA school. And one day you wake up and you say 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 else there. Tell us about that.

Jessica:

So I was practicing for about five years. So in the grand scheme of the career it's not that long. But I think what did it for me was during my career I was working at Penn. I also at that time did an ambassadorship with the NCCPA to help like with legislation for PAs and kind of marketing and social media initiatives for PAs. I had done a nutrition fellowship, like I was trying to do all of this stuff through AAPA, nccpa. I started our social media program at Penn for APPs and I was just trying to have my hands in all of this stuff. And then at five years I was like is this it? Like I feel like I have all these other interests and these polls and I feel like I can't really develop them significantly if I stay clinical. So that's what started to encourage me to learn about other roles outside of clinical practice for a PA or just the healthcare provider in general. So it was, that was what the poll was.

Jessica:

So I currently work in medical device sales. So I currently work for structural heart and a day in my life is I'm in a clinical specialist role. So basically the main purpose of that role is to provide case coverage and support for cases. So I'm in the cath and the EP lab with the physicians as they're utilizing our device. I'm helping them make the decision on what size of device is appropriate, how we're going to deal with the anatomy that's in front of us and every patient is different. So really becoming a part of that team and that clinical conversation. And then, when we're not in a procedure, we're providing education. So I'm supporting a second to market product. So there's a lot of education involved in that of how are we different from maybe the competition and developing like programs to help continue education in that realm. And beyond that, a lot of it is also some business development to working with my team collaboratively to think down the line Okay, what hospitals should we continue working with? Who should we maybe re-engage with? And a lot of business development too.

Ashley:

Wow, it's so multifaceted.

Jessica:

That's what I love about it, right. So it's the clinical side to me. So when I was in transplant, it was abdominal transplant, so the heart, the cardiac space, is a little new to me. So that was definitely a learning curve clinically. But everything else has been a learning curve too, right. Like market development, like the business acumen I've had to learn. There's a lot and it's been really interesting.

Ashley:

You mentioned that when you were on transplant, obviously you did a lot with surgery, but when you're on transplant, it was largely abdominal. This is more cardiac focused. Regardless, did your clinical experience give you a competitive edge when it came to transitioning into this the medical device industry?

Jessica:

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 PA unless it was a quick, fast exam like with an ultrasound. But I had to learn how to read TEEs and intracardiac echo and that was definitely the learning curve. But when it came to patient selection for our product and comorbidities and maybe risk benefit for patient care, postoperative patient regimens and critically thinking about the patient as a whole, as well as having a firm understanding about insurance and how healthcare systems actually operate on a day-to-day, I think that did give me a different type of edge when having conversations on maybe the business side of medicine.

Ashley:

You have the business side of things, you have the learner side of things, you have the educator side of things when you're talking to physicians. This brings up a question that I was planning on saving until the end, but this is just such a great time to talk about it In this position, especially when you consider the business element of this. Have you ever had to sell your value to a clinician or a room of people? I mean, this is something. As a PA, I think we do a lot. We have to build rapport and build trust with our patients, but this is a different thing. What's your experience with that, Dr Anneke?

Jessica:

Vandenbroek. So that's a very interesting question and I think, coming to this side of medicine, there's definitely a difference. So I felt like as a PA yes, like a certain point of like, trust and respect you developed through the rapport that you built, whether it was with your healthcare team, the physicians you worked with or your patients and their families title of a PA still gave you an element of respect. On the device side, I think, respect and trust and all of it overall are just earned straight up from the relationship that you build.

Jessica:

I think that when some people I work with found out I was the PA previously, they're more just intrigued to like why did you transition or do you like it better questions like that. But at the end of the day, in this role, you're in that room as the representative from the company and you're there to provide value. So I think that the respect in that way is always earned through what you're providing, not necessarily a title. You carry from a previous position and that was like very humbling for me because I think as a PA you did have to develop relationships and earn respect. But there was also some that came with the title and I think here it's all about the relationships and how you carry yourself and the little wins every day.

Ashley:

I commend you so much. It's bringing me back to a couple of episodes ago, when I spoke to Eric Fogg, and he's been a PA for a couple of decades now and the only thing after his name is PA. He didn't have the alphabet soup after his name and he says Ash, you can stand on your title as much as you want, but you have to put your money where your mouth is. You have to show up and you have to do good day in and day out, and you have done that. And you stepped into this role where you had to do that and and I just commend you on that because I think a lot of people unfortunately do sit back and rely on our titles and all of the hard work that you put in to get there as being a testament of who we are, what we believe in and why we do what we do. But, like you said, you have to show up every day and you have to prove that and you have, and that well done.

Jessica:

And you know what, though? That's with every profession there's good clinicians and there's bad clinicians too, I don't know. I think with any profession, like with any kind of training, like it's more just about how you show up than what's after your name.

Ashley:

Yeah, no, you're absolutely right. While we're here and talking about just like general good advice for people, there's a segment on this show called quality questions, and this is where we discuss an interview question that either you have been asked or you ask. That kind of just gives us food for thought and it helps us in our own interviews when we're preparing to answer these questions. It's nice to have an arsenal that we've prepared for and practiced. So, jessica, do you have a quality question for us? Before we hear what Jessica's quality question is, keep in mind that there's more interview prep, such as mock interviews and personal statement review, over on shadowmenextcom. There, you'll find amazing resources to help you as you prepare to answer your own quality questions.

Jessica:

Yes, I do and I actually. So I got this question from a mentor 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 with somebody that you know would I would definitely be, they would be my manager, my direct report Then I ask what is your management style like? And if I'm interviewing with somebody that's of a higher level, I ask what their leadership style is like, and you can use the two interchangeably, but I think it will give you a really great idea on what you can expect and as well as what the culture is like where you're interviewing, and I think you can gain a lot of insight onto how your relationship with that direct report will be based on how they answer that question.

Ashley:

I think it is so great. I think largely because it's not a yes or no question, really right. People can run with that so many different ways they can. They can answer in the positive and say this is what I prefer, this is how I operate and this is why. Or they can answer in the negative this is what I don't prefer and this is how I do not operate and this is why and I. It's just there's so much room for conversation with that question, which obviously is what I love in an interview.

Jessica:

And that's the thing for me is like one thing that I always, whenever I've talked to different PAs on the phone, that maybe I've reached out on LinkedIn about transitioning, it's like I think you really have to ask good questions, right? You can't, when you're trying to learn about something or try something new or learn, get insight into somebody and their personality. You have to ask good questions, and I think learning how to ask great questions is a skill set for sure.

Ashley:

No, absolutely. Chad GPT can only help you out so far. Real quick, jessica, before we pivot one more time. Roles in medical technology, medical device sales. What roles do you think are best suited for an experienced PA? Are there some that you've seen and you're just like you know what? Yes, a PA, they should totally be in that role.

Jessica:

Yeah, that's a great question. I think it really depends on their previous experience as well as their skill sets. So I think what I do like a clinical sales specialist is a great entry point because you're learning about sales and the business side, but you're also very clinically strong and, like most of my job, responsibility is clinical, but it gives me the opportunity to learn more about sales. So if I ever want to pivot into a full on sales role like I, can then have that development. It also allows me to have exposure to marketing and therapy development. So if I ever want to pivot that way, for PAs that maybe have a heavier research background, maybe something like a medical science liaison would be a better pivot point for them.

Jessica:

I think when you're looking at the industry in general, there are so many different roles there's there's medical science liaison, there's sales, there's marketing, there's therapy development, there's research. I think it just is like where was your skillset and also your personality? I think you have to plug in and play a little bit with personality and how you feel about interacting with people in a day-to-day, just like you would in clinical practice too, though.

Ashley:

Yeah, no, exactly right, gosh. It's so cool because it seems like it's a field where you can really find your niche pretty well. It sounds like there's something for everybody, which is very cool really.

Jessica:

Yeah, I think there is, and I think something that I love is there's so much to explore and something I've noticed as well. At least, I think I've had a very positive experience, at least with my transition and the company that I'm with. But people are very eager to give you advice or mentor you or be a soundboard as you're making this transition and feeling out different things in your career. Anyone I've reached out to in the medical industry has pretty much gotten back to me and has been open to a phone conversation. I think people in this industry are very they like to network, they like to meet new people, and I think that's been a really positive thing too.

Ashley:

That's great. It sounds like it's really supportive, which is fantastic. Jessica, as we wrap up, usually this is where I like to ask if you have any advice to pre-health students. But instead and something that I think will be more enlightening for someone who is perhaps considering a career in medicine and then maybe thinking what, if I want to pivot what does your career satisfaction look like for you now, as opposed to when you were a PA? How has that evolved?

Jessica:

That's a really great question. I think I feel like, if I'm being completely transparent, I think I'm still trying to nail that one down. I feel like that's the moving target for me. I think with every job transition I've had, I've been satisfied, but then I'm always like, oh well, what if I like this better? And I think that's something that that quote be where you are right.

Jessica:

I think that's something I need to embrace a little bit more. Okay, this is where I'm at and this is what I can learn with in this scenario, in this situation, in this job, and I think that for me, career satisfaction is as long as I'm in a place where I am getting mentorship, I'm growing and I'm learning to me like, regardless of what the job description is or maybe even sometimes the pay, like that, at this point in my career because I'm still pretty early on that is the most important thing Am I getting the support I need to develop into the person I want to be and have a thriving career Incredible, which it really it sounds like you are and the beautiful thing about where you're at is it sounds like it just continues to open up the opportunities, just continue to expand, which I think is so important for so many of us.

Ashley:

And here's the beautiful thing You're a PA and you have all of this clinical knowledge that you can use in so many different avenues as well, which I think is just fantastic.

Ashley:

And I'll be interested, jessica we'll have to follow up in 20 years when this podcast has 15 listeners at that point by then and you have been in this profession for so long, because I would really love to know if by then, after receiving such good mentorship and having people pour into you, if at that point, you have then turned the tables and you are serving as the mentor and you are pouring into others and offering them the support and the guidance which you are already about to do Right With this new business that you're dreaming up and putting into play right now. It sounds like a really great journey. Thank you so much for being with us on shadow me next today. I think you have just the coolest story. I'm so glad that you shared it with us, talked a little bit about the challenges, but a whole bunch about the successes, and the future is bright for you, so tell us where can we reach you if we have questions about what you're doing and how can we connect.

Jessica:

Yeah, absolutely. So. I am probably most active on LinkedIn. So Jessica Delacroix on LinkedIn. Linkedin is probably the best way to get in contact with me professionally right now.

Ashley:

Awesome. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us and for taking the time with us. I really appreciate it.

Jessica:

Absolutely, Ashley. Thank you so much for having me.

Ashley:

Thank you so very much for listening to this episode of shadow me next. If you liked this episode or if you think it could be useful for a friend, please subscribe and invite them to join us next Monday, as always. If you have any questions, let me know on Facebook or Instagram Access. You want stories you need? You're always invited to shadow me next.

People on this episode

Head Shot

Ashley Love

Host