Derm Dispatch: Navigating Industry, Health Care, and Career Transitions as a PA

In this new episode of Derm Dispatch, Renata Block, MMS, PA-C, and Jessica Dell'Aquila, MS, PA-C, discuss career transitions, professional growth, and the evolving role of physician associates in the health care industry. Dell'Aquila, a physician’s assistant (PA) based in Charleston, South Carolina, shared her journey after 5 years in clinical practice—including surgery, abdominal transplant, and functional medicine—before making a pivotal move into the health care industry.

Dell'Aquila highlighted the essential skills that enabled her transition: strong communication and critical thinking. These core competencies, honed through direct patient care and interdisciplinary collaboration, served as a solid foundation as she pivoted to a more business- and strategy-focused environment. She emphasized that, while still patient-centered, working in industry involves a steep and humbling learning curve. Many aspects, such as contracting, marketing, and health care operations, are unfamiliar to most clinicians and require dedicated time to master.

“There was a huge learning curve, and it was actually very humbling,” Dell'Aquila said. “There's so much about the health care world that we don't know

The conversation touched on a common concern among mid-career PAs: professional stagnation. Jessica candidly discussed reaching a growth ceiling in clinical practice around the 5- to 7-year mark, a sentiment echoed by many of her peers. She attributes her successful transition to strategic networking by reaching out to other PAs in industry roles, conducting informational interviews, and carefully documenting lessons learned.

The PAs agreed on a growing need for structured business and industry education in PA training programs, noting that many new graduates enter practice with little knowledge of healthcare systems beyond the clinical realm. They also address the limitations imposed by restrictive clinic contracts, which can stifle growth and encourage turnover.

Dell'Aquila reflected on the personal and professional fulfillment her new role provides. While she misses the intimate rewards of direct patient care, especially in emotionally impactful specialties like transplant, she values the broader impact she now makes on patient outcomes, coupled with her own development. The discussion ended with a call to action: building stronger peer support systems for PAs navigating industry roles and expanding awareness of alternative career pathways within health care.

“I think the most rewarding aspect is the fact that I am seeing personal and professional growth in myself while still being able to make an impact on patients. And that was always the important part for me,” Dell'Aquila concluded.