Her first cycle failed over transcripts. Not grades. Transcripts.

Sophia Moresco is a cardiac sonographer who spent her days doing echos before starting PA school at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady in Baton Rouge. That hands-on time with cardiac patients gave her a kind of experience most applicants don't have, and it showed up all over her application.

Her first application cycle didn't go anywhere, and the reason is one I see constantly: her transcripts weren't complete when she submitted. CASPA verification is unforgiving about this, and it can cost you a whole year. She fixed it, reapplied, and came back with multiple interview offers.

If you're in a specialized tech or imaging role and wondering whether it counts, this is your episode.

What we cover:

• Working as a cardiac sonographer before PA school
• How echo experience shaped her application
• Why her first cycle didn't work out
• The transcript mistake that delayed her a year
• Reapplying and landing multiple interviews
• Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady's PA program

Resources:

Free Application Timeline: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-application-timeline

Free Resume Download: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/free-resume-download

PA School Interview Guide: https://www.thepaplatform.com/physician-assistant-school-interview-guide

Pre-PA Counseling: https://www.thepaplatform.com/services/pre-pa-counseling

Mentioned in this episode:

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Alright, you're about to meet Sophia, who has a really interesting job as a cardiac sonographer.

So ultrasound of the heart.

And it's really cool to hear about how that has influenced her path to becoming a pa.

Welcome to the Pre PA Club podcast.

If you want to learn how to become a physician assistant, you're in the right place.

I'm your host, Savannah Perry.

Let's get to it.

All right, before we get to our interview, we are welcoming a new sponsor on the podcast this month and I want to introduce you to Stride Funding.

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So usually you're looking at about a five year plan at around 4 to 10% of your income.

No interest, no principal amount, and a grace period that will start before, well after graduation, but before payments begin.

And then there's also flexibility around some unexpected life events.

But you can go to stridefunding.com to learn more and we will have a link in the description as well that will get you straight there so that you can check it out, see if it's something that's going to work for you and maybe save you some money in the long run.

Hey guys, thanks for tuning in to the Pre PA Club podcast.

Savannah here, I'm a dermatology PA and the creator of the PA platform and this podcast.

So.

So thank you so much for joining me and taking the time to listen.

I learned a lot in this episode and I think you will too.

So the one thing I want you to take away from this is really look into different types of experience and see what's out there.

Because it's, I mean, Sophia's story and what she does is so cool.

All right, before we get into that, I want to tell you guys about some upcoming webinars.

If you are listening to this in real time, if you're listening to it later, is probably a good chance there's a replay available somewhere.

But the links to these will be in the description if they're of interest to you.

And there are a lot coming up.

And really talking about this isn't necessarily pre PA but we're talking about how to encourage conversations surrounding race and diversity as PAs.

And that's with our colleagues, that's with our patients and what that looks like and when that's difficult, how to do it better, lots of things.

So that will be free this Sunday at 8pm Eastern.

As I said, the link is in the bio and of course you can always email or message me for that if you're on our email list.

I'm sending that out today so that you'll be able to sign up for it and then we will send out a replay afterwards.

So, really excited about that.

We've teamed up with the pac and if you do not follow the PAC on Instagram, it's HEPA C. They are a great organization that specifically helps people of color become physician assistants, which I'll probably talk about in an upcoming episode more.

Just kind of the percentages and the discrepancies there as far as race when it comes to coming PAs, because that's something I've learned a lot about recently.

So that's something for you to put on your calendar.

And then not this week, but next Monday, June 22nd at also 8pm will be our live mock interviews.

And so I'm really excited about this.

I think it's going to be really cool.

I've done a live or a mock interview on the podcast before.

It was a long time ago, so you'd have to go back and search for it, but this will be neat.

So we're having two applicants.

We're having a traditional student and a non traditional student and we'll be going through and doing a mock interview live with them.

So the link to that is also in the description or you can find [email protected] and that one is a $5 donation that we'll be donating or giving back to the prepay community.

Kind of looking at ways to do that now if anyone has any ideas or needs.

So that is next Monday and that is with the Brian Palm of my PA Resource.

And then let's see what else is coming up beyond that.

July 25th is the Northeastern Pre PA Conference.

So that was supposed to be in New Jersey, but it has been moved to online, which just means that it's more accessible to all of you.

The lineup of speakers is awesome.

Like it is going to be a great day.

One of our coaches, Non, is speaking.

Brian Palm is speaking.

Jasmine from the PAC is speaking.

So there's a lot of people that I really respect and look up to that.

I think you would enjoy hearing from that is $45 and it's an all day event on like I said July 25th and if you need assistance with paying for that, please let me know and I will reach out to them.

As they have said, some financial assistance is available.

But we are excited.

So many cool things coming up and it's just really fun and I've loved, I mean we're already very virtual but seeing how we kind of have transitioned to having even more opportunities.

Alright, before we jump into our interview with Sophia, I wanted to mention our sponsors number one being mypa resource.

So if you need help with personal statement editing, make sure that you're statement is exactly how it needs to be to submit.

Check them out.

You can use the Code Future PA for any of the discounts on or any of the essay editing services to get a discount.

And then there's also PA School Prep, which is an online course that gives you a good review of anatomy, physiology and med terms before you start PA school.

Also check that [email protected] and use that code future PA and and you can still use it on the PA platform.

We have seen some interviews being scheduled and it's really crazy because a lot of these interviews are virtual just like our mock interviews.

So if you have questions about any of that, feel free to reach out on social media, instagram @the PA platform.

I am on TikTok.

My name on there is at physician assistant and I would love to interact with you guys and meet you and hear from you.

So all right, let's jump into our talk with stuff, Sophia, and I think you're really gonna enjoy this and kind of learn a lot about how to get patient care experience.

Good deal.

So my name is Sophia Moresco, I'm 25 years old and I just started my didact here at Franciscan Missionaries of Our lady, which is in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

So it's about an hour away from New Orleans.

It's not too bad.

I was a sonographer, so I was an ultrasound tech prior to PA and yeah, that's it.

I mean I am from, originally from New Orleans, so it's not too far away from home.

I'm not married, I don't have kids.

Yeah, this is gonna feel like your PA school interviews again.

Yeah, there you go.

I want to talk.

I don't know that I've had anyone on the podcast who's been a sonographer.

It's not very common.

Which, that's what I was gonna mention that I think made me stand out for pa.

It's definitely not a common thing.

And I one of six, at least in the state of Louisiana with certain certifications.

So that was definitely, I think, my, like, highlight of my application.

So, I mean, I loved it, but I really wanted to get more involved with patient care, so that's why I chose pa.

Okay, can you talk a little bit about what it takes to become a sonographer?

Yeah.

So I started off when I graduated high school.

I had no idea what I wanted to do going into college, but I knew I wanted to go to college.

So I did two years at LSU in Baton Rouge, and from there, I was just kind of like.

I felt like I was the only one in my group of friends that didn't really have, like, a major in mind with, like, just a goal.

So I started exploring advisors and just seeing what was out there and what to do from there.

And actually, one of my advisors recommended the cardiopulmonary science program at LSU Health Science center, which was in New Orleans.

Lens.

I always loved learning about cardiology.

It was always super enthusiastic about the heart and all that kind of stuff.

So I just went for it.

I didn't really know what I was getting myself into.

I had just went.

So luckily I applied and I got in.

My class of sonographers was only nine of us, including me, so it was very small.

Yeah.

So from then on, it was two years, including summer semesters as well.

So six semesters, which included kind of like pa. You did your first year of all classes, and then you did clinicals at the end.

I finished with a bachelor's program.

A bachelor's degree.

Okay.

I didn't even know that was a bachelor's program.

So it's usually not.

Okay.

There's associate's programs.

There's, like, certifications and all that kind of stuff.

But I ended up going through the bachelor's through lsu, so it worked out in my favor.

Yeah.

That's awesome.

Okay, so then what exactly does that entail?

I feel like when we talk about ultrasound, obviously, what most people think about is, like, babies and doing ultrasounds for babies, just because that's what we know about.

But I feel like ultrasound and even more so.

I mean, the use of it is growing.

There's all these handheld ultrasounds now, like, pocket ones.

Crazy stuff.

But, yeah.

What exactly was your role?

And what.

What could someone expect from that type of role?

So in.

Through my program that I went through through lsu, it was specifically cardiopulmonary or cardiovascular.

So I graduated with my adult echocardio ultrasound certification, which strictly just means that I do ultrasounds of the heart for adults.

I don't know how to look at liver.

I don't know how to look at babies.

I don't know how to do any of that.

You're looking through.

You're looking for very specific things in an ultrasound.

So it's not like a you can do one, you can do them all type thing.

You have to be able to understand the hemodynamics and the physiology and the anatomy behind what you're doing.

So I graduated with my adult.

My very last clinical rotation was a pediatric cardiology rotation, and I fell in love with it.

So you wouldn't think, like, at that time, you wouldn't think that pediatric cardiology was very different from adult cardiology, and there's a lot to it.

So I actually got my first job doing pediatric cardiology, and I trained for an entire year before taking that certification exam.

So pediatric cardiology definitely has my heart.

And then from there, I actually learned fetal echocardiography.

So that's when you look at the heart for the baby within the mom's belly.

So it's very, very specific.

And that's why I'm saying that I'm only one of six in the state of Louisiana that has these certifications.

But that doesn't mean that I can look at a liver ultrasound and tell you what I'm looking at, because I can't.

That does mean that probably going into PA school, like, whenever we get to the peds part and talk about all the heart defects and everything, you're probably good to go.

Yeah, I know that like the back of my hand.

There you go.

That's great.

And actually, I mean.

And I don't know how widely available what you did is in other places, but cardiology is such a big part of PA school, and the pants is the largest section of pants.

And so, I mean, that gives you such a leg up going in.

I mean, that's huge.

That's really cool.

Yeah.

So I, like, I said I loved it, and I think that's ultimately what it's kind of like.

I didn't even know what my path was, but deep down, it's like, I did know what it was because I love cardiology.

My advisor led me to this program, and now I'm in PA school.

Like, it's, like, perfectly lined up, but I know that's for everyone.

Okay, so how did you transition from sonography to pa?

So that transition came about, because when I was in sonography and I just, I wanted to get more involved with my patients.

Like, I loved being able to do their echo and kind of like follow them through, like pre surgery, post surgery, that kind of thing.

But that doesn't mean that I'm taking care of the patient as a whole.

And I know there comes a lot more to it.

So that's when I started realizing I'm like, I want to do more, like I want to.

And I was also young at the time, so, like, I didn't want to just settle into sonography.

I could see myself just doing more.

So that's when it came about that PA started to become a more and more popular thing.

And someone mentioned it to me and I just went for it.

I mean, I could take classes while I worked.

I could afford it, and so it ended up working out that way.

Okay, so you did have to take some more classes.

Obviously you had the experience part, like in the bag.

Yes.

Is sonography widely accepted, would you say, for PA schools?

I would think it would be.

I mean, that's great experience.

Yeah.

I never had any issues with that kind of patient care experience in that aspect.

I mean, I did it for almost four years, so I definitely had a lot of hours.

But where I lacked was the prereqs.

So what I did to catch up to that was I worked full time hours and I would take classes either online or on campus at a community college, either nights or weekends or just, like I said, online.

Whatever I could do, I was doing it.

But I also didn't want to overwhelm myself because what I was doing was very intense.

Ultrasound, you had to be focused all the time.

I couldn't slack off, so I didn't want to overwhelm myself with too much school.

So it took me a little while to get there, but I got there.

So that's why I'm 25.

So I don't envision myself as old, but I'm one of the older ones in my class, and I think that's okay.

Everyone's experience is a little bit different.

I didn't know I wanted to do that as soon as I graduated from undergrad.

Okay, so what made you choose pa?

I knew I didn't want to do nursing school.

I just knew it wasn't for me and med school.

I was never interested in med school.

I could never see myself being a doctor.

I could never see myself going through the long process of med school and taking all the classes.

I don't find myself a Competitive person.

So I couldn't see myself going to med school because I think that's super competitive.

And so I like the idea of PA because you're independent, but you also have somebody to fall back on and you work as more of a team.

So that's what I liked about pa.

Okay.

Were you able to work with PAS in your role in sonography?

A good bit?

Yeah, we had three PAs.

We had two that were surgical PAs.

So they helped out with the surgeons and all that kind of fun stuff and post ops and pre ops.

And then we also had one who, she would see patients in the outpatient clinic as well as she would round in the hospital.

So I shadowed two of those and I loved it.

I mean, that's what I could see myself doing to this day.

So you think you're gonna end up in cardiology?

Fingers crossed.

We'll see.

Very open minded, but that's where my heart is.

Sounds good.

I mean, we need them for sure.

Okay, so when it came time to apply, what kind did your application cycle look like?

So to be honest, I had no idea what I was doing when I first went in.

I was very naive.

I had no idea what to expect.

I don't think I realized how competitive it truly is until I was in it.

My first application cycle.

I will say that I winged it.

I don't think I necessarily prepared all that much for it.

But then that's because I didn't know what to expect.

I also had a big mess up where I had classes in progress and I didn't realize that you had to submit your final transcript.

So I automatically got rejected from a million schools.

So first application did not go well.

I am so glad you just said that because like right now is when I'm getting all these messages where people are trying to send their transcripts and I've been telling them like, no, you have to wait until all of your classes are complete and you're.

I mean, so like some people, if they're getting their degree or whatever, if it's not complete on the transcript you send, it's not included.

Exactly.

Yeah.

And I that the very hard way.

So I would definitely stress that to people who are applying now to make sure you send in your completed transcripts to make sure that you are considered.

So with that being said, the second application cycle, I was just.

I think I was more prepared.

I'm kind of.

I think everything happens for a reason.

The first time I didn't know what I was doing.

The second time I realized it is A lot more competitive.

You do have to put time and effort into it and to submit everything on time, completed, etc.

Etc.

So I know they say, is it about six schools?

Is the average.

Six is the average of accepted applicants.

So I applied to 12.

Yeah.

10 To 12 is usually my recommendation, like, if you can swing it.

Yeah.

And I think.

I think six is that number between 10 and 12 and, like, the people who apply to one school.

Yeah.

So I applied to as many schools that I was willing to go to and that I fulfilled the prereqs.

I know it was expensive to do, like, to send all your transcripts to do all that, but I looked at it as I'm making.

Like, I'm doing this for my future.

So you have to be able to put up the money and the effort in order to benefit yourself later on.

So that's what I did.

And honestly, the second application cycle, whether it was that I increased my gre, I increased my gpa, I actually read your book.

All those kinds of fun things really helped me out in the long run.

I started getting interviews like that, like, so fast.

Oh, another thing, I applied a lot earlier this the second time around than I did the first time around.

So that definitely, I think, also made a big difference.

And then as long as my.

As far as my interview process goes, I had interviews at one school that I actually went to, and then I got accepted three days later, so I had to cancel all my other interviews.

So how many did you get offered?

I know I got offered at.

Oh, God, I can't even remember now.

Two in Florida.

I'm trying to think, what is it?

Southeast.

I can't even remember them.

There's south and then there's.

Yeah, there's South University.

Not South.

There's one in Tampa and one at Fort Lauderdale.

I mean, one in Orlando and one in Fort Lauderdale.

There's Nova.

Nova.

Southeast.

Okay, Nova Southeast.

Okay.

There was the south part.

Got it.

Emory.

I got some in California, which I'm, like, blanking on the names now.

I got two in California and then the one in Baton Rouge.

Like, I had, like, a list of them, but honestly, once I. I wanted.

The one in Baton Rouge is just obviously where I accepted.

Luckily, it worked out for me where it was my first interview, and I accept.

Accepted the offer three days later.

So all the other ones were.

I'm done.

I don't have to think about it anymore.

Yeah.

That's amazing.

Yeah.

Oh, my gosh.

Okay.

So did you, after your first cycle, as far as, like, figuring Out.

Okay.

There's some places I need to improve or I messed up.

Did you.

How do you figure that out?

Did you just, like, self reflect or reach out to the schools?

I absolutely reached out to the schools.

I know some schools kind of weren't accepting of that or they didn't really want to give feedback, but wherever I could, I did because that was the only way I was really gonna find out what I could do to improve myself.

And I'm one of the people that are just gonna persist until I get an answer as to what I can do.

Because this is my end goal.

So whatever recommendations I got, I did.

I remember this might be a little bit funny, but University of Florida told me that my experience wasn't broad enough, which I thought was silly, so I didn't take that.

I will say.

You were just trying to come up with something.

Yeah.

So I just ignored that.

I didn't take everything personally, but whatever I could do and whatever was realistic in my world, I did.

I also got more feedback on my personal essay, so I revamped that.

Like I said, I retook my G. I keep saying gp, gpa, gre.

I get those confused.

Okay.

I got that redone and I improved my score and then, yeah, I kept taking classes to look better on my transcript and all that kind of stuff.

That's awesome.

Well, you had a great, great outcome.

So how long have you been in school?

I started in January.

March 13 was my last day because of coronavirus, so didn't have too long of in classes, but we're doing zoom, so it's working out.

Oh, gosh.

How many people in your class?

31.

Okay.

That's fairly small.

Really?

Yeah, I mean, I think so.

I mean, mine had 44.

I think 40 is kind of average.

There's some that have, you know, 70 or 80, which is huge to me.

Yeah, that's a.

That's a lot, but yeah.

Okay.

So did you do anything to prepare before PA school or get ready for it or do you work up until it?

No.

So my biggest thing is kind of like on Facebook, blogs and all that was I heard give yourself a break.

So I definitely took advantage of that because I could.

I know not everyone can.

So I took off about a month prior to the start of pa, so that's when I quit job and I was finished.

And then I took off for the month.

I actually went to a short trip to Denver, Colorado with some friends, and I just relaxed the rest of the time because I knew from here on out it was Gonna be business.

So that's all I did, really.

I just gave myself that time.

And it's really just like a congratulations to yourself as well.

Yeah, no, that's great.

Well, how has school been?

It's been fine.

I mean, it's definitely different than undergrad.

It's a lot more intense.

I know everyone tells you this, but you don't know it until you're in it.

So it's definitely been an adjustment, but I think it's doable as long as you go in with the mindset of it's going to be serious.

It's going to be hard.

You're not going to have as much free time.

I think it's going to be okay.

I remind myself all the time that time's going to fly by and we're going to be finished.

It's not a long program, so it's really just a matter of sitting down and getting it done.

How long is your program?

It's two and a half years.

Okay.

So, yeah, so it's not terrible, but I mean, it's a year and a half of didactic and then a year of clinical.

So it's not like you're going to be staring at the book all the time for the rest of your life.

Do you think you would have done as well or had the same outlook going into it straight from undergrad?

Or do you think taking those couple years to get experience and kind of, I guess, mature would have helped you in that?

Personally speaking, if I could go back, I don't think I would change it.

I like that I had that time to grow as an individual and then also just be able to see all different dynamics because I did work as an ultrasound tech.

So I don't think I was like higher up in the medical hierarchy basically.

So I could see how it is like working underneath some people and how some people underneath me were treated and all that kind of stuff.

So I like the experience that I gained.

I also think it helps me determine if I do like something, if one specialty versus the other and that kind of thing.

So I wouldn't change it.

I think that definitely helped me.

I think your experience is awesome.

Like very high quality, I guess would be the best, best way to put it if we had had to ran what has been the hardest class, or maybe not even class, but thing about PA school for you so far.

So as silly as it sounds, it doesn't relate to PA school, but it does.

So I had to move away from home.

I recently got engaged.

I had to Move away from my fiance.

And so I think the social aspect, what people don't see behind closed doors is actually hard.

I miss my family, I miss my friends, that kind of stuff.

So that's been hard for me.

That's what I would pinpoint it to be, rather than school itself.

Yeah.

Just balancing and trying to figure that out.

Yeah.

So I feel like.

And we talk about this a lot on the podcast and NPA stuff in general, how it's.

It's hard sometimes for other people to understand how involved it is and how intense it is and.

Yep.

As much as kind of we want to make time for everyone and everything, it's just not.

Not an option for that year and a half where you're going at it.

So.

So I know Corona is not a good thing, but looking at it as a positive, I've came home and now I'm home doing peace.

So it's like I benefit both worlds during a horrible pandemic.

That's what I. Yeah.

I wonder how this is going to change things, just in general with.

You know, I think we found out we can do a lot more things online than we thought we could and what that's gonna do.

Like, even my patients are loving telemedicine, like they.

But I've looked forward to it.

Classes, we're learning how to do, like, patient interviews and how to do that kind of stuff.

And since we can't be in person, we're gonna do a telemed visit, which I think is awesome because I don't think we would have done it before, but yet that's what healthcare is moving towards.

So.

Yeah, that's good skills for you to have, for sure.

Have you found anything since.

Well, we get a lot of questions about online classes anyway, because a lot of people do them and it sounds like you did some before you went to PA school, so that.

Do you think that's helped you in being able to adjust to moving to online?

No, I think the fact that has helped me was that I worked full time and did classes, so I didn't really.

I had to be hard on myself when time restraints were happening.

So being at home, I still have that, like, rigorous schedule for school and then play time after.

So I try to continue that.

I don't think the online classes really help me or anything like that.

I think it's just two separate things.

Really hasn't made a huge difference or anything.

Do you find it.

Somebody else I talked to said they find it, like, sometimes hard to focus more than being in a Classroom setting.

Would you agree with that or disagree for you?

For me personally, I think it is a little bit harder to focus, but I kind of like will grab my phone, stare at it for a few minutes, scroll, and then just catch back on.

So of course I would never sit there in class and do that, but I don't think it's really making it any worse for me.

I think my grades are still fine.

I still have just enough notes and that kind of stuff.

How are y' all doing?

Test through Examplify.

So we're constantly being monitored with the eye thing, with the camera and so we've always been doing tests like through the same program.

We're just now being watched through the computer versus a proctor.

Okay, cool.

Well, that's easy enough.

Well, awesome.

Well, thank you so much for sharing your experience.

Anything else you want to impart or add for pre pas, Anything helpful?

I guess if you have a question, feel free to ask.

I was always like a little bit intimidated to ask certain things or I felt like, oh, you should know that by now.

No, like, feel free to ask.

Feel free to reach out to whoever you need.

I know people are busy, but I think it's a matter of just fighting for yourself because you're gonna need it, like yourself to get through it.

No, I completely agree.

I love that.

Well, is there anywhere where people can reach you or ask you questions or.

I can, yeah.

Graham, which is my name.

So S O P H I A and then it's M O R E S C O. I'm private, but anybody can just add me as well as Facebook.

I'm same under the same name and then email as well.

So it is S O P H I A dot M O R E S C omail dot com.

Cool.

I'm sure you'll get some questions about your experience and others can follow your path because that's really, really cool.

Absolutely.

I would love to help people out.

Yes.

Thank you so much.