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Meet marisa
I’m a Physician Assistant, writer, storyteller, friend, and regular human being who has a passion for sharing the highs and lows while working in medicine.
My all cards on the table passion is working on the margins of medicine. I have been in countless spaces on the margins and find stories that leave me in awe time and time again. I currently work at a community clinic serving our city’s uninsured patients. It is an extremely fulfilling and life giving space for me and I, daily, feel called to the work.
While I’ve lived in a lot of different places since I left for college, I currently call Texas home. In my free time, you can catch me playing basketball, attending standup comedy, enjoying wine nights, or searching for the best margarita while wearing SPF 500.
The Gold Standard
A weekly newsletter filled with stories about medicine, relationships, things I’m loving, and other good things. It’s my favorite writing I create and the best way to stay in touch. Some people say it’s their favorite thing they’ve ever read, but I’ll let you be the judge of that.
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Let’s start at the beginning…
My story starts actually when I was born (weird, I know). I was born prematurely at 26 weeks (in the 90s this was EARLY). Lots of medical complications + a heart surgery later and I came out with a paralyzed vocal cord. This essentially means my voice is permanently raspy, hoarse, and quiet. This is a relatively rare condition, and certainly unheard of infancy. I used to consider it my greatest weakness but it truly is my greatest strength. It has introduced me to one of my greatest passions: learning about people and their stories.
I’ve grown up navigating a unique life story (ahem still navigating) and have spent a lot of years discovering how that story influences my current life, interests, and career in medicine. I’ve also spent a lot of time ACCEPTING and feeling at home in my story.
Due to the nature of my voice, I’ve also spent a lot of time listening to other stories around me. This has developed in me a true love for encountering other people, getting to know them, and understanding who they are. I could write a book (might I?) about my experience and how it has shaped every minute of my life, my trajectory, and my desire to work in medicine, but I’ll leave that for another day. Just know, that I am deeply grateful for my story, because it has equipped me to succeed in the spaces I have felt called to.
This all lends itself to a career in medicine- specifically Primary Care and particularly medicine on the margins! My job is to listen to stories all day long. I get to encounter TONS of different types of people, listen to how their weekends were, what their kids have been up to, and how that job interview went. Story after story after story, empathetically engaging and persistently listening. Sure, I had to study a lot to actually know the MEDICINE for each patient, but my favorite part about working in medicine is engaging with people- after all, everyone is an entire world waiting to be discovered. It’s truly one of the greatest honors of my life- to be a small, tiny part of the stories of my patients.
FAQs
Where did you go to undergrad? What was your major?
I attended the University of Notre Dame for college. I studied Sociology and Pre-Med.
Where did you go to PA school?
I went to PA school in Chicago at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. City of my dreams, phenomenal medical center, rigorous academics, small class size, and a strict 24 month program. I was THIS close to going to a PA/MPH program in Washington DC but decided against it.
Where did you get your Patient Care hours and shadowing hours?
I was a home health aid at an assisted living center and memory care clinic. I was also a medical assistant at a pregnancy clinic. I shadowed a LOT of providers, mostly physicians.
How many Patient Care hours did you have when you applied to PA school?
I had exactly 2000 hours on the dot (the exact number needed for the schools I applied to). I then obtained more during my gap year so I think I ended up with about 3000 by the time I stepped foot into PA school.
Did you take a gap year between undergrad and PA school?
YES! I took 1 gap year- best decision of my life (though I don’t think it is for everyone). I did a gap year of volunteer work in Washington D.C. working at an underserved pregnancy clinic. It fortified my desire to work with those on the margins. Read more here!
Why PA over other medical careers?
Loaded question- I think I could write a book about this! For me, it was really between PA school and medical school. After years of self reflection and truly humbling myself, I decided that the medical school route was not meant for me and what I envisioned for my future. Read more about it here and here.