Monica Mimoso is a graduate student in Marist's Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program, Class of 2019. Before attending Marist she received her undergraduate degree from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and attended New York Medical College where she received a Master of Science in Basic Medical Sciences. Monica worked as a medical assistant for a bariatric surgery office before coming to Poughkeepsie.

What are your career goals?  
Ever since I could remember I have always wanted to work in Pediatrics. My patient care experience in bariatric surgery sparked a passion for working in obesity medicine. I aspire to combine both of my career goals and help fight the obesity epidemic. That being said, I look forward to learning about different fields of medicine during clinical rotations and experiencing firsthand how physician assistants can work in many fields of medicine.

Why did you choose to pursue your graduate degree at Marist?
When I learned about Marist's Physician Assistant program I attended an open house event immediately. As cliché as it may sound, the second I stepped foot on campus I knew that Marist was the perfect academic environment for students like me to thrive. The faculty members are driven and passionate and have created a program to graduate highly competent physician assistants. As a student, I learn best from hands-on learning and Marist's PA program has several tools and resources to learn. The Allied Health Building is equipped with a gross anatomy lab, clinical simulation suite, traditional exam rooms and Harvey, our Cardiopulmonary Patient Simulator.

Tell us about a project or course that was particularly meaningful to your professional development.
One of the most meaningful academic moments during my didactic year was an exam for Clinical Diagnostics. We had to obtain a history, perform a physical exam with a standardized patient, and write an assessment and plan. At that moment simulating a real-life patient visit I was in awe of how much I had already learned and in my ability to perform a focused and comprehensive exam. Working with the standardized patient and receiving feedback was a good reminder of why I got into this field and further ignited my passion for working hard during PA school to help me become a better provider in the future.

What advice would you give to a student considering pursuing a graduate degree at Marist? 
I would tell a student who was considering pursuing a graduate degree at Marist to never lose sight of their end goal of becoming a certified physician assistant. Some say that didactic year is like "drinking out of a fire hydrant" because the didactic year is where you will learn a lot of information in a short amount of time. Since it is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of studying and keeping up with assignments it is important for students to take a break and remind themselves of why they want to become a physician assistant! Remember that all of that studying is not just to pass an exam, but to one day help a patient. Any setbacks or failures will only help you lunge forward and become stronger. In any moment if you struggle or doubt yourself, make sure that you hold onto that drive and passion that helped you get into PA school and build on it while you are at Marist.