What am I doing here?

Dear Coley,

  This is not so much for you (because you heard about this program and saw the blood sweat and tears it took to arrive here), but for those (if there are others) who read this blog and are wondering…. What is she doing up there?  Here is the abridged version.  I graduated from The UNC-Greensboro, School of Nursing, in 2007.  After four years of working in the Trauma ICU and Pediatric ICU at Wake Forest Baptist Health, with a short time spent in the Peace Corps (Botswana), I decided it was time to pursue my dream of working with underserved populations.  In other words, I want to provide health care to those who would otherwise not receive it (ie: earthquake victims in Haiti, Native Americans, women and children in rural areas, etc). I searched for the best programs in the country and The University of Pennsylvania made the cut (currently ranked #3 in the country, the country’s oldest FNP program, and Ivy League….. shout out to my school ).  After three essays, two interviews, waiting waiting waiting, and some deep soul searching….. here I am!  My actual degree is: Master of Science in Nursing, Family Health Nurse Practitioner.  If all goes as planned, I will graduate in December 2012 (a great 28^th birthday present).  What are my plans after graduation?  I plan on using the next 16 months to answer that question.  Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if I finished a Doctorate degree sometime soon.  (I will have to have a DNP by 2015, but Graduate School might do me in though, haha).  So, there…. any questions?  My parents have plenty!

Courtney