During my freshman year of college, I was enrolled as a biology, pre-med major at Boston College. When receiving my annual physical/vaccinations, I asked my provider, “What medical school did you attend?” She answered “I’m not a doctor, I’m a nurse practitioner.” The next twenty minutes of the visit were her detailing her journey through nursing school and the flexibility that her job offered and the opportunities she has to connect with patients like me.
After our conversation, I walked over to admissions and requested to change my major to nursing before the first semester even started. I can’t imagine working in any other field within health care and am thankful for the small, but impactful moment that led to me pursuing the journey of a PhD in nursing.
In 2014, I underwent emergency ovarian surgery to correct a torsion and remove a large mass from my ovary. Through my four-week healing process and being cleared by GYN oncology, I had a moment of reflection. I thought to myself, “What if this issue led me to not being able to have children?” This moment of reflection ultimately led me to find many health inequities in treatment seeking behaviors in African American women experiencing primary or secondary infertility.
I came to understand the many resources DUSON has to offer after I was introduced to the Bridge to the Doctorate program. After joining the bridges program, the faculty, staff and students made my decision to enroll at DUSON easy. From the library staff to the professors to the supplemental funding opportunities for research, all aspects of the Duke PhD experiences are unmatched.
My experiences outside of the school have made my educational journey unique. I am the nursing liaison for the Black Graduate Professional Student Association, I’ve been awarded training funding through the Provost’s office and I actively participate in programming through the counseling center that is geared towards improving the experiences of black women in higher education. As PhD students, we really have the best of both worlds because of our connections with DUHS and the Duke University communities.
My Duke degree represents so many opportunities that aren’t discussed during open house visits or on the website. When I graduate, I’ll be prepared to be a great researcher with some skills in teaching. I’ll also have numerous skills in networking and interdisciplinary project development. The mentorship in and outside the school will also be an intangible aspect of this program that I will carry with me wherever I go.