I do have a lot to be thankful for. I am thankful, for one, to have such a magnovilous family supporting my desire to become a nurse. Now, don’t get nervous about that word “magnovilous.” Oh, I know it isn’t really a certified word according to Webster. Don’t worry, they did not teach me that here at Hopkins. No, the word “magnovilous” is a creation of my four-year old son, Toviah (toe-vee-ah). He combined the words magnificent and marvelous and…yes…you may feel free to use it as you wish without any references required, APA or otherwise. I happen to like it very much and I make frequent use of it. Perhaps someday Webster will recognize its usefulness.
My family is magnovilous. I have a magnovilous wife whom I call “honey” but otherwise answers to Lisa and three magnovilous children ages 9 years, 4 years and 14 months (girl, boy, boy respectively). Although they notice and lament my regular absence they wholeheartedly offer their support and encourage me daily; something for which I am deeply grateful and without which I would not be here now doing what I do.
So, what do I do, as a student at the world-renowned Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing? In particular it may be of interest to you what I do as a 39 year-old student at the world-renowned Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing who has a magnovilous family as described previously. I will endeavor to tell it all, like it is, especially for the benefit of anyone who, like me, has a family as well as the ambition to be trained as a nurse at one of the finest institutions of higher learning in the country.
I will say that the academic program here at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHU SON) is rigorous and will consume ample amounts of your time and energy. It is, however, without any doubt in my mind, worth it. What makes it so worthwhile? My fellow students are unquestionably the one factor that makes my time invested here at the JHU SON time well spent. You see, the most fascinating people who are literally from all over the world come here to study the art of nursing. Not only that, but the JHU SON attracts the most fascinating faculty (many of whom write the textbooks that are used here) and it is positioned on the campus of what is known as the JHMI (Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions). This includes not only Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) but also the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Welch Medical Library.
Other benefits include the fact that the school is located in Baltimore, MD. Now, I will go out on a limb here and mention that, yes, Baltimore is in the running for the one city in America with the highest murder rate per capita. Hopefully our Admissions and Public Relations officers will not be reading this too closely, but it is true and I would rather deal with this issue up front and openly as I know many of you have this thought already in mind. Let me say that I am a country boy at heart. I have done most of my growing up and living outside (by choice) large urban centers, on farms, in the woods and for the most part off the beaten path and I feel safe here. Not only that, but the faculty and staff here at the JHU SON feel safe here, as long as they play by the rules and stay within the “oasis” of the JHMI campus. The security team here is wonderful and they are on top of the issue of safety. Actually, Baltimore is a fascinating city with a huge amount of history and culture and it is situated right next to Philadelphia and Washington DC.
As part of my blog I will do my best to share with you my real experiences academically, socially and culturally, not only with regard to my experiences at the JHU SON, but as a new resident of Baltimore, MD. Please feel free to contact me with questions or whatever is on your mind.
Take care,
Daniel