Beyond the Brochure: Grad Students Share the Real UVA School of Nursing Experience
Considering graduate school for nursing but not sure which path is right for you—or what it’s really like once you’re in?
At UVA School of Nursing, our grad students aren’t just hitting the books. They’re juggling rigorous coursework, clinical rotations, research, and real-life commitments—all while growing into the next generation of nursing leaders.
To give you an inside look at what life in our graduate programs is actually like, we turned to the experts: our inaugural Graduate Student Ambassadors. These DNP, CNL, and PhD students come from diverse backgrounds and bring different goals and experiences to the table. Their stories offer candid insights into the challenges, surprises, and moments of growth that define the grad school journey at UVA.
Click on a student below to jump to their interview.
Military, Motherhood, and Grad School: A Balancing Act
Corrine Gogert, AGACNP/AGACNS and DNP recent graduate
BIGGEST DNP PROGRAM SURPRISE?
"I was blown away by how many preceptors were eager to work with students. Despite UVA being an academic medical center with a constant influx of learners, the preceptors were not only willing but genuinely happy to teach. Many take on students month after month—not for extra pay or special recognition, but simply because they love it. Their care, compassion, and passion for teaching are unmatched.
“Another surprise was the incredible range of specialties available to choose from. At UVA, it doesn’t matter if you’re unsure about your exact career path—there’s always someone willing to guide you and help you explore your options."
"Through both simulation and direct patient care during clinicals, I got a well-rounded learning experience. Difficult conversations aren’t something I want to do every day, but having this skill in my toolbox makes tough situations feel less overwhelming. Instead of battling my own nerves, I can focus fully on supporting patients and their families through some of their hardest moments."
Corrine Gogert, DNP student and recent graduate
BEST SKILL YOU’VE MASTERED?
"While it wasn’t my favorite skill to learn, I’m incredibly proud of gaining skill and confidence at difficult conversations with patients and their families. As someone who pursued dual certification as a clinical nurse specialist and nurse practitioner, I’ve been present for family meetings and goals-of-care discussions in many different capacities.
“Learning how to connect with families—understanding their real concerns, ensuring their wishes are heard, and helping them grasp the medical complexities of a case while always keeping the focus on the patient—is no easy task. Through both simulation and direct patient care during clinicals, I got a well-rounded learning experience. Difficult conversations aren’t something I want to do every day, but having this skill in my toolbox makes tough situations feel less overwhelming. Instead of battling my own nerves, I can focus fully on supporting patients and their families through some of their hardest moments."
WHAT YOU WISHED YOU KNEW BEFORE GRAD SCHOOL?
"The challenges of managing clinical hours in a dual program is big. Balancing two shift-based work schedules with my partner while ensuring we had childcare coverage was especially difficult during the summer semester, when I had less time to complete the required hours. While the recent DNP program restructuring has helped, clinicals still require about three shifts per week. Had I known this in advance, I might have explored different childcare options.
“On a lighter note, I wish I had a clearer understanding of professional attire categories. Transitioning from the military to a civilian role revealed a significant gap in my knowledge of appropriate dress for different settings. I never knew when to wear business casual versus professional attire—and even when I did, I wasn’t sure what that actually meant! Medicine adds another layer of complexity, with different environments calling for different attire, from scrubs to business casual to white coats."
BEST PROFESSOR, CLASS, or TAKEAWAY?
"I truly can’t narrow it down . . . because ALL of your experiences shape you as a provider. Each class in the program builds upon what came before, as well as clinical experiences, all of which help you draw connections between different topics. For example, learning the pathophysiology of a disease process and then understanding the pharmacology of medications that treat it led to so many 'lightbulb' moments for me.
“If you twist my arm, though, I would say that a big lesson for me has been that it’s okay not to know the answer—so long as you’re willing to admit it. No one can know everything; not even neurosurgeons! Being able to acknowledge when you're out of your depth, or discussing a topic with limited knowledge, is crucial to being a good provider. We owe our patients our best, and sometimes that means relying on collaboration and not just our own knowledge."
THE GRADUATE AMBASSADOR EXPERIENCE?
"I became a graduate ambassador because I want to be a resource for others. When I first started looking at schools, I had no idea where to turn. Thankfully, I had a friend who was a current student at UVA and helped me navigate the process. Not everyone has a contact like that, so I want to be that person for others. Providing real-life experiences and answers from someone currently going through it is much more relatable and helpful than a generic FAQ page that lacks specificity and personalization."
Thriving in Grad School: A Community of Care
Sandy Ting, CNL student
"The School doesn’t simply recognize that its learners are multidimensional—it leverages these qualities to build dynamic, diverse cohorts."
Sandy Ting, CNL student
BEST PART OF THE CNL
“What has stood out most about the CNL program is how the School invests in caring for its students as complex, multifaceted individuals beyond just academics. The School doesn’t simply recognize that its learners are multidimensional—it leverages these qualities to build dynamic, diverse cohorts. Faculty and administrators prioritize mental health, implementing dedicated physical spaces and human resources to support our overall wellness. This commitment to student support is more than just passive acknowledgment; it's an active effort to foster resilience and success.
“Faculty and staff here ensure we have access to counseling services, peer support networks, and faculty mentors to promote both personal and professional growth. By cultivating an environment where student health and wellness are prioritized, the School fosters a culture of balance and sustainability. These investments strengthen our community, too, both in the classroom and in clinical settings, and reinforces the message that self-care is critical to caregivers’ ability to provide excellent, compassionate, high-quality, safe care to others.
THE PROGRAM’S BIGGEST SURPRISE?
“The unwavering support from clinical instructors, who are genuinely eager to guide and mentor. This dedication is most evident when we students go out on our clinical experiences, the real cornerstone of our learning. Nurses go out of their way to welcome us, offering opportunities to students they notice on the floor. They invite us to observe, help us develop our technical skills, and guide us as we learn to perform hands-on procedures, always generously shared their time and expertise. This commitment to collaboration and mentorship truly exemplifies the core values of the nursing profession.”
BEST PROFESSOR, CLASS, or TAKEAWAY?
“There are countless individuals—from our faculty and administration to clinical instructors and nurses on our rotations—who are eager and excited to support nursing students at every stage of our journey in the field. However, the most crucial element of our program has been our clinical experiences. These experiences provide us with an opportunity to shape our personal approach to patient-centered care. Countless nurses model clinical excellence but also essential interpersonal skills: advocacy, teamwork, and adaptability. It really reflects the fact that a nurse’s learning is a continuous, lifelong process. This immersive environment, which encourages healthy risk-taking in class, the simulation lab, and during clinicals, ensures that we transition from students to capable, competent professionals. We’ll leave with the tools and resources to deliver the same spirit of mentorship and dedication in our future practice as nurses.”
From Ballerina to Nurse Scientist: A Dance of Curiosity and Discovery
Molly Yeo, PhD student
“I never imagined that pursuing a PhD would be this fun! Curiosity is one of the best feelings in the world."
Molly Yeo, PhD student
WHAT YOU WISHED YOU KNEW BEFORE GRAD SCHOOL?
“As the ambassador for the PhD program, I often tell prospective students that there is no conventional path to a PhD—and mine certainly wasn’t. I started as a ballet dancer before deciding to become both a nurse and a scientist. There’s often a misconception that you need extensive research experience or publications before applying to a PhD program. While being a strong student is essential, what matters most is demonstrating drive, passion, and intellectual curiosity. If you already knew how to be a scientist, you wouldn’t need to pursue a PhD! Our program equips us with the tools and credentials to become experts, leaders, and advocates in our respective research fields.
“I’d also say that, no matter your background, starting a doctorate is a huge leap for everyone. I wish I had known that it’s normal for the work and workload to feel especially challenging at times. Everyone experiences this. Doctoral work is meant to be hard. As Leslie Kendrick, Dean of the UVA School of Law, says, “If you went to the gym and didn’t sweat, you’d be wasting your money.” I think about that often.
“If something is difficult, it doesn’t mean you’re weak—it means it’s making you stronger. I’ve had to learn that success isn’t about getting it right the first time; it’s about deciding not to stop until you do.”
THE PROGRAM’S BIGGEST SURPRISE?
“I never imagined that pursuing a PhD would be this fun! I truly love to learn. We get to study what we are most passionate about, and our research helps answer questions that can change lives and address health problems at their source—what could be better? Curiosity is one of the best feelings in the world. As a PhD student, every day brings new discoveries that spark my curiosity.
“Two of my favorite things are reading and discussing what I’ve read with others. That’s what the PhD program feels like. As a cohort, we each have our own specific research interests, but we’re always learning from one another. My research focuses on vaccine hesitancy and efforts to reduce vaccination disparities, while my classmates are studying Alzheimer’s disease, breast cancer screening, pediatric palliative care, and access to telemedicine, just to name a few. There’s so much collaborative learning. We study under world-class scholars, but we also work closely with each other. I’m a research assistant to my advisor, cervical cancer scholar Emma Mitchell, so I contribute to her studies while working on my own. In this way, I feel like we always have one foot in the classroom and the other in the ‘real’ world.
“I’ve also been surprised at how transformative the program has been for me personally. Science is ultimately not just a set of facts; it is a process—one of rigorous inquiry and discovery. Learning the process of science has grown my faith and made me think more critically about our world. I am a Christian, and my faith informs every part of my life. I believe God is ultimately the only one who knows all the answers to the questions of His creation, but we need researchers and scientists to help dig them up. I see this time of scholarship as a privilege and a gift from God.”
THE BEST SKILL YOU’VE LEARNED?
“Part of becoming a scientist is learning how to communicate your work, whether through writing a manuscript or presenting your research. I’m particularly proud of how much I’ve grown in my public speaking skills. Recently, I had the opportunity to present my research at the Virginia Public Health Association conference and as a guest speaker at the University of Richmond. Being able to effectively communicate and defend your work is essential. Fielding audience questions is often when I have to rely on the fruit of all those late-night reading sessions!
“Statistics is often my foe, but our professor, Ha Do Byon, is our friend. His door is always open to us; he finds new ways of explaining concepts to us and is very supportive. Plus, he provides snacks each week for our 3-hour lectures! Statistics feels like learning a new language to me, so I’ve had to see it as just that—a language to be able to analyze, present, and interpret data. We need to know how to not only convey our findings but how to understand others’ as well.”
BEST PROFESSOR, CLASS, or TAKEAWAY?
“I feel incredibly proud to be a nurse. We are distinctly equipped to be leaders in research—nurses are exceptional problem solvers with a holistic approach to clinical work, and that training and perspective translate seamlessly into research. We are also consistently ranked as the #1 most trusted profession, a title that carries great responsibility, especially during a time when trust in public health and science feels increasingly fragile. My greatest takeaway from this program is how it instills in us the duty to be ethical and inquisitive scientists who are worthy of that public trust. My advisor, Emma Mitchell, has been an incredible example of this to me.
“Last summer, someone gave me a book they read during their own doctoral program, The Intellectual Life by French philosopher Antonin Sertillanges. There’s a line in it that I believe encapsulates much of the pursuit of a PhD: ‘The reward of a work is to have produced it; the reward of effort is to have grown by it.’
“Of course, our research aims to help change some corner of the world, but ultimately, the rigor of doctoral work changes us as well. Our dissertation will be the culmination of years of study and our first contribution to the literature that helps move science forward. That is an inspiring goal to work toward. As Sertillanges says, the reward of all this effort is to grow by it. We enter the PhD program as novices, and we emerge as experts. This program has challenged me more than I could have imagined. The culture at UVA calls us to be excellent for a purpose—to take what we learn here and use it to contribute to our world. It is a charge, as nurses and as scientists, to be great and good in all we do.”
Integrating Evidence-Based Practice: From Classroom to Clinical Excellence
Shaolin Mosely, AGACNP and DNP student
THE DNP PROGRAM’S BIGGEST SURPRISE?
“The diverse range of clinical backgrounds that my classmates bring to the table. Students in the program come from a variety of specialty settings and have varying lengths of career experience. We each share our unique perspectives, reinforcing the idea that nursing is a profession built on continuous learning and shared knowledge. The collaborative learning environment provided by the program has allowed us to enrich each other’s educational experiences and contribute to one another’s growth. Each semester, I continue to learn and grow with and from my classmates, gaining invaluable insights from their diverse experiences.”
“You can do it, and there are plenty of people around you who want to support your success and see you thrive!”
Shaolin Mosely, DNP student
WHAT YOU WISHED YOU KNEW BEFORE GRAD SCHOOL?
“One thing I wish I had known before entering my program is that my world was about to change! At the start of my studies, I underestimated how crucial it would be to maximize my social support system and minimize my commitments outside of learning. I had to make significant adjustments to my work schedule and other responsibilities to prioritize the demands of graduate school. However, each student’s experience in balancing work, family, and personal commitments with grad school is different. Ultimately, we all find a way to make it work!
“My advice would be to build strong support networks with your classmates, professors, and faculty early on. Establish a good relationship with a mentor who is willing to guide you. And remember, developing resilience and adaptability will serve you well throughout the program and in your clinical practice. You can do it, and there are plenty of people around you who want to support your success and see you thrive!”
THE BEST SKILL YOU’VE LEARNED?
“The ability to integrate evidence-based practice standards into patient care. We’ve spent significant time learning how to critically appraise and apply research findings. That process has built my confidence in evaluating research articles and determining their relevance to real-world patient care. Additionally, we review various clinical practice guidelines in class, learning how to incorporate them into practice. This all ensures that our clinical decisions are informed by the best available evidence, helping us bridge the gap between research and practice.”
BEST PROFESSOR, CLASS, or TAKEAWAY?
“My favorite class in the program so far has been pharmacology, taught by the amazing Julie Haizlip, a physician with a wealth of knowledge and a true passion for teaching graduate nursing students. Dr. Haizlip’s pharmacology class was challenging, engaging, and consistently fascinating!”
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