David Asante, Jr.

I saw FIU as a unique institution. My background is in medicine, and when I came to the States, I did public health. I was a little bit removed from the medical field and tried to get back into the field. FIU is pretty much the only institution in the United States that has a pathway for previous or former physicians to transition. It was a no-brainer at the time to join FIU, and I haven't regretted the choice. I am from Ghana, West Africa. I transitioned into public health and stayed in the field for about seven years. I traveled a lot and was involved with clinical trials. At a point in time, I noticed that I was working in public health, but I was not getting much one-to-one contact. Now, my focus has changed a little bit. Public health gave me a different perspective, and nursing seemed to be the bridge. Physicians see a client, figure out what is wrong, and prescribe medications. The person who spends more time with the client is usually the nurse. Nurses are involved in day-to-day activities with patients. They give their medications and explain what their medications are going to do. They answer almost all of the questions that the client asks. I was drawn to the fact that I got a chance to get back into the field, and I had a chance to educate. The patient getting back to being healthy requires buying into it. If the patient hasn't bought into it, they're not going to go anywhere. With my medical background and public health background, this was the sweet spot to be in. All of my classmates had similar backgrounds, which was good. I shared experiences with them. Most of them were from South American countries and some were from Africa and China. Their journeys were similar to mine. It wasn't a huge class, so I got to know everyone and worked with everyone. The classes were not big, and I got to know the faculty. I had a good time at FIU, and I learned a lot.