Maria Caridad Reyes

I came from Cuba in 2008. I tried to pass the exams to renew my medical license, but life got in the middle of them. I went into two different jobs I hated, and then a person told me about the FIU Program. It was the only school that offered a special program for foreign-graduating physicians. I wanted to go back into my field, and it was very difficult to get in anywhere else. FIU Nursing created this wonderful program, and I was blessed that I got accepted. I commuted. It wasn't that difficult when I was starting, but I quit my job and was a full-time student after a couple of months. Being able to go through this program helped me become the person I am today. It helped me in every way imaginable. It introduced me to a completely different healthcare system because I came from a country where healthcare was completely different. It introduced me to a new way of treating patients. It taught me a lot of English because my English was awful. I graduated in 1992. It improved my knowledge of medicine and nursing because I didn't know much about nursing when I came. It shaped my thinking and my way of dealing with problems and issues I had every single day.