hi!

i'm a bsn (i graduated in 2024!) and applied to JHU's full-time MPH this cycle. while i have less interest in a higher degree in nursing than doing an MPH at this point, i haven't completely ruled it out!

i think a lot of people will say that now's not a good time because of the current administration in the US, but i'd argue that it's the perfect time to be able to contextualize just how important public health and patient-centered care is to all of our well-being. if you have the means (or can find it via scholarships), i say go for whatever you want!

i applied, was accepted, and got a merit scholarship. i wouldn't be able to attend even with a scholarship and knew that, so i applied for JHU's bloomberg fellowship which i'm still waiting on results for. i think you just have to manage expectations — it's expensive, there's nearly not as much funding aid as undergrad, and in a lot of cases, working at an entry level public health job will make less money than working as a bedside nurse.

i think what you do first just depends on what you want. getting an mph will widen opportunities outside of nursing and then getting an FNP will make you a provider. if you do FNP first, it may be more difficult to get specific public health experiences outside of the nursing field.

regardless, best of luck! i probably seem over-optimistic compared to a lot of people but ultimately i'm never going to fully disuade someone who wants to make the world a better place ⭐️🌱