Abigail Lim
Science & Tech Editor
As a research-focused public institution, UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) is home to many undergraduate students interested in pursuing a science-focused career after graduation. While pre-med is one of the more common pathways for STEM students to follow, the pathway contains many different tracks of varying popularity. In response to the comparatively minimal resources and community for their specific fields, recent student initiatives have increased representation of previously underrepresented pre-med tracks. This past October, UCSB’s first and only Nursing Club became a registered campus organization, primarily under the leadership of fourth-year biological sciences major Bella Garcia.
The Bottom Line (TBL) had the opportunity to speak with Garcia about her journey establishing Nursing Club, the organization’s mission and goals, and the misconceptions and opportunities within the nursing track.
As UCSB’s very first club dedicated to providing resources, opportunities, and a community tailored to pre-nursing students, Nursing Club aims to help students understand how to break into the field and explore its breadth of career options. As Garcia herself transitioned onto the pathway from pre-medicine (M.D.) and pre-physician assistant (P.A.), she spoke with pre-health advisor David Lawrence to better understand her options and address the limited profession-specific opportunities for nursing students at UCSB. When recalling her experience attending a “Gauchos in Nursing” seminar, Garcia described how “nursing was everything [she] was looking for in a career, [but] UCSB doesn’t have a nursing program, and there’s a very small portion on the pre-health website about nursing.”
For Gauchos interested in the broader field of healthcare, options abound. And while many professions offer clear steps — accumulating specific amounts of shadowing and volunteering hours, highly specialized graduate school exams, primary and secondary applications — those with more versatility tend to have less apparent means of achieving their goals. The Health Professions Advising resources at UCSB are known for their thoroughness and bounty of materials; however, the pre-health tracks website does not list nursing as a tab of its own under pre-health tracks. And while several nursing informational seminars are held each quarter, the P.A. and M.D. opportunities are far greater in number. Of the UCSB Nursing Club, Garcia explained, “One of our biggest goals is helping people understand their different options. You could transfer out of UCSB, you can do an accelerated program, you can get your associate’s degree. There are so many different paths that, if you’re just starting out, it’s overwhelming.” Demystifying the process and advocating for pathway education, she expanded, are other aims Nursing Club has in helping students find their way.
Mirroring its emphasis on the variety of opportunities within the field, the club has previously hosted an information session with Duke University School of Nursing, a nursing school requirements and undergraduate scheduling workshop, and a seminar on different types of nursing programs, along with many more events since becoming an registered campus organization. For many students looking into post-graduate education, especially for those interested in more specialized higher education programs, being able to speak to admissions counselors and fellow students not only sets a stronger foundation for reaching those objectives, but also inspires and excites students to pursue such goals.
While resources are incredibly helpful for people with less straightforward career paths, community is also a crucial factor in providing mutual support and encouragement. Garcia noted how many pre-nursing students have told her that they did not think anyone at UCSB was on the same track as them: “We’re trying to help people form connections in the club so they can meet other people who are pre-nurses and feel less alone.” Garcia believes that uniting under a shared passion for nursing cultivates this community and allows for a long-lasting impact.
Because nursing is a fairly specific career in a field as broad as healthcare, TBL asked Garcia why she chose to pursue it among all other medical careers, and why others might take interest in it too if they have never before considered this type of profession. She answered, “A lot of what you’ll hear from nurses is they are very patient-focused. I love the science aspects and physically being able to help people, but just knowing that, as a nurse, you get a lot more of that patient interaction — that’s something I was interested in.”
“I think that’s been the best part,” she continued, “because I love helping people. That’s why I started the club. That’s why I want to go into nursing.”
To learn more about Nursing Club, follow them on Instagram @nursingclubucsb.