Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
AUHS Co-founder Pastor Gregory Johnson presenting to prospective students at the BSN Open House on February 11, 2017.
Over 100 prospective nursing students and their friends, family, and loved ones gathered at American University of Health Sciences (AUHS) for the quarterly BSN Open House on Saturday, February 11, 2017. Guests received an in-depth orientation on AUHS’ School of Nursing (SON) program. Prospects were shown how AUHS was unique from most nursing schools because it is a university that is inspired by Christian values and prepares students from diverse backgrounds to serve communities that are medically underserved. AUHS is a place that produces quality health care professionals whose ultimate goal is to preserve and nurture life.
At 8 am, first-time visitors attended a BSN Info session that was lead by Dina Hsu, Director of AUHS’ Admissions Department. Hsu discussed admissions requirements, clinical rotations, prerequisite courses, course structure, and more.
“This session is meant to give you a feel of our university. Our goal is to meet your needs,” said Hsu, “We will be very transparent in letting you know what the school offers and does not offer so you can make the best decision for yourself.”
Hsu explained to the prospects how many AUHS students share many similar traits.
“AUHS students want to serve. They want to serve you and they want to serve God,” Hsu said, “But we don’t only accept Christian students. The ultimate goal is to be a great nurse.”
AUHS is a minority-serving university that accepts students of all backgrounds. A student’s life experiences only enrich the university’s patient care experience because nurses do not get to pick who they serve in a clinical setting.
AUHS Admissions Coordinator Hai Luong greets guests for the BSN Open House in AUHS’ main lobby.
Several current AUHS nursing students joined Hsu’s session so they could help answer prospect’s questions from a student’s point of view. AUHS students even stayed at the end of the session to answer any questions their guests had. Prospective students also had the opportunity to exchange emails with the AUHS students if they had any more questions about the university and the SON program later on.
One of the AUHS students who volunteered at this quarter’s Open House was Ronald Harrison. Harrison began his education at AUHS in 2013 and he plans to graduate this year with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. Harrison planned to receive his RN license when was 22-years-old but life did not go according to this plan and he is now he was 31-years-old. He explained to the prospective students that “things just happen” and he needed to take a leave of absence from AUHS because of a family emergency. Harrison’s grandfather was very ill and he needed to take care of him. Harrison discussed how AUHS faculty and staff were able to help him during this difficult period in his life and how he was able to move forward.
“When you reach out to AUHS, they will try to accommodate you as best as possible,” Harrison said, “Everybody will be accommodated with the clinical schedule but I was taking care of my grandfather at the time and his condition just went from bad to worse, so I couldn’t do clinicals on certain days.”
AUHS recommended that Harrison should take a leave of absence.
“Taking a leave of absence is not what I wanted to do but it was probably the best thing that happened for me. I took a leave on Friday and my grandfather happened to have to go to the hospital on that following Monday,” Harrison said, “The most important thing to understand is that you can’t do things last minute. When I had family issues or when I expected things to change, the school knew about it because I wanted to keep them informed.”
Harrison encouraged prospective students to not be discouraged when they sometimes fail or feel like they are behind in life.
“I know we all have this idea of how we think we should finish and that’s not always the plan for our lives. But what we have in our mind is not always how the course works,” Harrison said, “I think what’s most important is to focus on is your goal. Just stay the course, it’s not always going to be easy. Your goal is to get your RN degree.”
Prospective students and their loved ones gather in the 2nd Floor Conference room for the quarterly BSN Open House on February 11, 2017.
At 10 am, AUHS Co-founder Pastor Gregory Johnson addressed prospective students and their loved ones in the 2nd Floor Conference room. Pastor Johnson discussed the university’s mission statement, plans for the future and unwavering dedication to God.
“As we go through journeys in life we start to question whether or not we can get to where we want to get to go. We start to wonder whether or not we are
going to be successful at the things that God has placed inside of us,” Pastor Johnson said, “But the one thing that I know that is truer than anything is that God is with me. Because God is with you there is nothing that is impossible for you to achieve. Everything that you have before you, every dream that you have before you, every hope that you have before you, God is with you. Everything that you do is going to be connected to that promise you have from God.”
Pastor Johnson told prospective students how he and his wife AUHS Interim President Dr. Kim Dang (Hon.) founded AUHS in 1994. He first explained how he and Dr. Dang met and that she came from a conservative Vietnamese family.
“When we had this dream to start this university we prayed, we fasted and I finally said ‘Yes,’” Pastor Johnson said, “When (Dr. Dang) started saying that we were together, most of her friends left because I’m black. She wanted the university and she’s so near and dear to me, she is so special to me, I said, ‘Yes.’ ”
Success did not come overnight. In the first year of starting the university, Pastor Johnson and Dr. Dang had to sleep on the floor of their office without a stove, a refrigerator or a shower. They bought a styrofoam container filled with ice to store their food, used an inflatable wading pool to bathe themselves in and would cook their meals on a single hot plate.
“Anything that you could imagine, God is with you. Anything that you ever want, God is with you. Don’t you ever let anyone tell you that you will not be successful because God is with you”, Pastor Johnson said.
Pastor Johnson revealed the university’s plan to include more curriculums in the near future. AUHS plans to include an RN to BSN program Summer 2017, a Masters of Science in Nursing program in Fall 2017, a Doctorate in Nursing Practice program in Spring 2018, and a PharmD program by Summer 2019.
Pastor Johnson explained that it is AUHS’ vision to use the field of health care as a means of addressing social, economic and health care disparities in medically underserved areas and medically underserved populations, both locally and globally.
“When we talk about healthcare reform, we believe firmly that healthcare reform has to start with inclusion. So the more that you see diversity in healthcare, the more you see power in healthcare in that diversity, the more you’ll see reform,” Pastor Johnson said, “You have to sit at the conference tables, you have to be in the place of decision making so that you can improve health outcomes and unless you’re sitting there you don’t a chance to influence that. So you have to see yourself as a leader.”
AUHS is a private, for-profit, minority owned, minority serving, Christian-based university whose mission is to educate and equip students with life careers and to produce quality health care professionals for the community, the nation and the world. It is a university where appreciation of life and one’s spiritual reason for existence can be nurtured.
AUHS offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) and a Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR). To request more information, email admissions@auhs.edu or call (562) 988-2278. For the latest news, pictures and videos of American University of Health Sciences’ events, like us on Facebook @auhs.edu and follow us on Twitter @AUHS_Campus and Instagram @auhsedu.