Who would want to leave this place?

November 29. 9:56 PM. My Crib-Inner Sunset, San Francisco.

Well, well, well. After 2 weeks of hiatus, I'm finally back and yet again. I was busy these past few weeks and I have just regained my balance after the Thanksgiving holiday. I admit, it was really stressful.

Nevertheless, I am back to my original routine of preparing for law school admission next year while trying to juggle it with work, full time! Although it is an over-kill working two jobs at the same time, you will be delighted for sure seeing your paycheck afterwards. All this for law school in 2013.

I have been working at UCSF for almost three years now and I admit, I have grown to love this place ever since I moved from New York City to San Francisco a few years ago. Leaving the Big Apple is really hard. I have to adjust for a year before I finally came into a realization that there was indeed no turning back. And now that I have been with UCSF for quite sometime, I can say that the decision to leave Big Apple and move into the Sunshine state is the best decision I made.

One of the reasons why, is due to the prestige of the institution. UCSF has been considered by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top 10 medical centers in the entire U.S. and one of the leading institutions in the field of neurology and neurosurgery in the world. There is no doubt everybody wants to work here. As a matter of fact, out of 5,780 applications the medical center had received in June 2008, there was only 24 selected for various nursing (R.N.) positions. Luckily, I was included in the 24. I can still remember the time when the medical center called me for personal interview. I have to endure a long 6 hour flight from NYC to San Francisco just to attend the interview and then back on a red-eye flight to NYC that same day.

Second of all, the salary is way to far compared to other hospitals in the entire United States. San Francisco R.N.s are in fact, the highest paid R.N.s  in the continent. A San Francisco R.N.(whether you're working for UCSF, Stanford, California Pacific, Kaiser or the San Francisco County) would hit an average $50-65/hr plus differentials, certifications and of course years of experience. That is almost seven times the minimum wage of $7.65 prescribed by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Lastly, the view. See for yourself. UCSF stands high in the middle of Mt. Sutro Forest Reserve. Just across the famous Twin Peaks. (used to be a soap in TV in the mid-90s)

If you were in my shoes, would you leave such lucrative job in exchange for fulfilling your hopes to be a lawyer?

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!