Each month we profile a staff member from our School of Nursing community. In April, we feature Mike McLaughlin.
Staff—Mike McLaughlin 
Area of focus: Masters and Doctoral Program Manager
Years at UCSF: <1 year
What’s the best part of the work you do: The best part of the work that I do is interacting with UCSF students and colleagues. From helping admit into their desired programs to helping them throughout their matriculation makes each day exciting and dynamic. I enjoy continuously learning in this role. Working with the staff here is inviting, helpful, and friendly, which makes it easy to get out of bed in the morning and head to work.
Hobbies: I’m an avid outdoorsman. I take advantage of the incredible access to nature that SF provides for those of us whom are lucky to live here. You can sometimes find me cycling through the Presidio or over the Golden Gate to Sausalito, camping in Big Sur, or taking a sunrise hike to the top of Corona Heights before the workday starts.
Fun fact about you: I used to live on an island in Maine working as a project manager overseeing offshore lighthouse restoration!
Useful tip for prospective students: SF is expensive – however, there are resources to combat the high costs of living here. Be sure to research these as it will make the transition to the city an easier transition.
Useful tip for incoming students: Having a good school/life balance is key. There’s a reason that SF is now the most expensive place to live in North America – the opportunities here are almost endless. Be sure to take advantage of outreach opportunities, networking, meeting people in the field while also taking advantage of the extraordinary things this city has to offer. One of my favorite quotes about SF was said by Herb Caen and it reads, “One day if I go to heaven… I’ll look around and say ‘It ain’t bad, but it ain’t San Francisco.’”