by Ms. Nurse Assistant

Do you have to take pre reqs like in America? Is there a long waiting list before you are accepted?

Re: An American would like to know what is nursing school like in your country

Yes we have pre requisites for the major nursing subjects, like for example if you fail your chemistry you cant enroll your healthcare I..and we dont have waiting list to get accpeted in the nursing school as long as you are qualified unlike here in the US. but in the school that i went to the average of your high school should not be below 85% then you will be given a chance to take the entrance exam and if you pass then you will be able to get enrolled and during the 4 year course there shouldnt be below 80% grade or else the dean will suggest change of course...i hope this helps.

Re: An American would like to know what is nursing school like in your country

Nursing schools here require HS diploma only and of course a permit for you to study here in the Phils, since you're a foreigner. There are plenty of good nursing schools here and I would be glad to help you in case you do pursue your studies here. We don't have a long waitlist unlike there in the US.

Re: An American would like to know what is nursing school like in your country

Not all programs in the Philippines accept foreigners to study nursing. The better programs actually do not.

Not all programs being offered now in the Philippines actually meet the licensing requirements for the US, and this even includes CA.

If you train in the Philippines, you will always be considered as a foreign trained nurse and will have to meet all of the requirements that a foreign nurse does. Licensure and immigration are two very different items and are actually not related at all.

Clinical instructors can easily be a new grad that has just earned their license and has never practiced as an RN anywhere, not acceptable practice in the US or any other country as well.

Much has already been written on this topic, please just take the time to do some reading here.

Re: An American would like to know what is nursing school like in your country

Please DO NOT GENERALIZE nursing schools here in the Philippines. A lot of nursing schools offer quality education such as UP Manila and UST. These schools accept foreign students too. It's sad every time some one puts us down. If we were so awful, I don't think we'll be hired anywhere else.

Re: An American would like to know what is nursing school like in your country

That is not the issue at all, but the fact that one is considered a foreign grad if they return to the US to pracitice and with the way that the economy is now, it is also going to be much harder to get hired when one has trained out of the US.

The schools that you have mentioned are very good, and they are extremely strict concerning the foreign students that they accept for nursing as well. Something that is not easy to do as well is the fact that one needs to fly over just to sit for their entrance exam. And each school has their own entrance exam on top of it all.

Re: An American would like to know what is nursing school like in your country

Right now the Commission on Higher Education is evaluating additional clinical courses to be added to the BSN program that will require a full 5 years of study plus summer sessions starting in June 2009. Currently it is 4 years plus 3 summers (effectively a 5 year program) so the new program would be very close to 6 years of study.

I suggest you sign up for a 3 year RN program in the USA. Even if your waiting list is 2 years away, you will be graduating at the same time a new BSN candidate in the Philippines will. Also, you may wish to check into the Army or Navy Medic / Corpsmen program that will provide you a path to BSN through the new GI bill. You have many more opportunities for excellent nursing programs in the USA rather than a Foreign University Program.

Hoss