Fil-Am thinking of studying in OLFU

zel_yu · Mar 12, 2012

hello. seems you might live in Valenzuela, right?

OLFU is a good nursing school too as well. It is WAY cheaper than studying in the US. :up:For foreigners like you, yep i do notice that they have "foreigner's" fee just like with the other schools. They have a society group for foreign students. Foreigners are abundant in many schools here in general. As for your student life, they have many establishments around the area, dining and entertainment is within your reach. You can opt for malls, fast food eateries (carinderias) and computer shops to suit your needs. There's a nearby bookstore and uniform stores as well. Good luck in pursuing your BSN career! :yeah:

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Mar 12, 2012

If you want to practice in California later on after you graduate, you might want to check out some posts in the International Forum. Graduates from Philippine nursing programs are having a difficult time receiving eligibility from the Board of Registered Nursing in Caifornia. That means these guys are not being granted Authorization to Test or take the NCLEX-RN in order to be licensed in California. There are issues with the way clinical rotations (particluarly OB, nursery, and OR cases) are handled by Philippine nursing programs that violates California's rule that clinicals are offered concurrently with classroom lectures. I don't know how OLFU's clinical rotations are set up and if this school has recent RN licensure applicants in California but you've been warned.

Georgettes · Mar 12, 2012

Thanks for the replies!

@zel_yu -Yeah, I heard about the international student organizations that they have. I looked at the other popular universities' websites and OLFU seemed the friendliest toward foreign students. Oh and actually, I'll be living in Quezon City (just going to have to drive back and forth). Are you from OLFU as well? :)

@juan de la cruz - I'm not planning on going to OLFU until June 2013 when I finish all of my general ed classes so that gives me enough time to look deeper into the issues with the clinical rotations. However, I do have a younger brother who is planning on studying nursing this coming June at OLFU and I'll definitely have to talk to him about these issues. My mother is an alumni (she actually became 1st topnotcher for the board exams) of the school and has told me that from her experience, OLFU is pretty on top of it. She also got her RN license for California pretty quickly and has been working here for 10 years now. Although, I understand it has been a while since then. Anyway, thanks for telling me this! I'll try and see if I can get more info about their clinical rotations.

On a side note, I also have a cousin who is experiencing some trouble trying to get the Board of Nursing to let him take the NCLEX-RN. He is a dual citizen as well and opted not to take the Philippine board exam before coming back to California. I'll probably have a much better chance by gettingmy license in the Philippines first before coming back here.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Mar 12, 2012

Georgettes,

I also have a BSN from the Philippines (batch '91) but I have a MSN here in the US though. I am licensed as an RN and NP in a couple of states including California where I live and work now. These denials are relatively new. There are nurses who graduated from the same school who had different outcomes in terms of eligibility. It sounds like the rules were in the books for a long time but just got implemented recently around 2011. The recent applicants are affected. I'm sure your mom is a great nurse. There are many nurses who trained in the Philippines in California (as well as from many other countries).

Georgettes · Mar 12, 2012

The sudden implementation probably has something to do with how it's getting much harder to get a job now here as well. I did consider staying here to get my BSN; however, I couldn't qualify for financial aid (which shot down my idea of going to a private university instead and paying $30k in tuition per year) and the waiting period to get into the nursing program of the community college I'm attending right now was recently changed to 4 years (and that is just for ADN).

zel_yu · Mar 14, 2012

@ Georgettes: hehe. I'm not a OLFU graduate, it just happen that OLFU is just a walking distance from our home, but I finished my BSN degree from another school. :loveya:

I finished mine in 2009, and got my Phil. License as well. I was really surprised that they are really tightening the screening process now for Filipino applicants. The news that I heard at that time as that SSN is needed when applying for eligibility (as of 04/2010), now even the clinical rotations are thoroughly screened.

Be it OLFU or other nursing school you might interested to enter, make sure that it is a good reputable school: having good nursing instructors and having a high passing rate for the students as well....if you have time, have you consider applying for Phil. License after graduation? At least you can have a taste of taking a nursing licensure exam, though optional. :nurse:

Try to check CA BON website or give them a call if you have clarifications on foreign-educated nurses applying for eligibility. Hope that helps.. Let us know how'd it go. Good luck :nurse:

Georgettes · Mar 14, 2012

@zel_yu - Yeah, I'm actually planning on taking the Phil. board exams and maybe even attempt to get at least a year's experience there before applying for the NCLEX-RN. :) Just curious, where did you get your BSN from?

zel_yu · Mar 14, 2012

I did mine in MCU. :)

FLnurse11 · Mar 14, 2012

Hello everyone,
I was just wondering if anyone here knows something about Our Lady of Fatima University in Valenzuela. I'm planning on finishing my general ed classes (Anatomy/Physiology,etc) at a community college here in California and I'm thinking of going back to the Philippines to get my BS in Nursing. I was looking at the requirements for admission to OLFU and it said a foreign fee donation is required? Does anyone have an idea of how much that will be? Also, how is international student life over there? And does anyone know if they credit PE classes that I've taken here? Sorry if there's a lot of questions, I just couldn't seem to get enough information even though I've called OLFU myself!

I have classmates who have difficulty in obtaining ATT right now in California. All of us graduated in the Philippines in March 2011. I obtained my license in Florida. Before that, I took the Philippine Boards even though I am an AMERICAN CITIZEN. Nowhere in the NLE application is a line asking for citizenship. I have four other sisters working as nurses in the USA for a long time already and all of them advised me that even if I am an American citizen (of Filipino heritage), it is A WISE DECISION to take the local boards first. And so I did and passed. Illinois is the only state in the USA that requires local board exams regardless of nationality. They also require some form of "TRAINING" first before being considered to sit down for the NCLEX. But i believe the big 3 (CA, TX, FL) will follow suit and require all Filipinos regardless of citizenship to take the local boards first before being given the ATT for NCLEX. As a foreign grad, I think this is just fair. Filipinos of dual citizenship have been using this loophole in bypassing the NLE. But now that the BRN's of several states have tightened their rules, it is high time we follow the rules. OLFU is a good school. Just make sure as everybody here have mentioned that your clinical rotations are concurrent with the theoretical. Goodluck to you and your plans !

FLnurse11 · Mar 14, 2012

That is a VERY GOOD decision. Take the local boards first. There is nothing in the NLE application form asking for citizenship. I am an American citizen and I took it (just for future purposes.... some states may require NLE licensure before being given a reciprocal license).

CaliforniaGrown · Apr 14, 2012

From California. Just graduated from OLFU-LAGRO Q.C March 2012, FISO Batch 2008-2012 need any info with foreign fees and all just shoot me a PM or reply here.