Foreign trained MD with unemployment grant- take LPN or Excelsior RN?

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I hope you'd be able to advise me on this. I am a foreign-trained doctor who had been displaced in my job (replaced by an RN) & receiving unemployment benefits. I just learned that I had been approved to receive a small amount of money fromthe Dept. of Labor for training purposes. I initially planned to enroll for an LPN program & continue to become an RN later. I will be adding 16K to the amount I'll receive to take the LPN course. Now, I recently learned about Excelsior. My questions:

1. Can anybody advise me if the Excelsior route to become an RN would be more practical in my case?

2. Which route would be less costly?

3. Do you have any idea if there are any foreign doctors who took the Excelsior route to be an RN & got hired?

BTW, I have 4 years of clinical experience before I came here to the US to start a family. My husband is a US citizen, and I am now, too.

Thanks for your help in advance.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Peds, Ortho, LTC and MORE.

I have not any ideas about you taking LPN or RN classes, but here is a link to the process of obtaining a US Medical License if you are so inclined to do that...I am wondering why if you are already an MD (even if from another country you would want to become a nurse in the USA)?

Foreign-trained health professionals put on path to practice in U.S. - amednews.com

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i have seen it where MDs from other countries have had to take on jobs as a nurses aid in the united states because they have to pass the boards here.. if you have no problem with the english language and can comprehend our medical termonology, i would advise to do the Excelsior route. it will take two to three times longer to go the traditional route and probably cost a lot more in the long run. i know a lot of people who have done it and wish that i would have gone that route instead of the traditional route.. i have had to retake all my science courses due to them being over eight years old, not to mention a few other prereqs that are not ever pertinent to the nursing profession and have been doing so for the past 2 1/2 yrs and am just now starting this fall in the advanced standing ADN course (because i am a LPN). the only thing with excelsior, is that you have to be extremely disciplined because you will work at your own pace and basically be self teaching from the material they provide and test out when you feel comfortable with the material. I hope this helps.... but either way go straight for your RN if possible.. it is so much harder to go from LPN to RN..

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I have not any ideas about you taking LPN or RN classes, but here is a link to the process of obtaining a US Medical License if you are so inclined to do that...I am wondering why if you are already an MD (even if from another country you would want to become a nurse in the USA)?

Foreign-trained health professionals put on path to practice in U.S. - amednews.com

Hi Reigen. Thanks for your reply. I do appreciate your taking time to respond. As I have mentioned, I am married to my husband who is a US citizen. I moved to the US to be with him and start a family with him. We now have a two year old child. We decided to stay here in the US because although I was a physician in my home country & was making a decent amount of money already before I left, my husband would not be able to find a job there. I cannot be the sole bread winner for the family as he is supporting two children from his previous relationship. If it were only him and me, I would have done so & continue my profession. I have considered, and re-considered, ang thought a million times about taking the USMLE but it is just not practical for me to do that at this point in time. I am also not very young anymore and we are also not very mobile in case I get matched in a hospital that is not close to home.

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i have seen it where MDs from other countries have had to take on jobs as a nurses aid in the united states because they have to pass the boards here.. if you have no problem with the english language and can comprehend our medical termonology, i would advise to do the Excelsior route. it will take two to three times longer to go the traditional route and probably cost a lot more in the long run. i know a lot of people who have done it and wish that i would have gone that route instead of the traditional route.. i have had to retake all my science courses due to them being over eight years old, not to mention a few other prereqs that are not ever pertinent to the nursing profession and have been doing so for the past 2 1/2 yrs and am just now starting this fall in the advanced standing ADN course (because i am a LPN). the only thing with excelsior, is that you have to be extremely disciplined because you will work at your own pace and basically be self teaching from the material they provide and test out when you feel comfortable with the material. I hope this helps.... but either way go straight for your RN if possible.. it is so much harder to go from LPN to RN..

Hi, thanks for your response. Did you mean to say that you are also a foreign trained MD who took the LPN route? I, too, could not use any of the subjects I took in medicine as prerequisites because they were more than 8 years old. Since I will be receiving grant money, would you advise that I take Anatomy & Physiology, for example, I mean, just to make use of the grant money and save some money instead of getting these from Excelsior? Thanks.

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Specializes in ER.
I hope you'd be able to advise me on this. I am a foreign-trained doctor who had been displaced in my job (replaced by an RN) & receiving unemployment benefits. I just learned that I had been approved to receive a small amount of money fromthe Dept. of Labor for training purposes. I initially planned to enroll for an LPN program & continue to become an RN later. I will be adding 16K to the amount I'll receive to take the LPN course. Now, I recently learned about Excelsior. My questions:

1. Can anybody advise me if the Excelsior route to become an RN would be more practical in my case?

2. Which route would be less costly?

3. Do you have any idea if there are any foreign doctors who took the Excelsior route to be an RN & got hired?

BTW, I have 4 years of clinical experience before I came here to the US to start a family. My husband is a US citizen, and I am now, too.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Call or go to Excelsior Website. Your transcript needs to be evaluated by credential evaluators ( they will let you know which one they use) then from that, they can tell you the needed subjects/pre-reqs that you still have to take before the actual nursing program. Some of your subjects from MD might get credited. If you don't mind me asking, when did you graduate from your MD?

RE: cost. I went the LPN route then bridge to RN via Excelsior, not only because of financial reasons, but also to gain the clinical experience. You're going to need it when you take the CPNE (their clinical test) later. Assuming you have no clinical experience here in U.S. (read excelsior nursing program details).

I know lots of FMG who took Excelsior and they're working as RNs now. (ICU, ER, Dialysis, medsurg)

As previous poster said, you need discipline. Excelsior is a self-paced independent study. I liked it bec I could work at the same time and spend time with family.

Note that California does not accept Excelsior grads anymore.

Good luck!

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Call or go to Excelsior Website. Your transcript needs to be evaluated by credential evaluators ( they will let you know which one they use) then from that, they can tell you the needed subjects/pre-reqs that you still have to take before the actual nursing program. Some of your subjects from MD might get credited. If you don't mind me asking, when did you graduate from your MD?

RE: cost. I went the LPN route then bridge to RN via Excelsior, not only because of financial reasons, but also to gain the clinical experience. You're going to need it when you take the CPNE (their clinical test) later. Assuming you have no clinical experience here in U.S. (read excelsior nursing program details).

I know lots of FMG who took Excelsior and they're working as RNs now. (ICU, ER, Dialysis, medsurg)

As previous poster said, you need discipline. Excelsior is a self-paced independent study. I liked it bec I could work at the same time and spend time with family.

Note that California does not accept Excelsior grads anymore.

Good luck!

Hi ninjago. Thanks for your comment. I graduated in 1998.

I, too, am considering taking LPN also for clinical experience but for financial reasons as well. I am currently unemployed (lost my job) & may be approved for unemployment grant. So I would like to take advantage of that while receiving unemployment benefits.

What do you think of enrolling for LPN and Excelsior ADN at the same time? I want to gain the clinical experience in US although I had 4 years of clinical experience beyond training as MD in my home country. I thought a local experience, and a nursing experience would be better. Also, I thought of this as I said because I may be able to receive a grant. However, the money is so small that it would not suffice for an ADN degree, also an ADN degree in community college would take me longer to be an RN. COnsidering that I can take exams in Excelsior in my own pace, do you think getting enrolled in both at the same time would be practical? If you are wondering why I want to enroll in both at the same time, it is because I learned that starting Oct. 1, 2012, there would only be limited credits that may be transferred to Excelsior depending on the date the previous subjects were taken.

Thanks!

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Hi ninjago. Thanks for your comment. I graduated in 1998. I, too, am considering taking LPN also for clinical experience but for financial reasons as well. I am currently unemployed (lost my job) & may be approved for unemployment grant. So I would like to take advantage of that while receiving unemployment benefits.What do you think of enrolling for LPN and Excelsior ADN at the same time? I want to gain the clinical experience in US although I had 4 years of clinical experience beyond training as MD in my home country. I thought a local experience, and a nursing experience would be better. Also, I thought of this as I said because I may be able to receive a grant. However, the money is so small that it would not suffice for an ADN degree, also an ADN degree in community college would take me longer to be an RN. COnsidering that I can take exams in Excelsior in my own pace, do you think getting enrolled in both at the same time would be practical? If you are wondering why I want to enroll in both at the same time, it is because I learned that starting Oct. 1, 2012, there would only be limited credits that may be transferred to Excelsior depending on the date the previous subjects were taken. Thanks!
You cannot be admitted to the ASN bridge program until you have earned your license as an LPN. There may be an exception since you have an overseas MD license but there is no guarantee. You would likely not be able to do LPN and ADN concurrently
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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

The best answer is to call an admissions counselor at Excelsior to determine your options and what programs you may be eligible for.

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Specializes in ER.

Nursing responsibilities are different from doctors. And you may have clinical exp as an MD in your home country, but you will have to adjust to the U.S. way, culture, the tech equipment and all. Aside from switching duties to nursing from a doctor. Like for example, doctor put in order for the drips (you know this dose,etc since you're an MD) but do you know the drug calculation on ml/hr to put in the pump? do you know how to use the IV pump? what to mix NS or D5W? I am suggesting that LPN/LVN will get you familiarize on all these. Remember Excelsior has no clinical training in their program. The CPNE is the only and actual practical exams bec they assume you already know the clinical aspect.

I don't know your life situation. A lot of things you will have to consider if you can do both at the same time. who is going to take care of your kid while you're at school? your financial situation, are you willing or able to pay for two tuitions? time wise? study time? clinicals for LPN, etc. You will have to weigh things carefully. You don't want to overload yourself and eventually neglect your health. My suggestion is to take one thing at a time. But of course, it's your life you have the final say.

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Wow you are the opinionated one. You simple nursing skills sich as iv drip

Calculations are elemetary for a FEP. You seem kinda degrading to a FEP...

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