Short story: How feasible would it be for a U.S. citizen to move to the Philippines temporarily for a few years to take the necessary classes and pass the boards, and then move back to the U.S.?
Long story: I have lived in the urbanized and very beautiful city of Portland, Oregon for all of my life. I am interested in a nursing career, but it is very hard to get accepted into the nursing programs in this entire Northwest region. The very close and excellent public university (OHSU) has an acceptance ratio below 20%. The community colleges in the area all use lottery systems with year-long waitlists. The private universities are quite expensive as usual.
Therefore, I have to start preparing backup plans if the public university doesn't work out, and that is very possible. One plan was staying where I am now and shelling out huge cash for private university. The other was moving to a less urban, less interesting part of the U.S. where their nursing schools aren't so fricken full. Then the idea occured to me that maybe I could move to somewhere beyond the U.S.
I work as a CNA at a nursing home here. I have come to enjoy the company of the filipino nurses and aides (and my heart fell for a certain filipina, but she is now gone). One nurse whom I refer to as 'Ate' wants to take me to the Philippines so she can use her influence to find me a wife, since I am almost 20, male, and quite single. But in all seriousness, I think I could like the place and the people.
How expensive would it be to live there and attend school for however long it would be? I am talking all expenses, travel rent tuition food recreation etc. Would it be more expensive than just private university here? Think $20,000 easy. I am certainly ready to make a big change in my life, as I have no strong connections with people here aside from my mostly loving family :)
This is just an idea that I would like to entertain a bit. On the outside it sounds pretty bizarre, but I would really like to know if it could be possible, and logical. Any responses are appreciated!
$9,007.5 x 4= $36,030 this is the total of 4yrs here in the Philippines.
with a BSN.. ??? is $9-10k a year too expensive for 4yrs.??
Thanks here2care for sharing your experience! I agree, education needs to come first above everything else. :)
I didn't know though that one can spend 40 grand for a BSN in the Philippines. Is that considering, housing and allowances?? It's seems like that's how much you'll pay a private college here. Well, maybe not in CA since everything is expensive here nowadays hehe, but I went to school in the Pacific Northwest (OR, WA, etc) at a state university just 4 years ago and only garnered $20K in loans-- and that included my books and rent. I worked partime, about 10 hrs/wk just so i can have the extra money... Whew, I wonder how much a 4 year BSN education costs nowadays... I suddenly felt old :uhoh21: ...
What I can conclude from the posts is, generally (correct me if I'm wrong) - cost isn't really the issue whether you're going to school in Pinas or the US since you'll basically end up paying the same amount, but you'll definitely get in a school in the Philippines since there are no waiting lists...
$9,007.5 x 4= $36,030 this is the total of 4yrs here in the Philippines.
with a BSN.. ??? is $9-10k a year too expensive for 4yrs.??
I don't understand this equation, 3,007.5 was already for 4 years, why was it multiplied x 4 again?
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that's a keen eye you've got! i suppose here2care meant only for the $6000 to be multiplied to 4, or $24,000 plus $3000 (for the 4-year BSN?!??!) = $27,000----that already includes your living expenses (board and lodging, allowance, books...)???
from one other thread related to tuition in rp for nursing, i remember a couple of posters say it's between P15k to P50k per sem. just consider the middle of the road to compute school costs, a 4-year BSN in rp is---
P35k x 2 x 4 = P280k or $5283 (using $1=P53)
from where i am (northeast us), Accelerated BSN costs between $30k - $40k (15-24 months). board and lodging, books are still out of the question. the BSN you'll get in the philippines is practically equivalent to less than 1/5 the cost BSN cost in the us...
this is the reason why i think it is absolutely recommendable for a pinoy who HAS the choice of either studying nursing in the us or the phils to choose studying in the phils. particularly if he has financial support coming in dollars and just waiting for a family-based petition to be approved...it's a wise way to prepare for migration and use time productively. but for the originator of the thread, blue, i believe there are other alternatives suited to your circumstances....
No one really mentioned the actual living experience of living in the Philippines. School is one very important aspect, yes, but what about when you aren't in class and not studying? Not exactly nursing related, but I would like input on the living aspect.
What is there to like, and not to like? Beyond the education, is the Philippines a favorable place to live in a for a few years for a white guy like myself?
Much thanks, and I'll be applying to the local private universities to keep my options open.
I am dervid, hello bluee... I am a filipino studying in the philippines.
I am studying here at the finest nursing university around , Our lady of fatima university in valenzuela manila. [ took 5 spots last national board exam ]
I can see TONS of koreans in my school, few blacks and indians [ pakistanis ] but very very very few white.. [ i only see 2 or 3 white guys in the whole university ]
Living as a white guy here will be FUN on your part.... you will get LOTS of favor from everyone and compliments from ladies, BUT.....Itll be hard because you have to speak TAGALOG... English will do but MOST filipinos might misinterpret and will provide POOR FEEDBACK to you. NOT everyone can speak english here .. but if you are inside a university , 100% of the people can communicate properly at an acceptable level.
Things here are cheap, and so is the tuition fee. Same curriculum... but most of the professors use TAGLISH [ ENGLISH AND TAGALOG ] but you can request them to speak in all english if you want..
100% of books here are all from U.S , mosbys, lipincotts, etc... just the same. test papers are all in english as well as prepared lectures.
Best thing i can advice is to LIVE with a filipino guy to guide your stay...
"Living as a white guy here will be FUN on your part.."
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i'm afraid someone would say that...too fun it's potentially distracting to your studies!!! since everything will be comparatively inexpensive for you, all the comforts will be within your reach. and since it's perpetually warm, you can do a lot of things---nature adventure (diving, mountaineering, beaches) could be a couple of hours away...the club scene is thriving in manila,makati and ortigas...thanks also to longstanding colonial mentality, americans are attached to all good things like better quality, power and salvation from pinoy's miseries...watch tv and you'll see how mestizos/mestizas ("half-breeds" who look less pinoy and more caucasian) rule...
however, the warm weather also SCORCHES some months. TRAFFIC is a way of life. POLLUTION's a problem and there are MORE people per square foot of space. opportunists (yes they also exist in the phils) also like to target foreigners in the cities...well, like anywhere else in the world.
on top of these, suzanne was right that you need to consider you'd be subject to a tedious paper trail to get your phil. bsn degree recognized in the us. that is simply an unncessary evil you could easily avoid by studying in the us....
Hi...Im a current sophomore student nurse here in the phil. and i do really like the training at the univ. where im currently in........yes its true that the tuition fee here is cheaper......well, as you can see filipino nurses are really good when it comes to nursing clinicals....hehehe.....its your decision.....
Something to really consider, it is quite acceptable to be Filipino and a US citizen to return to the Philippines, you are familiar with the country, the food, and most importantly the language. And the slang, as they called Taglish.
But to try it when you have never been over to SE Asia, and have no idea of the heat, or the culture, would be just too hard for many Americans to consider.
Definitely do what someone else advised, go over there for a month or so and see if you could live there and feel comfortable. It will take you four years plus to get your degree there, then several months before you would have your credentials evaluated so that you could even sit for the NCLEX exam. You would be considered a foreign grad, even though you are an American, and have to go thru the same evaluations that they need to go thru.
It is very different to go to see an area and stay there for only a week or two, than lving there like a local and on their same funds, etc. You will not see air conditioning used the same way that we do over here, foods will be quite different, etc.
Something to really consider, it is quite acceptable to be Filipino and a US citizen to return to the Philippines, you are familiar with the country, the food, and most importantly the language. And the slang, as they called Taglish.
But to try it when you have never been over to SE Asia, and have no idea of the heat, or the culture, would be just too hard for many Americans to consider.
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i can't agree more. us-based pinoys who have lived in the phils would be absolutely okay taking nursing in the phils...but non-pinoys doing the same thing will have to hurdle an unfamiliar CULTURE, a very hot and humid WEATHER and a curiously different English. All of these sits on top of the patience-trying processes to get that phil.-earned bsn degree recognized in the united states.
Short story: How feasible would it be for a U.S. citizen to move to the Philippines temporarily for a few years to take the necessary classes and pass the boards, and then move back to the U.S.?
Long story: I have lived in the urbanized and very beautiful city of Portland, Oregon for all of my life. I am interested in a nursing career, but it is very hard to get accepted into the nursing programs in this entire Northwest region. The very close and excellent public university (OHSU) has an acceptance ratio below 20%. The community colleges in the area all use lottery systems with year-long waitlists. The private universities are quite expensive as usual.
Therefore, I have to start preparing backup plans if the public university doesn't work out, and that is very possible. One plan was staying where I am now and shelling out huge cash for private university. The other was moving to a less urban, less interesting part of the U.S. where their nursing schools aren't so fricken full. Then the idea occured to me that maybe I could move to somewhere beyond the U.S.
I work as a CNA at a nursing home here. I have come to enjoy the company of the filipino nurses and aides (and my heart fell for a certain filipina, but she is now gone). One nurse whom I refer to as 'Ate' wants to take me to the Philippines so she can use her influence to find me a wife, since I am almost 20, male, and quite single. But in all seriousness, I think I could like the place and the people.
How expensive would it be to live there and attend school for however long it would be? I am talking all expenses, travel rent tuition food recreation etc. Would it be more expensive than just private university here? Think $20,000 easy. I am certainly ready to make a big change in my life, as I have no strong connections with people here aside from my mostly loving family :)
This is just an idea that I would like to entertain a bit. On the outside it sounds pretty bizarre, but I would really like to know if it could be possible, and logical. Any responses are appreciated!
I was in the Philippines for 30 days when I was in service and its a sad country. The young girls had to work the streets to have food on the table and I am talking about kids as young as 10 years old and up. From what I seen most of the people live in huts with no water, power etc. There was a river that ran down the middle of town in Scuba Bay and all the waste ran in it and the kids were playing in the water. Downtown was nothing but bars, and woman selling them self to make a life there. At all times you had to watch your back, but it was best to have a buddy to go alone with you at night, after I was there a few days I came close to being kidnapped by there military and could have being taken into the jungle which is unreal, no one would have found you for years.
As for the meals they eat anything and everything monkey, dogs, etc. They would not have any food left on there plate like we do here in the USA, cause it might have being there last meal in days. I seen a lot of the woman that works hard and want to try and do better, by ways of going to school, and doing what ever they can to get out of that country.It sames to me that most of the men there just did not care much about there life as long as they had the woman working the bars and trying to rip off the GI.
I hate to have seen the USA move the Military out because it did give some of these people hope for a better life and a chance to have a good education. Don't get me wrong, not all the people were bad, But If I was you I would fine another country to go or better yet the way things are now, you might be better off here in the USA, the meals are much better here.
i think the account that was given to us is not really a very good representation of what the Philippines is as a whole. You're right in the sense that child labor, prostitution, pollution, kidnapping, poverty etc is evident, but what country doesn't have those? I'm not saying that it's acceptable, but I get the same feeling ( that of fear, uncertainty, mistrust, sadness) when I walk in the Tenderloin district here in SF or the streets of Brooklyn, NY. As far as eating monkeys and dogs -- that has something to do with culture, others may see it as offensive, but we don't say anything about people in America wearing animal fur and pet owners french kissing their dogs. That's culture. Most of the time we do finish the food in our plates because we were taught that food is a blessing from God, and while other people in the world might not have any, we are lucky enough to have food in our table. Although what you said may be true for some families, we count our blessings. We don't waste them, because we know how it is to not have any, so we value them. While your story may only be true to wherever you were stationed in the Philippines it doesn't apply to everyone. Much like me saying that America has only dry deserts, if I've only seen Arizona. There are places in the Phil. such as Cebu, Davao, some parts of Manila, and others that are very progressive, with state of the art buildings and architectures. There are preserved areas of natural resources such as beaches, mountains, lakes, etc. I'm afraid that you've missed out on the good part of the country. You're right that the Americans have brought the education system in the PHilippines way back during the colonization, but I feel that our current education system, though may need improvements, produces brilliant minds and talents. And the US base has been out of the country for years now, so we have been doing great on our own.... Not all people want to leave the country, in fact. I have family and friends who are still in Philippines and wouldn't trade it for anything. So, it's not true that we all want to leave. If the Philippines offered opportunities that we get here in the US, I don't think any of us would want to leave. I know you're only speaking from your experience, and I feel bad that you didn't have a good one. But I'd like others to know that there are more things than what you've read. Like what I've said before, I encourage you to see it for yourself. Keep djv's account at the back of your head ( you also wouldn't want to go there unprepared), but also keep an open mind. It's really not that bad.
IseeU_rn
47 Posts
Thanks here2care for sharing your experience! I agree, education needs to come first above everything else. :)
I didn't know though that one can spend 40 grand for a BSN in the Philippines. Is that considering, housing and allowances?? It's seems like that's how much you'll pay a private college here. Well, maybe not in CA since everything is expensive here nowadays hehe, but I went to school in the Pacific Northwest (OR, WA, etc) at a state university just 4 years ago and only garnered $20K in loans-- and that included my books and rent. I worked partime, about 10 hrs/wk just so i can have the extra money... Whew, I wonder how much a 4 year BSN education costs nowadays... I suddenly felt old :uhoh21: ...
What I can conclude from the posts is, generally (correct me if I'm wrong) - cost isn't really the issue whether you're going to school in Pinas or the US since you'll basically end up paying the same amount, but you'll definitely get in a school in the Philippines since there are no waiting lists...