TxGrad2009

Wow. This is an old thread with no response. This is exactly what I would like to do, if anybody has experience with this. Hopefully somebody has some information to share now in 2010.

I don't think you should be worried about the cartels. Edinburg isn't along the border the way other cities are. It's safe there. I don't think it'll become like Juarez and El Paso. My hometown is connected to a city across the border (I used to walk across the bridge to eat tacos), and the violence hasn't really spilled into my town UNLESS those people were involved with the cartels. Reynosa is the Mexican city that would be closest to you, so if you did a search on it you might find the information. Also, the newspaper in the valley is called The Monitor, fyi. I personally would not go to Reynosa, but I have friends who still go there and even go to Monterrey frequently. I guess my advice would be to not do anything stupid. Also far as racism goes, there aren't hate crimes or anything like that. And there are other races in the area, but the numbers are small. I seriously doubt anybody would be outwardly rude. Most of the time it'll just be the older people looking at you a little weird, (depending on where you go), but Edinburg is a college town so I assume everyone is used to it by now. I myself hadn't really been around anybody outside of my race until college. Culture shock! LOL. But I've been out of the valley for more than 5 years now so I've been "socialized". Oh, and be prepared to gain weight since there is a taqueria on every corner. And Mexican food in the valley is extra greasy, meaty, and delicious. Mmmm. I always tell people that the valley feels like another country. I hope you enjoy it and I wish you the best.

While I did not go to school there, I have MANY friends who graduated from their BSN program. They all got GREAT paying jobs in the valley after graduation. From what I've heard they have a high NCLEX passing rate, and all of my friends LOVED the program. It's a small program where everyone takes the same classes so everyone is extremely close. UTPA is also a very inexpensive school, and the cost of living in the valley is very low. Every one I know was able to rent spacious houses for very low rent. And I think most of them graduated with ZERO student loan debt because of scholarships. Even if you get student loans, if you stay to work in the valley, you will more than likely be offered a sign-on bonus or loan repayment. If you're not familiar with the valley or do not speak Spanish, I suggest spending a weekend in Edinburg, getting to know the campus and the town. I would say that 90% of the student population is of hispanic origin, and Spanish (actually "Rio Grande Valley spanglish") is the predominant language spoken there. Plus, it's very clique-ish - it feels like a small town, even though Edinburg really isn't that small compared to other towns in the area. The valley isn't for everyone. I'm from there, and I do not plan on returning. Overall my friends were very pleased with the program. They did say it was tough, but I think every nursing program is going to be difficult. Hope this helps! Good luck!

While it may not snow much, we do get freezes in the winter. December - February we get temperatures ranging from 30s to 80s in the same week, sometimes same day! This last winter we had snow one day and the next day it was warm and sunny. Then in Spring we get hot days with chilly nights. Last summer we had temperatures as high as 112! Texas weather is a pain. This isn't California. A LOT of people have been relocating to Texas, and it's getting really hard to find jobs in general. I graduated May 2009 with a non-nursing Bachelor's degree, and I have yet to find a job in Austin that pays well. Unless you have a tech degree, Austin is a hard place to find a job that will pay you a living wage to meet the costs of living. Austin is a college town over-saturated with educated people who don't want to leave (like me). I'm not sure about Houston, but it's probably the same. I would suggest West Texas, like Midland-Odessa area. It's not as desirable as Austin, Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio, but you'd probably get paid better. Or check out Lubbock. Texas Tech has a medical school, so I'm sure there would be work available in that area. I'm from the Rio Grande Valley, and unless you speak Spanish fluently (and are able to pick up the colloquial "spanglish" we speak), it will be very hard to move to the border. There are some good schools in McAllen, Edinburg, and Harlingen, but I think the transition would be rough on your kids, moving to a pre-dominantly Hispanic area. I will NEVER return to the valley to work, but I have friends who never want to leave it. It honestly feels like a different country. I'm not familiar with East Texas, so I can't help you there. Just know that Texas is a very large state that has regions with VERY different cultures. Just do your research before choosing where to move to. Good luck!

"Doctors in Germany say a patient appears to have been cured of HIV by a bone marrow transplant from a donor who had a genetic resistance to the virus." BBC NEWS | Health | Bone marrow 'cures HIV patient'

I'm so glad I found this thread because I'm trying to decide the same thing! I am worried about getting the CNS and working with very experienced RNs because I'd have this advanced degree without any of their experience. And I know that I would probably work as a RN for a long time before I could even use the CNS. Plus, it seems like the UT program doesn't focus enough on clinical rotations from what I got at their Info Session. I could be wrong. [On a side note, I already have a degree from UT, and in my opinion, UT does a really great job as advertising itself as the best in everything and expects that you'll land a job because you went to UT... but I'm just bitter...] I think I'd rather go to UTHSCSA and go through their accelerated BSN, get experience, then get my MSN. But I also know that it is difficult to find a job as a new grad RN... Oh, what to do!

Thank you! I live in Austin, so I was trying to decide whether or not I should apply to the UT alternative entry MSN program, The first year of their program is an accelerated RN program (but no BSN) and you get to choose FNP, CNS, etc., but I have no idea what I would like to specialize in. I've already gone to visit UTHSCSA and I think it would be a better fit for me. I'm just nervous about the career change.

Hello, This is my first post but I've been reading this forum for a while, and it'd be nice to get some advice from UTHSCSA prospective/ current/ former students. I already have a Bachelor's degree in a field very different from nursing (entertainment industry!), and I hope to get my BSN and RN license through UTHSCSA's accelerated BSN program. My questions are: 1. What are the clinical rotations and sites at UTHSCSA? Their website is so disorganized and I can't find what order the rotations are and which hospitals participate. 2. Is it safe to assume that because San Antonio is a larger city that students get more out of each clinical rotation site? 3. Do students in the accelerated programs miss out on anything? Is anything "skipped over" or "just briefly mentioned" because there is not enough time? Are clinicals shorter in length? 4. Are new grads having a hard time finding employment? I've read a lot of posts about this and I'm wondering what it's like for UTHSCSA grads. I just don't want to commit so much time and money to a new career and end up where I am right now... unemployed. Thanks in advance!