Study in the Philippines or U.S.A?

mykabear · Aug 20, 2012

hi everyone! i just wanted to hear some of your speech or advices. please do.
how do i start?
well, i have been here in california, usa for about 8 years and currently a part of us citizen. finished my high school here and had a associate degree in a nearby college. during my college times, i have taken all of my prerequisites and requirements for nursing, oh dear, it was a struggle. the result was astonishing, i have received a gpa of 2.3 for the 3 major prerequisites. indeed, in order for a student to get into the program "finish anatomy,physiology, and micriobio and the gpa must be above 2.5"
oh no, right?
but there is only one community college i was qualified to apply for the nursing program -- they added one prerequisite, which is the english composition -- thus, where i got a gpa for 2.5. so i applied to that school immediately and my application has been on a lottery for 2 years now. during 2 years of waiting, i am working as a cna, so i'm doing something productively while waiting to be accepted into the nursing program.
there is a private school that offers bachelor degree for nursing around my area. believe it or not, the price is , $100k above.
my heart sank into my stomach. i will never give up for majoring in nursing. my dearest mother told me to switch to another career such as accounting, business, or not related to medical. i said, "no, this is where i wanna be".
i was wondering if it is a good idea to go to the philippines to study nursing. please express some pros and cons regarding on studying in the philippines. and also how much is the tuition/financial where you have attended or graduated, does your school gives credit to some of the subjects that i have taken, how many years is the program, dual citizenship, etc..
for someone who are filipino that were us citizen and graduated in the philippines for their nursing career, please share your ideas or story here.
i'd be happily appreciate your help. thank you very much!:redpinkhe

As many people have posted... My concern for you would be your border line grades. Knowing how to study is a MUST in order to advance! Schools in the Philippines are shutting down their BSN programs or limiting entry because some schools lack the standard requirements set and also because there is an overflow of nursing graduates in the country. If you go to Philippines and have the requirements met to meet the credentials, graduating with a BSN there... but do not further your standards for the NCLEX... you will have great difficulty without at least some anticipation of what's ahead of you.

My advice is to just be prepared with whatever decision you decide to undergo... Not just physically and mentally (or spiritually if it helps you)... But to your overall outlook or development of yourself in times of failure and success.

Times are hard and it is understandable what costs a person may take just for the opportunity these days.

Best of wishes to what you do :)

-mykabear

steppybay · Aug 20, 2012

TO ALL YOU 2012 NEW GRADS, TO THOSE WANTING TO ENROLL IN A PH COLLEGE, PLEASE READ THIS, IT'S ONE OF MANY GOOD COMMENTS:

https://allnurses.com/nurse-registration/who-blame-ca-682278.html

Here's a few others.....PLEASE READ THEM:

https://allnurses.com/nursing-in-philippines/nursing-shortage-over-753361.html

This is for those students are being pressured into nursing by family, who still believe it's the only way. You can see and read of the plights of so many regular USA nurses trying to find a job, just check the sites yourself. For those that read the USA want ads or the job postings by the hospitals in the States, you must understand in the majority of the jobs requires 1-2-3 years of RN experience to be considered without your resume going into the rubbish bin.

https://allnurses.com/international-nursing/nursing-dreams-turns-757165.html

Over 200,000 unemployed PH nurses and growing year by year with nowhere to go, other than call centers if you so want.

gibsonperez · Aug 21, 2012

Thank you so much steppybay for replying.

bernielove, CNA · Dec 21, 2013

No offense but there are many very closed minded people (WHO I WILL NOT MENTION BUT IT'S VERY OBVIOUS) about this concept. I am a Filipino-American and I know MANY people who have studied in accredited colleges in the Philippines, took the NCLEX, and became BSN here in America. My cousin for example; she studied in Far Eastern University, Manila, Philippines and look at her now. She currently works at Stanford Hospital and Clinics. People just discourage many Filipinos because they think it's unfair how we have that advantage back in the Philippines. It's very expensive to attend college here in the states, not to mention that most nursing programs in community colleges, universities, and CSU's are highly impacted. If you have family members in the Philippines or a place you can stay at then that's great. You can save lots of money. The reason why it only takes you four years to complete a BSN in the Philippines is because they require you to take 21 units per semester where here in the states 15 units is a full time student. They are VERY disciplined in the Philippines. Don't listen to these discouraging comments, if you attend college somewhere outside of the United States, make sure you look at the Board of Nursing requirements for the state you want to work at and see the specific necessities for international students. Make sure you have all your transcripts, hours of instruction, hours of lab, and clinical hours, etc. Just examine the application for the Board of Nursing so they can give you permission to take the NCLEX. :):):)

Silverdragon102, BSN · Dec 21, 2013

No offense but there are many very closed minded people (WHO I WILL NOT MENTION BUT IT'S VERY OBVIOUS) about this concept. I am a Filipino-American and I know MANY people who have studied in accredited colleges in the Philippines, took the NCLEX, and became BSN here in America. My cousin for example; she studied in Far Eastern University, Manila, Philippines and look at her now. She currently works at Stanford Hospital and Clinics. People just discourage many Filipinos because they think it's unfair how we have that advantage back in the Philippines. It's very expensive to attend college here in the states, not to mention that most nursing programs in community colleges, universities, and CSU's are highly impacted. If you have family members in the Philippines or a place you can stay at then that's great. You can save lots of money. The reason why it only takes you four years to complete a BSN in the Philippines is because they require you to take 21 units per semester where here in the states 15 units is a full time student. They are VERY disciplined in the Philippines. Don't listen to these discouraging comments, if you attend college somewhere outside of the United States, make sure you look at the Board of Nursing requirements for the state you want to work at and see the specific necessities for international students. Make sure you have all your transcripts, hours of instruction, hours of lab, and clinical hours, etc. Just examine the application for the Board of Nursing so they can give you permission to take the NCLEX. :):):)

I think what is currently happening is up to 16 states are requiring currency with both clinical and theory and these states are making it hard for some countries especially the Philippines at the moment to meet state requirements. Also for some of these 16 states it doesn't matter if you meet requirements and pass NCLEX for another state they will not allow you to endorse and work in the new state. Things change and who knows what the future holds but at least the membership can keep each other informed on what is happening and kept up to date

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Dec 21, 2013

Yes there are plenty of well accomplished, employed, and well respected Philippine Nurses. I see them every day the difference is they were employed when employers were begging for nurses.

The job market has changed, all nurses are finding difficult to find employment. NCLEX has changed and international nurses find it challenging to pass the NCLEX. On top of that 16 states are requiring Philippine nurses to take extra courses which posters here that it is almost impossible to find a course in their state.

Considering the air travel, the cost of application, the numerous attempts for NCLEX, the longer wait to find a job the savings are eliminated.

steppybay · Dec 21, 2013

No offense but there are many very closed minded people (WHO I WILL NOT MENTION BUT IT'S VERY OBVIOUS) about this concept. I am a Filipino-American and I know MANY people who have studied in accredited colleges in the Philippines, took the NCLEX, and became BSN here in America. My cousin for example; she studied in Far Eastern University, Manila, Philippines and look at her now. She currently works at Stanford Hospital and Clinics. People just discourage many Filipinos because they think it's unfair how we have that advantage back in the Philippines. It's very expensive to attend college here in the states, not to mention that most nursing programs in community colleges, universities, and CSU's are highly impacted. If you have family members in the Philippines or a place you can stay at then that's great. You can save lots of money. The reason why it only takes you four years to complete a BSN in the Philippines is because they require you to take 21 units per semester where here in the states 15 units is a full time student. They are VERY disciplined in the Philippines. Don't listen to these discouraging comments, if you attend college somewhere outside of the United States, make sure you look at the Board of Nursing requirements for the state you want to work at and see the specific necessities for international students. Make sure you have all your transcripts, hours of instruction, hours of lab, and clinical hours, etc. Just examine the application for the Board of Nursing so they can give you permission to take the NCLEX. :):):)

Sorry but I beg to differ on your thoughts. It's this kind of current thinking that is now barring a hugh amount of us PH grads and nurses who simply do not comply with the CA BRN minimum educational requirements.

Even the Phils Nursing Assoc of CA concurs with the CA BRN decision to not accept the PH curriculum (and says "Yes", the PH courses are lacking and the CA BRN have even enforce those with BSN's from those graduating from 2005 to present (2013) from getting the ATT in CA.

Your comments on the less expensive way to get a BSN from the Phils is actually more costly (in more ways than one) in the long run under the strict enforcement of the concurrency rules.

You have to remember per the CHED's own writing, 33% of the PH grads want to either get their licenses in CA and or also work and practice in CA.

1). To re-take the deficient courses, there's a long wait list and can cost even more if you think about the cost for one semester can run from $7,000 to $14,000. There may be less expensive schools but the thing is that the enrollment time is longer.

2). The vast majority of PH grads have little to no hospital experience so by the time they get their ATT and hopefully are not one of the stats of not passing the NCLEX-RN the first time (30-35% vs the USA educated grads pass with much higher rates from 80-85%), but my point is that they (PH grads) no longer are considered "new grads" as they must apply within the first year of their graduation date, not the month and year of passing the NCLEX-RN.

That's great that your cousin is employed at Stanford, but she must have been working there prior to the Nov. 2011 enforcement of the concurrency rules. I mean really, read of how many PH grads and nurses have been writing of finally getting a hospital job (not counting any non-hospital positions) in these forums in the past year (or even last two years). FYI, in some of my postings, I too have mentioned a US educated nursing friend who works at Stanford as well, making $50 an hour as a new grad as of last year. She too is a Filipina but was educated from a Bay Area school.

But the cold and harsh reality can be best summed up in this thread I posted below about the current reality of the PH nursing profession.

When you keep the living dreams of so many want to be nurses from the Phils, they must also know that the future is changing and really isn't all that fantastic. There's over 4,000-5,000 stranded PH students in CA alone, many are having to go the LVN-RN route and that's not going to be easy with those programs requirements not to mention the competition from the local CA student population and many require a year or so of working nursing experience.

Many can not even find a CA school that's offering the deficiencies courses that has to be approved by the CA BRN.

Here's the article I mentioned below about the urban legend of going to the Phils and getting educated there, it's more than trying to save some money and the easiness of getting into a nursing program, it comes at an even higher cost to those grads in today's world.

You mentioned about the "impact" of the CA schools, there's a very good reason for that: there's only so many hospitals that will allow or have the budget to bring in a nursing student to "shadow" an experienced nurse for every minute till it's time to leave the hospital and the student is grilled for answers and monitored and assessed on a one-on-one basis. This is so much different that what we're taught in the Phils with 20-30 students just hammering on a single patient, asking the same questions and really some of the people in the PH hospitals are just new students themselves. Truly, the blind following the blind.

Ask your cousin how many PH nurses (that graduated say between 2010 to present and never worked in a hospital at all) have been recently employed at Stanford in the last year. Then ask how many new grads were accepted because they obtained their education in CA or out of state.

Read on here about the article I was telling you about PH nursing current events, click: https://allnurses.com/international-nursing/end-phillipine-nursing-885162.html

Jamira163 · Sep 23, 2015

This post was well over 3 years ago. How did everything turn out for you? I am currently in the same situation as you were and I'm moving to Manila to attend Perpetual Help.

steppybay · Sep 24, 2015

This post was well over 3 years ago. How did everything turn out for you? I am currently in the same situation as you were and I'm moving to Manila to attend Perpetual Help.

It depends on what state do you plan to work and practice in the minute you pass the NCLEX-RN and start looking for a job and planting your roots for years to come?

VRgtN · Oct 25, 2015

I am a Philippine educated BSN RN, I have licenses to practice in several USA states. All I can say is yes, it is harder to pass the NCLEX if you study abroad esp. In a country like the PHilippines because of the lack of teaching materials, technology and quality of professors/instructors among other things but those can be made up for by studying hard for the NCLEX. It is during my practice as a professional RN that I appreciated the training and education I received in the Philippines. Currently, I have an advanced(masters) degree in nursing obtained here in the USA from a very good University. The point of this? In the end it's not which country where you get your nursing undergrad. Degree from because it's how you apply yourself that really matters, the basics of nursing is the same anywhere you go, it's how you apply it that gives credit to who you are (as a nurse) and the institution where you LEARNED to be a NURSE. So yeah, go to the Philippines or stay in the USA to study, it's your personal situation (financial, convenience) that will dictate that decision for you. If you decide to go Philippines, like here, research the schools you want to attend.

BWaldorf · Apr 16, 2017

Hi. You're probably finish with your BSN right now. May I know where did you study? I am also in dilemma where to study. Thank you!

BWaldorf · Apr 16, 2017

finished*