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Sorry, The Doctor Is Out
Karen Grace Pascual, Aug 27, 2004
Back then, having a doctor in the family was like a family trophy. Parents pride themselves in putting through med school at least one child. They are willing to shell out more than a million pesos just to produce one.
But times really do change. Today, the Philippine Nurses’ Association estimated at least 2,000 doctors enrolled in nursing schools throughout the country. National Institute of Health Policy Development says 3,000; double the licensed medical practitioners produced each year. A major hospital in Bicol is said to have some 10 out of 150 resident doctors and consultants taking up nursing.
The sign of the times was further revealed as Elmer Jacinto, medical board topnotcher from Basilan publicly announced that he has plans to work in US as a nurse.
Why so many doctors trading their “MD” for a “BSN-RN”? Let’s look at the facts. A student of Medicine may spend almost Php 140,000 per year for tuition alone. You have to allot 10 years of your life to actually finish medicine. You have to spend four years in pre-med school, another four years in medical school proper, one year internship and one year to prepare for medical board exams.
To practice in a hospital, on top of needing certification credentials, the applying physician may need to buy stocks, rights to practice, and clinic and parking space, ranging from P800,000 to P1.5 million. Patients balk at having to pay an outpatient consultation fee of P350 to P500 in a medical center. Aside from that, there are taxes from left and right imposed on them by the government, long wait for checks and more.
Nursing on the other hand costs only half of a doctor’s education. With nurses being in demand more than ever, a nurse in US actually beats a 50,000/month doctor in Manila. Not only that but aside from US, nurses are also in demand in countries like New Zealand, UK, Canada and Japan because of their aging population. A doctor enrolled in nursing can finish the course in two years.
Immigration to US as a Registered Nurse is much easier than entering as a doctor. A nurse has to complete several exams namely Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and pay a total of $5,820 to get there including placement fee.
But times really do change. Today, the Philippine Nurses’ Association estimated at least 2,000 doctors enrolled in nursing schools throughout the country. National Institute of Health Policy Development says 3,000; double the licensed medical practitioners produced each year. A major hospital in Bicol is said to have some 10 out of 150 resident doctors and consultants taking up nursing.
The sign of the times was further revealed as Elmer Jacinto, medical board topnotcher from Basilan publicly announced that he has plans to work in US as a nurse.
Why so many doctors trading their “MD” for a “BSN-RN”? Let’s look at the facts. A student of Medicine may spend almost Php 140,000 per year for tuition alone. You have to allot 10 years of your life to actually finish medicine. You have to spend four years in pre-med school, another four years in medical school proper, one year internship and one year to prepare for medical board exams.
To practice in a hospital, on top of needing certification credentials, the applying physician may need to buy stocks, rights to practice, and clinic and parking space, ranging from P800,000 to P1.5 million. Patients balk at having to pay an outpatient consultation fee of P350 to P500 in a medical center. Aside from that, there are taxes from left and right imposed on them by the government, long wait for checks and more.
Nursing on the other hand costs only half of a doctor’s education. With nurses being in demand more than ever, a nurse in US actually beats a 50,000/month doctor in Manila. Not only that but aside from US, nurses are also in demand in countries like New Zealand, UK, Canada and Japan because of their aging population. A doctor enrolled in nursing can finish the course in two years.
Immigration to US as a Registered Nurse is much easier than entering as a doctor. A nurse has to complete several exams namely Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and pay a total of $5,820 to get there including placement fee.
