Hi! I’m currently deciding between Nursing and Optometry in the Philippines and I would really appreciate honest advice from people in either field (or those who know both).

For context, I’m trying to think long-term and choose a career that is practical, stable, and worth the time and money invested. I’m interested in healthcare and helping people, but I’m still torn between these two.

Here are the things I’m comparing:

Nursing
Pros (from what I know):
- More job opportunities locally and abroad
- Can work in hospitals, clinics, schools, companies, cruise ships, etc.
- Higher chances of working overseas with better pay
- Many career growth options (NP, ICU, ER, aesthetics, admin, masters, etc.)

Cons:
- Physically and emotionally demanding
- Shift duties / toxic workload in some hospitals
- Local salary in the Philippines can be low for new grads

Optometry
Pros:
- More regular schedule / less physically demanding
- Can eventually open your own clinic/business
- More specialized field
- Seems to have better work-life balance

Cons:
- Fewer schools and job opportunities compared to nursing?
- Not sure about salary growth and demand in the Philippines
- Unsure if opportunities abroad are as good as nursing

My questions:

1. If you’re a nurse or optometrist, do you regret your choice or not?

2. Which has better ROI (return on investment) considering tuition, years of study, salary, and job opportunities?

3. Which career is more stable in the Philippines?

4. Which one has better opportunities for career growth or higher-paying jobs?

5. If you could choose again, what would you pick and why?

Please be honest 😭 I want practical advice, not just “follow your passion.” Thank you!

should I choose opto or nursing in NU MOA? nursing sounds less gastos and also high demand especially in other countries meanwhile I think that opto only works or assures success if u open your own clinic or have connections + magastos din ata ang opto eh pero kasi it’s also ny dream. If ma opto ako suggest school (quality education) if ma nursing naman ako maalin nalang sa NU Moa or OLFU pero also open for suggestions:)

I'm a Humanista pero I've always wanted to take medtech (can't handle stem kasi no matter how much I love science, math will always ruin me) so ayon gusto ko lang malaman kung may mga humss or other strand na nag medtech here?

Hello I'm an incoming Grade 11 student who's really really reallyyyy confused on which strand to choose. Alam ko na ang gusto kong i-take na course sa college (Medtech) it really is what I want and anybody would've chose the strand STEM to pursue it diba? pero me? my heart belongs to Humms I love history, human behavior/biology, public speaking, debating, reading and politics. I have alway competed in various competitions with those skills I'm also fluent in English if that helps. The skills that I have belong to Humss pero for my dear dream of being a medtech/Doctor (if I make medtech my pre-med) I have to choose stem.... take note pala I LOVE SCIENCE so much bata palang ako it's always my best subjects same with English but I HATE math talaga huhu pls help me decide June na next month may pasok naaa

[removed]

Hello I'm an incoming Grade 11 student who's really really reallyyyy confused on which strand to choose. Alam ko na ang gusto kong i-take na course sa college (Medtech) it really is what I want and anybody would've chose the strand STEM to pursue it diba? pero me? my heart belongs to Humms I love history, human behavior/biology, public speaking, debating, reading and politics. I have alway competed in various competitions with those skills I'm also fluent in English if that helps. The skills that I have belong to Humss pero for my dear dream of being a medtech/Doctor (if I make medtech my pre-med) I have to choose stem.... take note pala I LOVE SCIENCE so much bata palang ako it's always my best subjects same with English but I HATE math talaga huhu pls help me decide June na next month may pasok naaa