Middle Eastern nursing students in the United States.

The United States, then, surprises, upsets, delights, challenges, and to some extent, changes Middle Eastern students. For those who have studied in the United States and participated in our study, their experience has been rewarding in many respects and not only in academic terms. "The academic degree is only part of the experience of studying in America," says one Lebanese student, "One gains perspective, a global look and broadens horizons as one interacts and is being exposed to the society." Middle Eastern nursing students in the United States can perhaps look at their experiences more positively and the challenges of the academic setting more constructively if they have the support of faculty and classmates and if they are allowed the flexibility in structuring their own programs to meet their own and their countries' health needs.