Wikipedia

University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery

The University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery (USTFMS) is the medical school of the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest and largest Catholic university in Manila, Philippines.

University of Santo Tomas
Faculty of Medicine and Surgery
Former names
1871 – Facultad de Medicina y Farmacia (Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy)
TypePrivate Research University
EstablishedMay 28, 1871 (1871-05-28)
DeanMa. Lourdes Domingo-Maglinao, M.D.
RegentRev. Fr. Angel A. Aparicio, OP
Students2,072 (as of 2016)[1]
Location
St. Martin de Porres Building, UST, Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines
Patron saintSaints Cosmas and Damian
Colors  Yellow
Websitemedicine.ust.edu.ph

Established in 1871, the faculty is the first medical school in the Philippines. It is proclaimed to be a Center of Excellence by the Commission on Higher Education.

In 2018, LEAPMed, a special preparatory course for the UST medicine program was offered to a limited number of highly exceptional high school graduates ranking among the Top 200 of the University entrance exams, taught completely under the supervision of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery [2]

History

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The Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy at the Colegio de San Jose.
 
St. Martin de Porres Building

Petition for the establishment of colleges dedicated to medicine and pharmacy started in 1682,[3] Sixty-one years after the foundation of the university. In November 22 of the same year, the Spanish granted the petition but nothing came of it due to financial and technical difficulties. By 1785, the Dominican Friars put it on the priority list and despite the enthusiasm of Governor General Mariano Folgueras, the planned colleges failed to materialize until the late 19th century.

The faculty was founded in 1871 as the Facultad de Medicina y Farmacia by virtue of the modified Moret Decree of 1870 which supplants the Philippine educational reforms of 1865 by the Spanish Government.[4][5][6] The original Moret Decree calls for the secularization of the university to be renamed as "Universidad de Filipinas,"[5] Upon the protests of religious groups, parents and the Archdiocese of Manila, the decree was modified to remove the inimical provisions. The modified decree was approved and promulgated on October 29, 1875, by the Governor General of the Islands, Don Rafael Izquierdo.[5]

The faculty was eventually associated with Colegio de San Jose as both were suffering from lack of financial support. Both institutions were saved by Dr. Esteban Rodriguez de Figueroa's last will and testament which stated that his wealth be given to the Society of Jesus.[3] The haciendas of Colegio de San Jose were turned over to the University of Santo Tomas as ordered by Governor General Domingo Moriones y Muralla in 1879. These were returned to the Society of Jesus in 1910 which was to fund a seminary now known as the San Jose Seminary.

It was also associated with the San Juan de Dios Hospital which functioned as the faculty's clinical arm as decreed by King Alfonso of Spain on October 29, 1875.[3] This setup continued until 1941 when the Japanese took over Quezon Institute and transferring all of its medical staff and patients to San Juan de Dios Hospital. Clinical training during this time was in partnership with Saint Paul Hospital in Intramuros until the walled city's destruction during the Liberation of Manila.

With the reopening of the faculty in Sampaloc campus, it experienced substantial growth. In 1932, the faculty began to accept female students and by 1937, about 30 women physicians graduated.[3]

The faculty consistently ranks among the top performing medical schools in the country.

Academics

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The faculty offers the four-year Doctor of Medicine degree, a comprehensive professional academic program which combines lectures, case analyses, and practical simulation exercises. The entire curriculum focuses on the basic, clinical, and emergency medical sciences. Teaching methods make use of both classic and modern medical practices and technologies.

In 2001, the faculty adopted the problem-based learning method for use in the curriculum.[7] The move was highly controversial. Several professors complained that the medical students were not learning the basic sciences adequately. In 2003, the curriculum format combined elements of both traditional (lecture-based) and problem-based methods. Contrary to what was expected as a decline in the quality of the learning of students by some faculty members, the first and second batches of PBL-trained physicians garnered 92% & 96% passing percentages, respectively. This data complemented the 10-year study on outcome improvements using PBL conducted at Harvard School of Medicine from 1994 to 2004.

The graduating students undergo a series of written and oral exams known as the revalida, a qualifying examination prior to graduation. In the oral examinations, groups of three students each are questioned by panels composed of three professors on basic, clinical, and emergency medical sciences. Passing the revalida is a prerequisite to graduation. Medical school graduates qualify to take the licensure exams for physicians conducted by the Board of Medicine, and under the control and supervision of the Professional Regulation Commission of the Philippines.

The faculty regularly conducts postgraduate courses covering specialties and subspecialties (i.e. sports medicine, family medicine, geriatrics and gerontology, alternative medicine).

Programs

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  • Undergraduate program
    • Basic Human Studies (2018)
      • Also known as Learning-Enhanced Accelerated Program for Medicine (LEAPMed).[2]
  • Masters programs
  • Professional graduate degree

Admissions

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Doctor of Medicine

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Deans
Name Tenure of office
Rafael M. Ginard 1871–1886
Mariano F. Marti 1887–1896
Jose Trellos 1897-1906
Jose Luis de Castro 1907–1932
Proceso Gabriel 1933–1935
Bonifacio Mencias 1936–1944
Luis Ma. Alvarez Guerrero 1945–1949
Virgilio Ramos 1949–1965
Buenaventura UV Angtuaco 1965–1971
Gilberto L. Gamez 1971–1977
Felix A. Estrada 1977–1978
Manuel N. Borja 1978–1980
Tito P. Torralba 1981–1988
Eustacia M. Rigor 1989–1992
Ramon L. Sin 1992–1996
Rosario Angeles Tan-Alora 1996–2002
Rolando A. Lopez 2002–2006
Ma. Graciella Garayblas-Gonzaga 2007–2013
Jesus Valencia 2013–2017
Ma. Lourdes Domingo-Maglinao 2017–present

About 480 students out of 1,700 to 1,900 applications are accepted into the Doctor of Medicine program. Among this number, approximately 80% are graduates of UST. Most of the qualified applicants are graduates of biology, medical technology, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy and psychology, but graduates from other Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts programs are still accepted. Applicant selection is based on GWA score of at least 2.00/B+/86%, NMAT score of at least 85%ile, and the faculty entrance examination score.[8]

Learning Enhanced Accelerated Program for Medicine (LEAPMed)[2]

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The Learning-Enhanced Accelerated Program for Medicine or LEAPMed is a 6-year academic program that leads to a Medical Degree.  Qualified students will undergo a 2-year BS Basic Human Studies program before proceeding to the 4-year medical program leading to their Medical degree, earning 2 degrees in 6 years.

The program is offered to a limited number of highly exceptional high school graduates and is completely under the supervision of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.

Applicants must have graduated from STEM or Health Allied academic strands in high school, or have completed an International Baccalaureate Degree program (IB) with Biology Higher Level Course with a predictied grade of 28 points.

All applicants must have a minimum general weighted average of 90%. Admission begins with the University of Santo Tomas Entrance Test (USTET), the internationally-conducted university entrance exam, along with a specialized LEAPMed segment exam covering topics on Anatomy, Botany, Chemistry, Physics, Physiology, and Zoology.

The top 220 qualifiers from the USTET and LEAPMed Entrance Test selected from the UST Predictive Score (derived from IQ, composite USTET score, LEAPMed examination score) shall undergo an interview process to assess their preparedness for the LEAPMed program. Only ninety (90) students are accepted into the program.

Performance and rankings

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The medicine program is declared as Center of Excellence by the Commission on Higher Education.

It has been producing several topnotchers in the national licensure exams for Filipino doctors and enjoyed its LEVEL III accreditation from PAASCU recently. It has also produced several Secretaries of Health of the Philippines and several presidents of the Philippine Medical Association. The faculty has also produced numerous hospital administrators, medical directors, clinical specialists & scientists, and medical professors.

The faculty garnered a passing rate of 99% in the physician's licensure examination held last August 2009 and August 2010. The faculty was also ranked as the only Asian medical school to be in the top 10 list of foreign medical institutions by the U.S. Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates in 2007.

Research

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Research Center for the Health Sciences (RCHS)

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The Research Center for the Health Sciences (RCHS) is the university's flagship for the health sciences. It houses research specializations in Dermatology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Genetics, Infectious Diseases, Medical Education, Neurology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Pulmonology, Rehabilitation Medicine, Research, Rheumatology, and Urology.[9]

Journal of Medicine, University of Santo Tomas (JMUST)

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JMUST is the official open-access, bi-annual, peer-reviewed academic journal of the UST Faculty of Medicine & Surgery and the University of Santo Tomas Hospital. The journal regularly publishes original evidence-based qualitative and quantitative research papers, clinical application papers, descriptions of best clinical practices, medical education research, review articles, research proposals, and other manuscripts covering clinical and professional topics.[10]

It is fully adherent to the publishing standards of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).[10] JMUST is indexed by the Western Pacific Region Index Medicus (WPRIM) of the World Health Organization Global Index Medicus, CrossRef, Google Scholar, Herdin Plus, and OpenAire.

The current Editor-in-Chief of the Journal is Prof. Raymond L. Rosales, MD, PhD, a neurologist from the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and a member of the External Scientific Advisory Board for the Collaborative Center for X-Linked Dystonia Parkinsonism (XDP) at Harvard Medical School.[11]

San Martin De Porres Building

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Henry Sy Sr. Hall

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Main article: Henry Sy Sr. Hall (University of Santo Tomas)

The Henry Sy Sr. Hall houses the Saints Cosmas and Damian Center for Simulation and Research of the faculty. In January 2020, the faculty began its sesquicentennial celebration with the reveal of the building. It was initially named after the patron saints of the college Saints Cosmas and Damian.[12]

In October 2022, at the end of the faculty's anniversary celebration, the building project was relaunched as the Henry Sy Sr. Hall.[13] It was named after the founder of SM Supermalls, as requested by his daughter Teresita Sy-Coson, whose foundation donated ₱300 million to the UST Research and Endowment Foundation.[14][15]

The hall houses the William F. Austin Center for Ear and Hearing Healthcare, an audiology laboratory that is named after Dr. William F. Austin, the founder of the United States–based company Starkey Hearing Technologies. The Starkey Foundation donated $200,000 for the naming rights of the laboratory.

Student organizations

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  • Medicine Student Council
  • Asian Medical Students’ Association
  • Medical Missions, Inc.
  • UST Medicine Glee Club
  • UST Pax Romana – Medicine Unit
  • UST Terpsichorian Circle

Sesquicentennial

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The faculty opened its 150th foundation anniversary celebration in January 2020. A fundraising and dinner-dance ball entitled, UST Med Gala was held at the Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila. One of the goals of the event was to fund the Anargyroi Foundation Inc., an independent organization that manages donations and supports the faculty's scholars.[16][17] In the same month, the groundbreaking rites for the construction of the Saints Cosmas and Damian Simulation and Research Center was also held in front of the Miguel de Benavides Library.[18] The legacy project was later named Henry Sy Sr. Hall, following the donation of ₱300,000,000 of Teresita Sy-Coson to the foundation.

COVID-19 pandemic

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In February 2021, Manila city mayor Isko Moreno, approved the university's plan to hold face-to-face classes for the students of medicine and other health programs.[19] However, because of the surge of COVID-19 cases in March, the plan did not materialize. On June 9, 2021, medical clerks or fourth year medical students had limited face-to-face classes for the first time since March 2020. The faculty was the first college to hold actual classes in the university.[20]

Notable students and alumni

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Historical Figures

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Secretaries of Health

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Secretaries of the Department of Health[21]

Medicine

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Politics

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Entertainment

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References

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  1. ^ Bulauan, J.A.A. & Garcia, J.C.V. (2011-01-26). "Too many students, so few classrooms". The Varsitarian. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  2. ^ a b c Domingo-Maglinao, M.D., Ma. Lourdes P. (October 2019). "An Innovative Preparatory Program for Medicine in the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery". Journal of Medicine, University of Santo Tomas. 3 (2): 386–387. doi:10.35460/2546-1621.2019-0055. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Dayrit, C., P. D. S. Ocampo, E.R. de la Cruz (2002). "History of Philippine Medicine 1899-1999 with Landmarks in World Medical History." Manila: Anvil Publishing
  4. ^ Palafox, Quennie Ann (September 4, 2012). "Asia's Oldest University, The Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas". National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Rodriguez, L. OP (1971). A Century of Progress or The First One Hundred Years of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Santo Tomas Dedicated to the Service of the Nation Through Pharmaceutical Education. Manila: unpublished thesis
  6. ^ Salen, Laurd Menhard B. (2021-05-31). "UST Medicine unveils markers for 150th anniversary". Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  7. ^ Med students now approve PBL Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine The Varsitarian. Vol. LXXIV, No. 2 • July 10, 2002
  8. ^ "Listahan ng mga nakapasa sa UST Med exam, inilabas na". Abante. Philippines. March 1, 2019. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  9. ^ "Research Center for the Health Sciences". University of Santo Tomas. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  10. ^ a b Journal of Medicine, UST (JMUST).
  11. ^ Ramos, Darren (2019-09-19). "Rosales of Neurology appointed to External Scientific Advisory Board of Harvard Medical School". University of Santo Tomas. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  12. ^ "Groundbreaking rites for new building kick off Medicine sesquicentennial". The Varsitarian. January 18, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  13. ^ "UST FMS gears up for future of medical education with capital campaign". The Manila Times. October 6, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  14. ^ Ramos, Joanne Christine (October 3, 2022). "UST raises P600M for Henry Sy Sr. Hall construction". The Varsitarian. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  15. ^ "UST's Henry Sy Sr. Hall to boost health education". Philippine Star. November 12, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  16. ^ "UST Medicine to hold fundraising ball". The Manila Times. Philippines. January 9, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  17. ^ "Dr. Aivee Teo Gives An Emboldening Speech At The Med Gala 2020". Lifestyle Asia. Philippines. January 23, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  18. ^ Magpali, Charm Ryannez (January 18, 2020). "Groundbreaking rites for new building kick off Medicine sesquicentennial". The Varsitarian. Philippines. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  19. ^ "Mayor Isko OKs UST's plan to hold face-to-face classes for med, health programs". GMA News and Public Affairs. Philippines. February 3, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  20. ^ "UST's Faculty of Medicine and Surgery starts limited face-to-face classes". GMA News and Public Affairs. Philippines. June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  21. ^ "DOH Secretaries". Department of Health (Philippines). 30 May 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  22. ^ Campos, Othel V. (2024-11-08). "US investment firm taking over Belo Medical". Manila Standard. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  23. ^ Ramirez, Joanne Rae M. "Dr. Aivee Aguilar-Teo, MD: A healer and a transformer". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  24. ^ "Raymond L. Rosales – Asian Scientist Magazine". www.asianscientist.com. Retrieved 2024-11-18.

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