CHED approves 2 Doctor of Medicine Programs in Visayas, Mindanao


More students in Visayas and Mindanao are expected to get better access to medical education after the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) approved Doctor of Medicine programs in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs). 

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(CHED / MB Visual Content Group)

CHED Chairman Popoy De Vera said that the Commission has increased the number of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) offering medical programs from eight to 17 over the past year.

De Vera added that the expansion of medical education will “facilitate the implementation” of Republic Act No. 11509 or “An Act Establishing a Medical Scholarship and Return Service program for Deserving Students.”

RA 11509 or more popularly known as the Doktor Para sa Bayan Law aims to increase the number of doctors who will serve in far-flung areas by establishing a Medical Scholarship and Return Service (MSRS) program for deserving students in SUCs or in partner private HEIs in regions where no SUCs offer a medical course.

CHED approved the application for government authority to operate the Doctor of Medicine program of two new compliant SUCs namely the Bohol Island State University (BISU) in Tagbilaran, Bohol, and the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP), Cagayan de Oro City.

“The approval to operate the Doctor of Medicine program in BISU and USTP expands the opportunities for the poor but deserving students through scholarship support under the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act,” De Vera said.

“Now we can produce more doctors through our top SUCs, who will go to underserved areas and local governments in need of health personnel,” he added.

As reported by the Technical Panel for Medicine Chairperson Joselito Villaruz, “Based on the Technical Evaluators (TE) and Technical Panel for Medicine’s (TPMed) assessment and verification of the applicant SUCs, BISU and USTP have already complied with all the minimum requirements to operate the Doctor of Medicine program.”

De Vera explained that these SUCs which were approved can accept students this coming school year and will be evaluated after two years for their Government Recognition, which will entitle them to offer the full four-year program.

Meanwhile, Bohol 1st District of Rep. Edgar Chatto welcomed the approval of CHED on the medical program of BISU.

“The opening of the medical school in BISU not only opens doors to deserving Boholano students who dream of becoming doctors but also contributes to the goal of upgrading Bohol’s health care system, complementing the modernization of our apex referral hospital - Governor Celestino Gallares Multi-Specialty Medical Complex,” he added.