Post Graduate/Residency Training in the Philippines

Residency is a stage of postgraduate medical training and/or certification in a primary care or referral specialty. It is filled by a resident physician who has received a medical degree or diploma (MD, MBBS, MBChB, or DO) and in the philippines is composed almost entirely of the care of hospitalized or clinic patients, mostly with direct supervision by more senior physicians. A residency should follow the internship year.The residency can also be followed by a fellowship, during which the physician is trained in a sub-specialty.


Nephil's Affiliated DOH Hospitals

1. East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC)
2. Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC)
3. National Children's Hospital (NCH)
4. VSMMC

Terminology

A resident physician is more commonly referred to as a resident. Residents have graduated from an accredited medical school and hold a medical degree (MD or MBBS). The residents collectively are the house staff of a hospital. This term comes from the fact that resident physicians traditionally lived the majority of their lives "in house," i.e. the hospital. Duration of most residencies can range from two years [mostly for primary care residencies] to more than six years for a specialized field such as neurosurgery. A year in residency begins between late august to early September in government hospital and early late June to early July and late august to early September in private hospital depending on the individual program, and ends one calendar year later. Before first-year resident doctors can go through 2 months pre residency Training which depends upon the hospitals. Depending on the number of years a specialty requires, the term junior resident refers to residents that have not completed half their residency. Senior residents are residents in their final year of residency. Some residency programs refer to residents in their final year as chief residents or "Senior Registrar" (often in surgical fields). Alternatively, a chief resident may describe a resident who has been selected by the department of each field in the final year of residency. Post-residency physicians are referred to as attending physicians or attending or "consultants".

History

Residencies as an opportunity for advanced training in a medical or surgical specialty evolved in the late 19th century from brief and less formal programs for extra training in a special area of interest. They became formalized and institutionalized for the principal specialties in the early 20th century, but even in mid-century, residency was not seen as necessary for general practice and only a minority of primary care physicians participated. By the end of the 20th century in North America, very few new doctors go directly from medical school into independent, unsupervised medical practice, and more state and provincial governments are requiring one or more years of postgraduate training for medical licensure. Residencies are traditionally hospital-based and in the middle of the twentieth century, residents would often live in hospital-supplied housing. "Call" (night duty in the hospital) was sometimes as frequent as every second or third night for up to three years. Pay was minimal beyond room, board, and laundry services. It was assumed that most young men and women training as physicians had few obligations outside of medical training at that stage of their careers.

The first year of practical patient-care-oriented training after medical school has long been termed internship. Even as late as the middle of the twentieth century, most physicians went into primary care practice after a year of internship. Residencies were separate from internship, often served at different hospitals, and only a minority of physicians served them.

In the Philippines , doctors may obtain a general medical license to practice medicine without supervision after completing one year of internship only after passing the Philippines medical board exam. Many residents have medical licenses and do legally practice medicine without supervision ("moonlight") in settings such as urgent care centers and rural hospitals. However, in most residency-related medical settings, residents are supervised by attending physicians who must approve their decision-making.

THE MEDICAL EDUCATION SYSTEM OF THE PHILIPPINES

Medical education in the Philippines is principally offered and developed by accredited and government recognized medical schools in the country. The Philippine medical schools are graduate schools offering the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree. The M.D. is a four-year professional degree program which qualifies the degree holder to take the licensure exam for medical doctors in the Philippines. Currently, there are 32 Philippine medical schools listed in the International Medical Education Directory (IMED), 30 of which are operating and 2 of which are closed. Students seeking medical education in the Philippines should on top most and foremost bear in mind that their prospective universities are CHED approved. CHED is the agency that authorizes higher education institutions to offer medical education programs. CHED also oversees medical education curricula.

Admission Requirements to a Medical College

The requirements for admission to medical schools in the Philippines are governed by the Medical Act of 1959 and its subsequent amendments. The current minimum requirements for admission to a medical college are:

1. Bachelor's degree in Sciences or Arts (BS or BA)
   
   
2. National Medical Admission Test (NMAT), with score above the percentile cut-off set by the medical school
   
   
3. Certificate of Eligibility for Admission to College of Medicine, previously issued by CHED but, effective January 2003, issued by the medical school. To receive the certificate, an applicant must submit to the medical school the following documents:
   
   
   • Birth certificate and certificates of good moral character from two professors in college
     
     
   • Official transcript of records showing completion of a degree course
     
     
   • For graduates of private schools, the transcript of records must be validated by a Special Order (S.O.) from CHED, while for graduates of public schools, the diploma or certificates of graduation must be presented
     
     
   • Certified true copy of NMAT score
     
   
   

The Medical School Curriculum

The medical school curriculum is a minimum of four years duration, the fourth year of which is a full clinical clerkship. The following disciplines are included in the curriculum:

• Human Anatomy (including Gross and Microscopic Anatomy and Developmental Anatomy)
  
  
• Anesthesiology (including Pain Management)
  
  
• Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Genetics and Nutrition
  
  
• Legal and Forensic Medicine, Health Economics and Bioethics
  
  
• Internal Medicine
  
  
• Microbiology, Parasitology and Immunology
  
  
• Neurosciences (basic and clinical)
  
  
• Obstetrics-Gynecology (including Women's Health)
  
  
• Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology
  
  
• Pathology (Clinical and Anatomic)
  
  
• Pediatrics (including Child Protection)
  
  
• Pharmacology and Therapeutics (including Alternative Medicine)
  
  
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  
  
• Human Physiology
  
  
• Family and Community Medicine (including Preventive Medicine)
  
  
• Behavioral Medicine (Psychiatry)
  
  
• Radiological Sciences (including Imaging Modalities)
  
  
• Surgery
  
  
• Research and Clinical Epidemiology
  
  

Instructional Standards for Clinical Training

The clinical training program must be implemented in a training hospital with a minimum capacity of 100 beds, and functioning clinical departments in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics-Gynecology, and Surgery. For every 100 students, there must be at least one full-time faculty member who is board certified in the Philippines in each of the four major clinical departments.

Clinical materials are provided by the outpatient services load of at least 50 patients per day, and in-patient services of one occupied hospital bed per clinical clerk (4th year medical student) at any given time.

In Obstetrics-Gynecology, at least ten maternity cases shall be followed to delivery by each clinical clerk, who must have actual charge of these cases under supervision of a clinical preceptor. The medical school shall also provide extension services in Community Medicine.

Medical Education Credentials Awarded

The medical degree awarded to graduates of Philippine medical schools is the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree.

Dentistry is the "evaluation, diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment (surgical or related procedures) of diseases, disorders and/or conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and/or the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body". Those in the practice of dentistry are known as dentists.

A dentist is a healthcare professional qualified to practice dentistry after graduating with a degree of either Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS), Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), Bachelor of Dentistry (B Dent), Bachelor of Dental Science (BDSc), or Bachelor of Dental Surgery/Chirurgiae (BDS) or (BChD) or equivalent. In most western countries, to become a qualified dentist one must usually complete at least 4 years of postgraduate study. Generally, 2 years of clinical experience working with patients in an educational setting are required. While in most countries, dentists neither earn a Doctorate degree, or medical degree, they are afforded the honorary title "Doctor".

In the Philippines, the goal of undergraduate dental education is to prepare students for the general practice of the profession who are biologically-oriented and technically capable in order to develop competencies in the maintenance of oral health care. The plan of instruction is directed to give dental students a sound foundation in the basic health sciences, to develop skills towards global competitiveness through information technology and to instill in the students the proper attitudes and values to be morally and socially sensitive. Students seeking dental education in the Philippines should bear in mind the following points as these are important points enforced by the regulating body for dental educaiton:

• Only schools, colleges and universities duly authorized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) can operate the Dentistry program.
  
  
• The Dentistry programs must have authorization from the CHED only upon the recommendation of the Council on Dental Education (CDE) as stipulated in RA 4419 otherwise known as the Dental Law of 1965.
  
  
• The curriculum for the Two-Year Pre-Dental (Associate in Health Science Education) and Four-Year Dental Course should contain a minimum of seventy-three (73) and one hundred sixty-seven (167) units respectively.
  
  
• The institution shall establish its own set of admission and retention criteria, policies and standards consistent with the policies of the CHED.
  
  
• A basic criteria for admission shall however include the following :
  
  
  1. The applicant must have completed a two-year pre-dental course (Associate in Health Science Education) or a degree related to health, provided he/she meets the requirements for Certificate of Eligibility for Dentistry (CED).
     
     
  2. The applicant must have been issued the Certificate of Eligibility for Dentistry.
     
     
  3. The applicant should never been convicted of any crime and is of good moral character.
     
     

The Nurse assumes the caring role in the prevention of diseases, promotion and restoration of health, alleviation of suffering and when recovery is not possible towards a peaceful death.

In the Philippines, nursing education subscribes to the belief that the national identity, cultural consciousness, moral integrity and spirituality are vital components in the development of a Nurse. A broad liberal education and a multi-disciplinary approach seek to enhance this belief. Nursing education therefore, aims to prepare a critical thinking nurse practitioner who, upon completion of the program, demonstrates beginning professional competencies; and shall continue to assume responsibility for personal and professional development, and utilizes research findings in the practice of the profession. The Regulating bodies involved in nursing education are Board of Nursing (BON), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the National Student Affiliation Committee (NSAC), Department of Health (DOH) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Students seeking a degree in Nursing should bear in mind that the schools be recognized by CHED. BS Nursing in the Philippines is a 4 year academic degree program. General Entrance Requirements is that the applicants desiring to enroll in a nursing course must belong to the upper forty percent (40%) of the graduating class of the general secondary course for local students. In the context of Nepalese students, students passing secondary education require 4 years, higher secondary (including staff nurse) an average of 2.5 years.

This Pilot Training Program prepares men and women of all ages to enter the exciting field of commercial aviation. A comprehensive selection of ground classes and flight labs prepare pilot training students for instrument rating, and commercial pilot knowledge. In the Philippines, there are a number of flight schools offering CPL and PPL courses. The duration of training usually is from 6 months to 7 months depending on the flight school. The regulating body for pilot training course is ATO. Philippine Aviation schools have been recognized and recommended by the Aviation Safety Department of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) for CPL, ATPL and flight dispatcher courses.

Aeronautical / Aerospace Engineering is one of the most challenging fields of engineering with a wide scope for growth. While "aeronautical" was the original term, the broader "aerospace" has superseded it in usage. This field deals with the development of new technology in the field of aviation, space exploration and defense systems. It specializes in the designing, construction, development, testing, operation and maintenance of both commercial and military aircraft, spacecrafts and their components as well as satellites and missiles.

As Aerospace engineering involves design and manufacture of very high technology systems, the job requires manual, technical as well as mechanical aptitude. Aeronautical engineer's usually work in teams under the supervision of senior engineers, bringing together their skills and technical expertise. Though highly paid, the work is very demanding. An aeronautical engineer needs to be physically fit and fully dedicated to his work. One needs to be alert, have an eye for detail and should have a high level of mathematical precision to be successful.

The specializations includes in areas like structural design, navigational guidance and control systems, instrumentation and communication or production methods or it can be in a particular product such as military aircrafts, passenger planes, helicopters, satellites, rockets etc. Engineers may work in areas like design, development, maintenance as well as in the managerial and teaching posts in institutes. They find a very good demand in airlines, aircraft manufacturing units, air turbine production plants or design development programs for the aviation industry. Aerospace environment is sophisticated with rewarding career opportunities involving leading-edge technology.

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING (BSAeE) in the Philippines Basically, this course deals with the methods and theories/principles of flight. It also covers basic engineering sciences as applied to research and development, manufacture, operation, maintenance, repair and modification of aircraft and its components.