Doctor of Medicine, M.D. (equivalent to M.B.B.S.)

The Medical Education System of The Philippines

Medicine in the Philippines is a 4-year course which follows a Bachelors/pre-medicine degree. MCU offers a pre-medicine (1.5- 2 years) and 4-year proper medicine degree program. The first the student  will earn the be  B.S. Bio(Bachelor of Science in Biology) degree after which  he/she  will pursue the remaining 4 years for proper medicine, Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree, which is equivalent to MBBS in Nepal.

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:

  • Bachelor's degree in Sciences or Arts (BS or BA)
  • National Medical Admission Test (NMAT), with score above the percentile cut-off set by the medical school
  • 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.