filipino med schools

[dawnee]

i actually go to UERM now. when i was deciding on which med schools to apply to, fatima wasn't on my list. at the time, i wasn't aware of the scandal- it was just that i had heard the good schools in manila were UP, UST, and UERM. i know someone who goes to fatima and she said yep, fil-ams do get a lot of say in their program. i don't know how rigorous their program is, but overall she seems happy to be there.

i was wondering what you found out about the fatima and if you are still planning to go there.
cheers
maria

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[Yiola]

Does anybody know any non-US students who did their clerkship/residency in the US? Fatima claims to have arranged hospitals for the clerkship. Has anybody got experience with these teaching hospitals?

 

[Yiola]

Does anybody know of a webpage where you can view the results of all medical schools with respect to the national Philippino medical exam and the USMLE? I guess this would be an incidation for the quality of education at each university.

 

[WaZoBia]

hi yiola, i don't think there's a website that has statistics on the Phil Med Board/MLE passing rates for filipino schools. if at all one exists you'll probably be able to get info on the philippine medical board exam statistics but not on the MLE. the MLE's an American exam and Filipino medical schools train you for the Filipino boards not the MLEs. hope this helps a bit.

 

[Yiola]

hi yiola, i don't think there's a website that has statistics on the Phil Med Board/MLE passing rates for filipino schools. if at all one exists you'll probably be able to get info on the philippine medical board exam statistics but not on the MLE. the MLE's an American exam and Filipino medical schools train you for the Filipino boards not the MLEs. hope this helps a bit.

thanks for the answer. do you know if the phil medical board has got a website or an e-mail?

 

[USIMGgrad]

Fatima has affiliations with 3 hospitals in the united states and working on a 4th one. Currently, Fatima students can rotate at Peninsula Hospital in New York, Jackson Park in Chicago and Harvard University Medical Center in Massachusetts. The fourth one will be Wyckoff Medical Center in New York but the final approval has not passed yet. Maybe in a few months it will be finalized.

I am a US IMG but when I was rotating at Peninsula there were 3 other guys who were local philipinos and others from Taiwan and Australia. Unfortunately I no longer have thier contact information.

My experience at Peninsula was excellent.

Does anybody know any non-US students who did their clerkship/residency in the US? Fatima claims to have arranged hospitals for the clerkship. Has anybody got experience with these teaching hospitals?

 

[Yiola]

Thanks for your information.
How much were the tuition fees during the clerkship and how much were the monthly living costs?
Do the tuition fees vary according to hospital?
Are they paid directly to the hospital or the fatima university?

Thank you.

Fatima has affiliations with 3 hospitals in the united states and working on a 4th one. Currently, Fatima students can rotate at Peninsula Hospital in New York, Jackson Park in Chicago and Harvard University Medical Center in Massachusetts. The fourth one will be Wyckoff Medical Center in New York but the final approval has not passed yet. Maybe in a few months it will be finalized.

I am a US IMG but when I was rotating at Peninsula there were 3 other guys who were local philipinos and others from Taiwan and Australia. Unfortunately I no longer have thier contact information.

My experience at Peninsula was excellent.

 

[USIMGgrad]

NO PROBLEM. BELOW ARE MY ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS.

How much were the tuition fees during the clerkship and how much were the monthly living costs? 3 MONTHS AT PENINSULA HOSPITAL WAS $5000. THIS INCLUDED HOUSING AND 3 MEALS A DAY. YOU DO 1 MONTH SURGERY, 1 MONTH INTERNAL MED AND 1 MONTH FAMILY PRACTICE.

Do the tuition fees vary according to hospital? YES, I THINK HARVARD IS $8000 TO $10000. I AM NOT SURE ABOUT CHICAGO.

Are they paid directly to the hospital or the fatima university? YOU PAY FATIMA UNIVERSITY AND THEY DO THE REST.

FEES MIGHT HAVE CHANGED NOW. I ROTATED THERE IN 2001-2002.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[prettymean]

USIMGrad

I was wondering if you can comment on the education you received at Fatima. And also how did you feel about yourself when compared with residents from other programs in your residency.

Thanks

 

[USIMGgrad]

My philosophy has always been that the school has some role in educating its students but its really its up to you how much you wanna put in order to get the desired results. I compare it to body building. If you are determined to have a great body you can achieve it by working out in your basement with the weights you bought from Modells. But if the determination is not there, you can join the best gym in the world and you will not get the same results.

With that said, my education at fatima was very good. We had the same medical books that US med school use. Our clinicals were fantastic. Specifically, OB-Gyn, IM, and Surgery. I was surprised how little clinical experience other clerks had at peninsula. In the philippines, especially in the government hospitals the clerks basically were in charge. Your job is the same as a resident in the US hospitals. So you get excellent clinical training.

Generally speaking, the basic sciences (years 1 & 2) is not as strong as medical schools here. The reason for that is because MD's are the ones teaching basic sciences rather than experts (like Ph.D.'s) as is here in the US. If you intend to study in the philippines the school is not geared to help you pass the USMLE but their own boards. As a foriegn students it is your job to make sure you learn the basic sciences that students here are learning. You do that by buying review books and studying them simultaneously with your school notes. At least thats what I did.

I would say that I am at par with the residents here. Overall, I feel that I am well trained and highly qualified as a resident. I don't feel that I am lacking in anything. I had written this a while back, you might find it useful.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=60994&page=6

Take care!

USIMGrad

I was wondering if you can comment on the education you received at Fatima. And also how did you feel about yourself when compared with residents from other programs in your residency.

Thanks

 

[summerprincess]

hi I see you're from UST, what premed course did you took? Did you also took your premed in UST. I'm a freshman in my premed course, Bio, will that prepare me for med school? How's you're experience in UST med school? I really want to know more, because probably i'll go there also... i know that there is an international rotation, tell me more about it... and your residency as well...summerprincess

 

[pinoyflightsurg]

congratulations on your entrance to bio at ust.
please check your messages, i just pm'd you.

 

[violett]

hi! im a 2nd year proper student at UST and i just wanna know what are my chances of passing the usmle and gaining a residency position in one of the hospitals in US. Im already thinking of shifting to nursing coz nursing grads can easily obtain work in US. But then, I finished 1st year already and I seem to like it. I'm a Filipino citizen and I only got US tourist visa...

I really want to migrate to the states after med school.

Whatever advice would be highly appreciated.

 

[Spartan Doc]

You chances of doing well on the USMLE are entirely up to you. If you study hard, are willing to take some chances, and have the money to pay for all the applications... You should be fine. Your chances for residency depend on your scores and where you are willing to go for residency. If you are flexible and willing to take any position in any program, then you have a good chance. If you want Derm, and will settle for nothing less, then your chances aren't nearly as good.

If you really like medicine, then stick with it. Don't switch to nursing until you have exhausted all of your options.

A tourist Visa into the US should make things easier to do a clerkship rotation in the US, and will allow you to easily come for the CSA.

 

[manolok]

Hi wendigo, glad to see ur considering a flip med school, just briefly read some of the replys posted and would like to share some of my personal experiences I had going to school in manila and doing half a year in US schools. I just graduated from FEU-NRMF just a month ago and am currently studying for step 1.

If you're considering a challenge then look into going to my alma matter, my initial class started out at 385 students and the graduating class composed of only 150 students and 2 filams, present company included. There were 24 of us from the states and the rest were kicked out in their 1st or 2nd year, all ended up in either Fatima, LaSalle or St.Lukes.

You will have to pay a $6,000.00 donation that will not be refunded if you get kicked out so beware. If you can get away with paying in installments then do so. That way if you do get kicked out you or your family won't be out of 6 grand.

FEU provided me with a mediocre education in comarison to the US med students but all of that is pretty relative. The questions I was "pimped" on when I did my rotations were mere footnotes in my lectures at FEU. Most of these questions were disease entities that were rarely seen in the Philippines; sickle cell, cystic fibrosis, and genetic diseases. Suprisingly, I kicked butt when I was asked questions on PTB, as almost every filipino has been exposed to mycobacteria in the Philippines. And this topic has become high yield in rotations and exams as more people in the inner cities and AIDS populations have become exposed to TB.

What FEU did teach me was skill and drive to survive a very competetive atmosphere. When I did my rotations in the US I was commended on my suturing and Phlebotomy skills. I honored two of my 5 rotations here in the USA and one of them was at Baylor College of Medicine.

Just to comment on what someone said earlier about experiencing discrimination coming from a foreign school. I had experienced both the good and the bad. I was told that my education was archaic in the Philippines and on the other hand i was also told that Filipino MD's were excellent and a hard act to follow. So, when you do your rotations in the US, you choose how you would like to be percieved based on the kind of work you do.

Here's my take on the schools familiar to me in manila

1. UP-PGH: Excellent school, but c'mon, if you got in here you could probably get in to any US school right?

2. UST: Good School, Easy ride if you get in..

3. UERM: Good school, area sucks though

4. St. Lukes: Good school, but double check if they are accredited.

5. Fatima: Very Fil-am friendly from what I heard, even have a special class where for an extra one thousand dollars a semester, you get extra attention.

6. LaSalle: Got in opted not to go. Teachers are from UP

7. FEU-NMF: hmmmm, im a tad biased, most fil-ams are scared to go cause it's tough and most of them get kicked out. But if you do make it after your second year you will be treated like a demi god. 90% of the Fil-ams from FEU-NRMF are in current residency programs in the US. So, they must be doing something right!

I guess bottom line here is really not the school but the student, cliche as it is, there really is truth to it. Good luck on your choice, there are some fine programs in manila.

ROMGMD

 

[misyel]

Is it true though that only UP Med and UST are accredited internationally, and that if you graduate from another program in the Philippines and want to practice, say, in the United States, you'd most likely have to retake the courses again? But then, getting into those two programs is highly competitive...

How do the international rotations from FEU work? Which hospitals are they affiliated with? Does this semester abroad eventually translate to being accepted into residencies in the US (in other words, how are the residency matches for US hospitals)? I'm curious because a friend of mine is also considering medicine in the Philippines but is currently being petitioned for US immigration.

 

[USIMGgrad]

Is it true though that only UP Med and UST are accredited internationally, and that if you graduate from another program in the Philippines and want to practice, say, in the United States, you'd most likely have to retake the courses again? But then, getting into those two programs is highly competitive...


The World Health Organization (WHO) accreditates all medical schools in the world. I don't know of any medical school in the philippines that is not accreditated by WHO. Certainly UP and UST are accreditated but so is FEU, Fatima, St. Louis, and many more.

In terms of practicing in the U.S. a foriegn graduate from a WHO accrediated medical school has to be certified by the Educational Commision for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) before starting residency.

The certification process by ECFMG is includes:
1. Verifying your diploma with the accredited international medical school
2. Passing USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK & Step 2 CS
3. Passing the english proficiency test

 

[violett]

thanks spartandoc and pinoyflightsurg for ur words of wisdom...

but im planning to stop for awhile and study nursing here in NY. i wanna enjoy life first...maybe ill just continue medschool when i'm like 29 (is that too old???)

anyways good luck to both of you...i had fun reading your posts!!!

 

[Dio]

USIMGgrad

I was wondering if you interviewed at Fatima. And what was it like?

 

[mamorcy]

Hi everybody

I will be going to the phil end june and was wondering what the weather is going to be like. is it summer or winter there? how are the temperatures? how are the seasons there? what kind of clothes shall i take with me? any jumpers?

what kind of clothes does somedbody need? dressy/casual? I understand everybody wears a uniform but apart from this what would you advise somebody to take with her?

thanks
maria

 

[DocTan]

Hey Guys! I am a fil-am student currently attending UERM. I am going to be a third year student. I took the USMLE step 1 in april and I got my results. Thankfully, I was able to pass, I got 251/99. I would like to share my experience with you guys and maybe give you some helpful tips. I studied for 5 months (dec-april) and I used the kaplan books and videos, goljan notes and audio, and first aid. I highly recommend you focus on the high-yield topics, don't worry so much about small details. The exam is very different from the exams given at UERM. Our exams are based on lecture notes/transcriptions, and since our teachers are clinians, treatment and management is the main focus. So don't worry so much about what Harrisons and Robbins says, focus in on the basic concepts. Try to memorize first aid, and read the kaplan books, this should be enough to pass. I recommend you also read high-yield neuroana (the angiograms appeared on the exam). Practice as many questions as possible. Qbank is similar to the exam and is a great learning tool. Nbme is the closest to the real exam, I highly recommend you take this because 3-5 questions are repeated. BSS is a great learning tool. I am just an average student who put in alittle hard work and lots of studying time. Good luck to everyone, I hope this helps. And for those who are thinking about going to the Pinas for med-school, their is hope, you can pass the US boards as long as you study hard.

These are the sources I used: Kaplan, goljan, first aid, hy neuroana

These are the practice questions I used:
qbank= 65% (74% with incorrect questions)
qbook= 70%
bss= 70%
nbme= 540, 580 (2 weeks before the exam)
nms= 78%
blackwell= 70%

 

[raya]

Hi everybody

I will be going to the phil end june and was wondering what the weather is going to be like. is it summer or winter there? how are the temperatures? how are the seasons there? what kind of clothes shall i take with me? any jumpers?

what kind of clothes does somedbody need? dressy/casual? I understand everybody wears a uniform but apart from this what would you advise somebody to take with her?

thanks
maria

Hi. At the end of june the weather's kinda ambivalent. Mostly it would be sunny (i.e. hot) but if a typhoon comes along it would be rainy (i.e. really wet and windy). There are just two seasons in the Philippines, wet and dry, with the dry season starting around March until May, and the wet season running from June to February. Most typhoons come around September to November.

I'd recommend to bring light clothing,and a waterproof jacket and a sweater for the rainy months. And bring an umbrella--that's not really an article of clothing but you might need it anyway. I live on jeans and shirts/blouses aside from my med uniforms, but then again, my fashion sense may be kinda different. It would also be safe to bring some dressy clothes (a nice dress,or a pantsuit) just in case you have to go somewhere formal.

Hope that helps

 

[FarEastGrapplr2]

If you're considering a challenge then look into going to my alma matter, my initial class started out at 385 students and the graduating class composed of only 150 students and 2 filams, present company included. There were 24 of us from the states and the rest were kicked out in their 1st or 2nd year, all ended up in either Fatima, LaSalle or St.Lukes.

to the best of my knowledge, st luke's has never accepted anyone who was kicked out of another med school. i could be wrong though

 

[FarEastGrapplr2]

Is it true though that only UP Med and UST are accredited internationally, and that if you graduate from another program in the Philippines and want to practice, say, in the United States, you'd most likely have to retake the courses again?

The World Health Organization (WHO) accreditates all medical schools in the world. I don't know of any medical school in the philippines that is not accreditated by WHO. Certainly UP and UST are accreditated but so is FEU, Fatima, St. Louis, and many more.

not sure what you mean by "internationally accredited". i believe WHO accredited schools (for example, i graduated from st luke's which is accredited by WHO) qualify applicants for US licensing to take the USMLE. retakes courses? no, graduate, pass your MLE $ TOFEL and apply for residency

 

[FarEastGrapplr2]

hi! im a 2nd year proper student at UST and i just wanna know what are my chances of passing the usmle and gaining a residency position in one of the hospitals in US. Im already thinking of shifting to nursing coz nursing grads can easily obtain work in US. But then, I finished 1st year already and I seem to like it. I'm a Filipino citizen and I only got US tourist visa...QUOTE]


i think your BEST best is to finish Medicine. after that, you can take some Nursing classes, either online or through the mail (5 months from what i heard to complete all the coursework if you work hard). pass your NCLEX and TOFEL, get to the US, work and take your MLE's then apply for residency

 

[bizzy_yin]

vacation is almost over..& classes r about to strt in a wk!..a number of subjcts were added so i assume its goin to b much tougher & d sched is goin to b much tighter ds yr..how ws it wen u were in your 2nd yr?what shld we expect?& one mor thing..is it normal that i do still feel anxious & hving second thoughts of wether or not to pursue med as a career..aftr all, my dad's been d one who's rili insistent that i took medicine..to compromise, i tried enrollin for 1st yr..luckily, i passed ol d subjcts..bt i wasn't a briliant studnt thou..these bsic subjcts gave me hard time (esp. biochem!)..wel i need advice to enlighten me...thanks..oh, & by d way...we hve d same birthdate..? hv a gud day!

 

[mamorcy]

Hi everybody,

i am about to start medicine at the fatima and was wondering how it looks with health insurance. do we arrange it overseas or in the country? are foreign students covered if not phil citizens by the phil system? do we need to take extra health insurance to be covered?

thanks
maria

 

[DocTan]

As of April 2004, the TOEFL is no longer required for ECFMG certification. The Step 2 Clinical skills has replaced the CSA and TOEFL. The main difference is the Step 2 Clinical skills will be held in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, and Philly. Before the CSA was only held in Philly and Atlanta. The changes made on the exam are very few, before the CSA had 10 live patients and you had to pass 9/10, now their are 12 patients, and I believe you have to pass 11/12. The cost will be the same, $1200. The good thing about the step 2 cs is that all medical students must pass it (IMGs and US students), this makes licensing more uniform. I got this info from ECFMG and Kaplan.

To be fully licensed in the US: Your school must be in the IMED (international medical education directory) the WHO is no longer used. Although, all Philippine schools made it to the IMED list, I think they changed it because lots of Caribbean and Mexican schools where fraudulent. Must pass USMLE step 1, 2 ck and cs, have a diploma and verified transcript(this is a new requirement by ECFMG). If you have all of these things done, congrats your ECFMG certified. Although, residency and matching is a whole different story. Most of you may not know, that you cannot participate in the match the year that you graduate. For example, you graduate in 2005 in April/May, you cannot participate in the 2005 match, since you must be ECFMG certified by Feb of 2005 in order to be included in the match. But most of us will not have our diploma until May of 2005, therefore, we can not be certified until may 2005. The only chance you have of getting a residency the same year you graduate, is to scramble or connections. You most likely have to wait until the next year to match. Just want people to know that, before they decided to go to the Pinas for school.

 

[violett]

why is it that when I talk to doctors or medical students about my plans of pursuing a medical career, they always discourage me...i mean, they're saying that its not worth it, too tedious, blah blah blah...is it really that bad??? i only finished first year so i dont get the whole picture yet but there are horror stories that i've heard from clerks like sexual harassment(dunno if this one's true), fraternity issues, etc... i guess it's not wise to join a fraternity or sorority because there are a lot frat wars, gossips, issues that seems pointless and immature...what more, joining a "war freak" frat might jeopardize your grade if the chairman of the department belongs to the mortal enemy of ur frat....that's my observation in UST but i dont about the other schools...to people involved in frat/soro stuff: correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[Spartan Doc]

I think I discourage people against medicine because it is such a long painful road. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, I enjoy working with people and if I had the choice to do it all again, I would still probably be hard headed enough to do it again. And lastly there is nothing else I could imagine myself doing but being a physician.

But medicine is a long road, just becoming a doctor requires many long hours of studying, and that is just to get into medical school. Once I was in medical school, I found myself studying harder than I ever had in my life, and despite how hard I studied, sometimes it just didn't show in the grades I got on exams. Some of this might be due to the fact that teachers in med school didn't always ask the most relevant of questions. But also, the concepts take time to learn and understand. So you spend about 4 years after college learning and studying.

Then, once you pass the academic part, there is the physical part. You need physical stamina to be a doctor. As a clerk in the philippines, you will be expected to work 10 hour days, then every 3 days, you work a whole 24 hours and are expected to put in another 10 hour day the next day. That translates into about 98 hours a week, now granted in 1 week there are 168 hours total. that gives you and average of 7 hours left per day that you are not working, usually of which you will spend at least 1/2 or more sleeping.

Once you are in residency (at least in the US) you are limited to 80 hours a week. so you get an average of 2 extra hours per day to sleep or have a personal life. You can continue to expect these hours for at least 3 year straight. So if you did it all straight, you have now spent 7 years extra compared to a college grad getting to where you want to go.

I look at my friends who are not in medicine, while they may not have the opportunity to directly impact the lives of others several times a day, every day they are working. They have very enriching personal lives. Time to spend with their spouses, children, hobbies. Plus they spent a majority of their 20s accumulating wealth, such as homes, investments, going on vacation, etc.

Then once you finally finish residency, you must sometimes continue to work just as hard to establish yourself. But lets be generous, lets say you work just 60 hours a week. You are still dedicating more hours of your life to work then the average person. As most non doctors will work 40 hours a week.

So see, by becoming a doctor, you sentence yourself to working a little harder than the average person. Sure you may get paid pretty well, but you have much less time to spend it. Sure you get to touch the lives of others and hang out with people all day, but a lot of times you sacrifice your time with your friends, spouse, yourself, just for your patients. And half the time your patients don't listen to you, or don't appreciate you cuz they are too sick.

Thats the part of medicine I did not see when I was dreaming of becoming a doctor, thats the realistic side that I never knew existed. I must be a little crazy, cuz I like working a little harder than the average person, I like being involved in the lives of others. I like to look forward to a lifetime of learning new things. And I like being held to a higher standard than most people. (Doctors in the US aren't allowed to make too many mistakes, or they face lawsuits) But there are definitely easier ways to make money, and there are other ways to touch the lives of others.

 

[violett]

Thanks for your words of wisdom, I appreciate it...That's an eye opener for me...I'm still confused though, about going back to the Philippines to finish what I started...but I guess the moral lesson of the story is "DON"T MARRY A DOCTOR!" (just kidding).

 

[Spartan Doc]

You can marry the doctor, just make sure you have someone on the bench to come and play when the doctor is away. just kidding.

 

[snowhite]

Just want to say hi to all the fellow Filipinos out there. I've never posted on this thread before, but I'm glad it exists! I'm deferring a year for med school so I might hang out in the Philippines before I start so it'd be cool to know you all. I'm from Texas. Good luck to everyone out there.

 

[pchcup]

HI guys! I came across this forum while searching for med school tips in the philippines, and I found a lot of very helpful stuff. I just graduated last May and planning to go to med school in the phils. next year... any tips in terms of applying?..l. I will be taking the NMAT in NY. Anybody knows the specific deadlines of application for these schools? UERM, UST, DLSU? I found the website for some of these schools, but it seemed that they're not updated. Also, does anybody here have plans on going to med school in the phils. next year? THANKS!!!

 

[WaZoBia]

dude, you might wanna go through this post, i think you'll find the answers to all your questions here.

happy hunting

 

[pchcup]

Hey Spartan Doc! I dont know if you still visit this forum... but I saw all your helpful tips here. I am planning to go to med school in the phils. next june (2005)... does med students in the philippines have a summer off, like a regular undergrad? coz I was thinking of volunteering in a hospital here in the states whenever or "if" we do have a summer off in the phils.., would that be helpful? or just a waste of time... Thanks

 

[Spartan Doc]

Whats up!!
Philippine medical schools typically have their "summer break" from the end of march, early april to late may, early june.
During this time, volunteering in a hospital may be helpful, but it really depends on what you will get to do. If you get to shadow a doc in the hospital or in their clinic, then it might be worthwhile. IYou can also spend the time in a live lecture Kaplan review for the USMLE. This can really help you prepare for the US licensing exams. Also consider a summer research project. Since the philippine med schools are weak big time in research. a project would look great on your residency application.

Good luck to you, let me know which medical school you choose.

 

[WaZoBia]

yup, med students do get summers off for the first 2 years and in the third year they get a short break between the end of regular classes and the start of clerkship.

 

[pchcup]

Hey Thanks Spartandoc and Wazobia!!! Yeah..Thats really a great idea.. I think I'll try to do that....well.. in terms of school I have UST, FEU, UERM and LA SALLE or SAN BEDA in my list.....but I will definitely let you guys know the school where I got accepted. Thanks again!! Just want to let you know that this forum is very, very helpful for prospective med students like me.

PS: Hey Spartandoc! How's life as a resident?? I know that its hard but at least you're already there...after med school, USMLE's and all that stuff whew!! GOODLUCK!!!! doc!

 

[Spartan Doc]

Pchcup, life is a resident is not all candy and flowers. But I can't complain, I am really lucky to be where I am at. thanks for the good wishes

waZobia, I PMed you back, check your box. hope it helps

 

[NiceyM]

Hi I read your post here abt CIM. Im in Ireland at the moment, Im a Filipino, yet I am not familiar about medical schools in the Visayas. I am planning to go to Cebu and enroll in a medical shool there. I know some schools in the Visayas are par with schools in Manila (I based this in borad exam results), and with a good TIME MANAGEMENT in mind, I prefer to stay in Cebu to study medicine where traffic condition is FAR better than Manila. And Cebu is less polluted I suppose.

I can't decide what school to pick, CIM and Cebu Doctors are the schools I considered. Quality training and education is what I'm after for. Can you please give feedback about CIM & Cebu Doctors? I already inquired abt their fees & enrolment schedule for next year. I heard Cebu Doctors students get more "hands-on" training than CIM students(????).

Any info will be appreciated.


NiceyM

 

[Spartan Doc]

The cebu schools are good, I have heard good things about Cebu doctors. Don't know how many practice abroad though.

I hope that time management and pollution are not THE deciding factor about choosing a Cebu medical school. You can live close to a medical school in manila and then you don't have to deal with traffic and commuting.

The classroom experience in Cebu may be comparable to the manila medical schools. But as far as clinical experience, doing a clerkship in Manila is a once in a lifetime experience, the sheer number of cases, the rare cases you will see make for a great once in a life time learning experience. If you go to med school in Cebu, I don't think you can do clerkship in manila. You might be able to do a post graduate internship there but it will add an extra year to your training.

Good luck no matter where you choose.

 

[NiceyM]

Thanks a lot Spartan Doc, appreciate your efforts to reply to my post. Could you please give me an idea abt the cost of student accomodation in Manila(approx.). Are there loads of dormitories inside or near the campus? Are you familiar (or do u kno someone who is familiar) with living accomodation in St. Luke's?

 

[girlie78]

Hi Nicey,

I'm actually in the process of applying to medical schools in Cebu. My family is mainly there and I really like it there. I've just come back from a two week vacation and I was able to check out both CIM Velez as well as Cebu Doc and this is what I've learned...

I first went to CIM because my cousin just graduated from there and is currently in the middle of her PGI (post-graduate internship). The application fee is $60 american and you have to have exact change when paying this. Because I went with my cousin, I was also able to schedule an interview before I left. If you do schedule an interview, be prepared with a statement as to why you want to go to the Philippines for medical school. The majority of the facitilities are not air conditioned (except for the library) but it has an excellent reputation. They have also incorporated Problem Based Learning into their curriculum so definitely do some homework and see if that is compatable to your learning style.

Cebu Doc was also very nice. Their application fee was only 150 pesos (significantly less than CIM). The facilities are also more modern with air conditioning in all the classrooms. However, they do not schedule interviews until May. From what I hear, Cebu Doc is easier to get into.

Both schools recommend that you apply for dual citizenship. Becoming a filipino citizen apparently facilitates the application process and cuts down significantly the requirements and fees.

Anyways, I hope this helps and good luck with your application process!

 

[NiceyM]

Hi Girlie,

Thanx for the info. I am considering CIM as my second choice. Right now I am geared for UP-Manila, but I am not sure if I could get in. The NMAT score requirement for UP is at least 90%, have to prepare for that. My third choice is St. Luke, but I have to give it a second thought - I've been reading this thread and found out that St. Luke's curriculum for medicine is 5 years. If I won't be able to get into UP, I might go to CIM. See you there! I will be going to the Philippines on October, and will pay a visit to CIM.

Thanks a lot for the reply. Good luck to you.

-Nicey

 

[Spartan Doc]

Hi Nicey M,
UP med is VERY difficult to get into. they tend to prioritize those born in and those that went to college in the Philippines. Especially because it is THE University supported by taxes and the Philippine government. But if you know someone on the admin board, you stand a good chance.
I got a 98% on the NMAT and had a masters, and they still didnt look at me. (still at little bitter If you are looking at staying in Manila. Consider UST, UE. Those are great schools. I would love to advertise for my school, FEU, but it is pretty brutal and while it helped me get to where I am today, it was a painful road. The training at all of these schools is excellent.
Cebu and CIM are good schools too. But I found Cebu a little too rural for me. But some people like that.

 

[NiceyM]

Thank you for your very helpful advise, appreciate it. Any hint how to maximise my NMAT score ? The reason why I want to go to UP is that I want the BEST. I won't get into UP, then I'd rather go to CIM. With regards to experience, Cebu is a very small island and up to date, it is as much as populated as Manila. I reckoned I could still meet different cases, and populated wards in hospitals in Cebu, and have a challenging experience. My Uncle knows someone in Dept. of Science & Technology Head office, I might be able to get a "pull". Wish me luck. What harm, I only wanna try to play my cards...

God bless.

 

[girlie78]

Yes Spartan Doc, some people such as myself do like that

I've been back and forth to Cebu several times and I've found that it has definitely made huge advancements in its modernization. There are hardly any brown outs any more and the internet cafes aren't slit-my-wrists-slow.

Cebu may be a bit more rural than Manila, but it does have its charm and wonderful places. Plantation Bay is my happy place But to each his/her own

 

[dwightbean]

Hi Nicey M,
UP med is VERY difficult to get into. they tend to prioritize those born in and those that went to college in the Philippines. Especially because it is THE University supported by taxes and the Philippine government. But if you know someone on the admin board, you stand a good chance.
I got a 98% on the NMAT and had a masters, and they still didnt look at me. (still at little bitter If you are looking at staying in Manila. Consider UST, UE. Those are great schools. I would love to advertise for my school, FEU, but it is pretty brutal and while it helped me get to where I am today, it was a painful road. The training at all of these schools is excellent.
Cebu and CIM are good schools too. But I found Cebu a little too rural for me. But some people like that.

i think i just read this thread for no reason, but i've enjoyed what you've written i guess.

are you still in the philippines? when do you move on to residency?

kay.

 

[asspwet]

Supreme court rules against
high-scoring medical grads
Posted: 5:31 AM (Manila Time) | Jul. 04, 2004
By Philip C. Tubeza
Inquirer News Service
A correction to this article has been made.

THE SUPREME Court has ruled that 11 graduates of the Fatima College of Medicine cannot take their oaths as physicians after they passed the February 2003 medical board exams with "phenomenal" grades.

The SC Second Division reversed the Court of Appeals decision which affirmed the Manila Regional Trial Court ruling ordering the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to administer the oath to the graduates.



The SC ruled that the PRC had the authority to refuse the graduates the "privilege" of practicing medicine since they had not "satisfactorily passed" the board exam. The PRC even charged the graduates with "immorality, dishonesty, fraud and deceit" for allegedly cheating in the exams.

The SC said its decision was binding only on Fatima graduates Arlene V. de , Celerina S. :, Rafael I. , Bernardita B., Gloria T. , Hubert S. , Nancy J. , Ernesto L. , Herminio V. ., Maria Victoria M. and Merly D. .

Fatima College had 79 graduates who took the 2003 board exams but only 11 of them pursued the case in court after the PRC refused to register them as doctors, court records showed.

On July 21, 1993, the PRC Board of Medicine issued a resolution charging the Fatima graduates with immorality, gross misconduct, fraud and deceit for allegedly cheating in the Biochemistry and Obstetrics and Gynecology exams, the "most difficult subjects."

Eleven Fatima graduates scored 100 percent in Bio-Chem and 10 got 100 percent in OB-Gyne, another 11 got 99 percent in Bio-Chem and 21 scored 99 percent OB-Gyne, the SC said.

It noted that the board noticed that the Fatima graduates got marks of 95 percent or better in both subjects, "and no one got a mark lower than 90 percent."

The PRC sought the help of Father Bienvenido F. Nebres SJ, president of the Ateneo de Manila University and an authority on statistics, to conduct a statistical analysis of the results.

After comparing the scores of Fatima graduates with those of examinees from De La Salle University and Perpetual Help College of Medicine, Nebres reported that the scores of Fatima graduates were "not only incredibly high but unusually clustered close to each other."