Medical education in Philippines is principally offered and developed by accredited and government recognized

medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...

s in the country. The Philippine medical schools are graduate schools offering the

Doctor of Medicine Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin language, Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a profes ...

(M.D.) degree. The M.D. is a four-year and six months

professional degree A professional degree, formerly known in the US as a first professional degree, is a degree that prepares someone to work in a particular profession, practice, or industry sector often meeting the academic requirements for licensure or accreditatio ...

program which qualifies the degree holder to take the licensure exam for medical doctors in the Philippines. Health professionals are one of the biggest exports of the Philippines and a significant source of tax revenue for the government which subsidises medical education.

Admission to medical schools

Before applying to any medical school, a candidate must earn a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

with credits in certain required subjects. The most common pre-medical degrees include

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...

medical technology Health technology is defined by the World Health Organization as the "application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures, and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of liv ...

biochemistry Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and ...

microbiology Microbiology () is the scientific study of microorganisms, those being unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, bacteriology, prot ...

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

, radiologic technology and

physical therapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...

.Medical education, Professional Regulation Commission of the Philippines, 2007. In addition, a candidate must take the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT), the national entrance exam for all medical schools in the Philippines.

Professional medical degree

The

(M.D.) is a four-year

program dealing with

medical Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...

theories, practices, technologies, and problem solving. The completion of the degree program with one-year postgraduate internship qualifies a candidate to take the licensure exam for medical doctors in the Philippines.

Philippine medical schools

Medical schools in the country are regulated by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) of the Philippines, and accredited by the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges.

List of APMC (Accredited Philippine Medical Schools)

There are 38 APMC member schools and colleges as of 2009.

Philippine Physician Licensure Examination

The licensure exams for physicians (board exam for doctors) are administered by the Philippine Board of Medicine, a professional regulatory body under the general control and supervision of the

Professional Regulation Commission The Professional Regulation Commission, ( fil, Komisyon sa Regulasyon ng mga Propesyon) otherwise known as the PRC, is a three-man commission attached to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Its mandate is to regulate and supervise the pr ...

(PRC) of the Philippines.

Advanced medical studies

After graduation from medical school and passing the board exam for doctors, a Filipino doctor is labelled as a ''general medical practitioner''. He may seek further training by way of graduate programs in medicine (i.e., Master of Public Health, Master of Health Services Administration, etc.), or by way of medical specialization.

Graduate medical programs

Graduate programs are offered in some

s in the country and abroad. Candidates usually attend lectures and practical exercises in an academic environment and in laboratory settings. The program may require the presentation and defense of a graduate-level thesis, an independent research project, or supervised professional practice as a final graduation requirement. The entire academic program may last from one year to five years, depending on the requirements of the curriculum; the demands of the institution; and the academic load, availability, and dedication of the individual student.

Medical specialization

Medical specialization usually takes three to six years of residency training in accredited hospitals and clinics, and the taking of diplomate board examinations conducted by a board of medical specialists in a particular field (i.e., Philippine Board of Psychiatry, Philippine Board of Pediatrics, Philippine Board of Surgery, Philippine Specialty Board of Internal Medicine, Philippine Academy of Family Physicians Board of Examiners etc.). After specialization, the doctor may practice his field of specialty or pursue one to three years of subspecialty training / fellowship such as A) Pediatrics and internal medicine: cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, infectious disease, oncology etc. B) Surgery: thoracic and cardiovascular, pediatric, transplant, trauma, minimally invasive, oncology C) Anesthesiology: pain, cardiovascular D) OB Gyn: oncology, ultrasound, reproductive endocrinology and infertility Straight programs for subspecialties are also offered : urology, orthopedics, plastic and reconstructive, neurosurgery

Medical practice

The

Philippine Medical Association Philippine Medical Association is the primary medical association of the Philippines, covering medical practitioners and component medical groups from the entire country. It is a member of the World Medical Association and is a co-founder of t ...

(PMA), is the largest organization of medical doctors in the country. Other medical and health societies co-exist to pursue more specific interests in the medical field (i.e
Philippine Academy of Family Physicians
Philippine Dermatological Society, Philippine Cancer Society, Philippine Pediatric Society, Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity, etc.).Allied organizations, Philippine Medical Association, 2007. The

Department of Health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their ow ...

, a cabinet-level department under the Office of the President of the Philippines, exercises general monitoring supervisory powers over medical practitioners and allied health personnel in the Philippines.Public Information Office, Department of Health, Republic of the Philippines, 2007.

Notable Filipino doctors

José Rizal José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is considered the national he ...

- the National Hero of the Philippines *

Mariano Ponce Mariano Ponce y Collantes (March 22, 1863 – May 23, 1918) was a Filipino physician, writer and active member of the Propaganda Movement. In Spain, he was among the founders of ''La Solidaridad'' and ''Asociación Hispano-Filipino''. Among his ...

- Filipino propagandist, was managing editor of La Solidaridad * Jose Fabella - first Health Secretary *

Juan Flavier Juan Martin Flavier (; June 23, 1935 – October 30, 2014) was a Filipino physician and politician. He served as the Secretary of Health under President Fidel V. Ramos from 1992 to 1995, and was later elected to the Senate, serving from 1995 t ...

- former Health Secretary and Senator of the Philippines *Ramon Gustilo - Orthopedic surgeon; responsible for the commonly used Gustilo open fracture classification. *

Fe del Mundo Fe Villanueva del Mundo, , (born Fé Primitiva del Mundo y Villanueva; 27 November 1911 – 6 August 2011) was a Filipina pediatrician. She founded the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines and is known for shaping the modern child healt ...

- First Filipino woman and female medical student to enter the Harvard Medical School. A pioneer of

Pediatrics Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until th ...

in the Philippines. *

Willie Ong Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and scree ...

- cardiologist and internist with large

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

following, gives free medical advice online

References

{{Reflist, 2 Higher education in the Philippines