Who wants to be a Filipino Doctor? FAQs on How to Apply and Be Accepted in a Medical School

Now that you get a picture of what you’re in for from the previous post, “Who wants to be a Filipino Doctor?”

Let’s discuss what you need to do to get in. In general, you will undergo two phases, first, the initial screening whereby you should submit all the needed documents. If you pass the initial screening, then you would proceed to the second phase which would be the interview. If you get through both, then you will proceed to Admission and the rest is yours to control. All of these schools have the same requirements, except for some schools that requests for additional papers and qualifications. So, let’s start discussing all these useful bits of info for you aspiring med students out there.
1. First, you must have a Bachelors of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree.
Most of the listed Universities here do not have any preference to any courses but is highly suggested to take up a degree that focuses on Biological Sciences, but other BS and BA graduates can still apply but are strictly required to take up extra units on Biology courses.
It is very important to have a quota of Biology subjects before going to Medical School as it will serve as one’s training ground and source of prerequisite knowledge. While most of Universities do not give out certain number on the Science subjects needed, in PLM, there is a suggested number of units prescribed to each undergrad subjects, and these are as follows: 35 units in Science, which should include 10 units in Chem, 15 units in Natural Science, 5 units in Physics and 5 units for either Microbiology or elementary Genetics, 6 Units of Math (Algebra and Biostat), 9 units of Social Science, 3 units of Humanities and 9 units of Language and Communication. The same case goes for ADMU-MPH, St. Louis University and Mindanao State University-Marawi. They require applicants to have units in General Biology or Zoology or Botany Cell and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and General Physics. FEU-NRMF and St. Luke’s College of Medicine both requires a similar quota of subjects to have units in Biology (15 units), Chemistry (10 units), Mathematics (9 units) Physics (5 units) and Social Science (12 units).

2. Second, you should have taken and passed the NMAT

Different Universities have their different standards for NMAT cut offs. These are detailed in the table below. The National Medical Admission Test is held twice a year, every April and November, here in the Philippines in selected test centers and in the US as well. All registrations are done online. Don’t worry if your Percentile Ranks don’t get to your target, just try to review more and take the exam again.

*Sources: University Websites and Pinoy Exchange sites

3.  Third, and as equally important as those two things mentioned above, you must secure these documents:

• Photocopy of Certified Transcript of Records (TOR), for Private schools, this should be validated by the Special Order from CHED.

In times when the General Weighted Average (GWA) is not indicated in the TOR then, it will be required for you to submit a certification of you GWA. In schools like St. Luke’s College of Medicine and Cagayan State University and University of Santo Tomas, you are to submit as well a certification of your rank among the class. There are also GWA cut-offs in some universities like for example a GWA of 2.5 (80) for PLM, St. Luke’s, and ADMU-MPH, West Visayas State University. For UST, the GWA cut off is 2.00 (86) and like in PLM you should have not failed any subjects during the Undergrad year are allowed here as well.

•  Photocopy of Diploma
• Certificate of Eligibility for Admission (CEA)

Some Schools like Cebu Doctor’s College, Xavier’s University and FEU-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation requests this in photocopy or in original form.

•  Authenticated Photocopy of Birth Certificate
• Photocopy of Marriage Certificate, if applicable
• Certificate of Naturalization, if you are naturalized
• Certificate of Good Moral from at least two of your college professors
• Reference and Recommendation letters

Usually, they would require you to submit two of each, which should be written by your College Dean and Professors.

4.  Application Fees

Application and Processing fees are always part of processes such as applying for Med School. Let’s look at the application fee of some of the universities, for University of Santo Tomas it’s P 3000.00   P 2700.00 for ADMU-Medical and Public Health, P 2500.00 for St. Luke’s College of Medicine, both P 1500.00 for FEU-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation and P 500 for Cebu Institute of Medicine, and P 150. 00 for Cebu Doctor’s College.

5.  Long White folder, or Long brown Envelope and a Self Addressed stamped envelope

 6.  Pictures

You should just prepare a lot of 1×1, 2×2 and passport size pictures with white background because you will need them in all your applications across all the Medical school around the country.

7.  Other Documents unique to a certain School.

Other universities such Ateneo-MPH requires its applicants to submit a personalized essay, describing where you would be, 10 years from now. Also, the aforementioned school has a transition summer program that lasts from April to May, applicants should be informed that failure to attend to this program may result to the dismissal from the course.

UPCM and PLM on the other hand obligates its applicants to sign a service agreement. For UPCM, these contracts comes in two types, one is for their applicants for the Regionalization Program (RP) and Indigenous People (IP) which is the Acceptance to Serve and Assumption of Liablility (ASAL) and for all its other applicants, the Return of Service Agreement (RSA), PLM on the other hand has a memorandum of agreement to serve in the community that is assigned by the College.

If you are planning to study at PLM, you might as well take note of the other additional paper works that you have to settle like Manila Voter’s ID/Voter’s, Student’s residence certificate (cedula), Barangay Clearance in the place of residence, NBI Clearance or any other document to prove Manila residency Similar to UPCM, you also have to provide your Parent’s latest Income Tax Return (ITR) and/or Affidavit of Support and ITR of benefactor.

Upon submission of all the pertinent documents, your application will be evaluated and ranked together with the other applicants. The ranking would be based upon your General Weighted Average, and your NMAT percentile.

If you get to pass, then you proceed to interview. Do well in it, because this is also part of the screening process. This is as equally important as first stage. You will be interviewed by a faculty member of the University that you are applying from and a set of question will be asked. If everything goes well for you, then you’re off to start.

Now that you know what to prepare, all that’s left is your choice to make.

Disclaimer:  Processes may differ from each medical schools.  There may be variations, but generally these are the basic needs to be able to do your first step.

To my colleagues who knew differently, kindly update me by commenting to these post or sending me email at my contact page or send it here: docpinky@myfinancemd.com

Happy Thinking!

More good reads:

“Who wants to be a Filipino Doctor?” Part 1: Tuition of Medical Schools

If you are a parent and dreams your child to become a doctor someday but do not know how?  Time to learn how to save up to make your dream for your child a reality.  Read on:

• How to get more than 50% discount for your child’s College Tuition fee

If you are already a DOCTOR who is wondering why Doctors are not RICH, Read On.

• 6 Secrets of Becoming the RICH DOCTOR Your Friends and Family Think You are
• Why are Most Filipino Doctors not RICH? Top 5 Obstacles Keeping Filipino Doctors from Becoming Wealthy

If you want to invite me to speak to our colleagues  about financial health, see here:

• Pera-Pera Lang…. Walang Personalan (a Speaking Engagement) Camp John Hay, Baguio

Sources:

Sources/links:

NMAT cut-offs

http://delvinsyndrome.wordpress.com/2014/04/08/nmat-cut-off-scores-for-aspiring-medical-students-in-ph/

Cebu Institute of Medicine

http://pinoy.md/ipb/index.php?showtopic=14042&hl=%20cebu%20%20doctors%20%20university&pa e=1

Siliman University

http://su.edu.ph/page/153-Estimated-Tuition-and-Fees-20132014

http://su.edu.ph/resources/medicalschool_application_revised.pdf

University of Santo Tomas

http://myuste.ust.edu.ph/forms/files/myuste/SCHEDULEOFFEESAY1stSem2014-2015.pdf

http://medadmission.ust.edu.ph/content/application-requirements

UP College of Medicine-Manila

http://upcm.ph/

http://upcm.ph/sites/all/files/upcmadmissionsbrochure2014-2015.pdf

Ateneo Medical School

http://www.ateneo.edu/

University of the East

http://uerm.edu.ph/collegeofmedicine/scholarshipprogram

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

http://www.plm.edu.ph/downloads/Accounting/TUITION_FEE_2014-2015_Medicine.pdf

http://www.plm.edu.ph/admission/grad-prof-schools.html

St. Luke’s

http://pinoy.md/ipb/index.php?showtopic=13959

http://stlukesmedcollege.edu.ph/admissions/application-process

Xavier’s University

http://www.xu.edu.ph/estimated-fees/tentative-tuition-and-fees-sy-2013-2014

http://www.xu.edu.ph/admissions

West Visayas State University

http://wvsu.edu.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=61&Itemid=144

http://wvsu.edu.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=230:admissionmed&catid=61:college-of-medicine&Itemid=100

Cebu Doctor’s University

http://pinoy.md/ipb/index.php?showtopic=14042&hl=%2Bcebu+%2Bdoctors+%2Buniversity

http://www.cebudoctorsuniversity.edu/2013/colleges/medicine/admission.html

Angeles University

http://www.valuemd.com/asian-medical-schools/224974-cheap-medical-schools-philippines.html

http://www.finduniversity.ph/universities/angeles-university-foundation/courses/medical/

Davao Medical School Foundation

http://yrxthefuturemd.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/philippine-med-schools-with-tf/

http://www.dmsf.edu.ph/dmsf/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=89

Saint Louis University

http://www.slu.edu.ph/index.php/admission-med

Mindanao State University

http://pinoy.md/ipb/index.php?showtopic=7241

Far Eastern University- NRMF

http://pinoy.md/ipb/index.php?showtopic=14619

http://www.feu-nrmf.ph/adm_med.html

Central Philippine University

www.cpu.edu.ph/academics/tuition.pdf

http://www.finduniversity.ph/universities/central-philippine-university/courses/medical/

Cagayan State University

http://csu.edu.ph/colleges/com.php#admissionMed

De La Sale-HSI

http://pinoy.md/ipb/index.php?showtopic=6908

http://www.dlshsi.edu.ph/admissions/admission-requirements

University of Saint La Salle

http://www.myuniversityeducation.com/world-universities/Asia/philippines/university-of-saint-la-salle.html

http://www.finduniversity.ph/universities/university-of-saint-la-salle/courses/medical/

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Pinky De Leon-Intal, MD, RFC

Doc Pinky is a licensed Medical Physician, Internationally Registered Financial Consultant, Certified Investment Solicitor and Associate Wealth Planner and Estate Planner of the Philippines. She loves to educate and spread financial literacy. She is a Lactation Consultant. She loves to travel. She is a devoted wife and mother.

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