University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery - Program Design and Delivery

Program Design and Delivery

The Faculty offers the four-year Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree, a comprehensive professional academic program which combines lectures, case analyses, and practical simulation exercises. The entire curriculum focuses on the basic, clinical, and emergency medical sciences. Teaching methods make use of both classic and modern medical practices and technologies.The Faculty is also proud of its extensive learning facilities like the LRU T3Net connection opened in 2004, Electron microscopy unit, multimedia lecture halls, extensive journal collection, wireless-mesh and the Center for Health Science Research.

In 2001, the Faculty adopted the problem-based learning method for use in the curriculum. The move was highly controversial. Several professors complained that the medical students were not learning the basic sciences adequately. In 2003, the curriculum format combined elements of both traditional (lecture-based) and problem-based methods.Contrary to what was expected as a decline in the quality of the learning of students by some faculty members the first and second batches of PBL trained physicians garnered a 92 & 96% passing percentages, respectively. This data complemented the 10 year study on outcome improvements using PBL conducted at Harvard School of Medicine from 1994 to 2004.

The Faculty is distinct from other medical schools in its policy of requiring graduating students to undergo a series of written and oral exams known as the revalida, a qualifying examination prior to graduation practiced since 1871. In the oral exams, groups of three students each are questioned by panels composed of three professors on basic, clinical, and emergency medical sciences. Passing the revalida is a prerequisite to graduation. Medical school graduates qualify to take the licensure exams for physicians conducted by the Board of Medicine, and under the control and supervision of the Professional Regulation Commission of the Philippines.