philippines for mbbs

philippines for mbbs

UPHSD University of Perpetual Help System DALTA

The University of Perpetual Help System DALTA believes and invokes Divine Guidance in the betterment of the quality of life through national development and transformation, which are predicated upon the quality of education of its people. Towards this end, the Institution is committed to the ideals of teaching, community service and research as it nurtures the value of “Helpers of God”, with “Character Building is Nation Building” as its guiding principle.

On May 18, 2017, CHED through the Chairman, Dr. Patricia Licuanan conferred upon the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA Las Piñas Campus the Autonomous Status. This recognition was received by UPHSD President Anthony Moran Tamayo during the awarding ceremony for higher education institutions and quality assurance partners in celebration of the 23rd founding anniversary of CHED.

Today, UPHSD is continuing its efforts to achieve its objective of maintaining and sustaining excellence in education. It has instituted an extensive network of national and international linkages in higher education and business.

The University of Perpetual Help System DALTA continuously subscribes to the institutional philosophy that national development and transformation is predicated upon the quality of education of its people. It is committed to the ideals of teaching, community service and research, with “Character Building is Nation Building” as its guiding principle.

University of Perpetual Help system dalta

Vision

The University of Perpetual Help System DALTA shall emerge as a premier university in the Philippines. It shall provide a venue for the pursuit of excellence in academics, technology and research through local and international linkages.

The University shall take the role of a catalyst for human development. It shall inculcate Christian values and Catholic doctrine, as a way of strengthening the moral fiber of the Filipino, a people who are “Helpers of God”, proud of their race and prepared for the exemplary global participation in the sciences, arts, humanities, sports and business.

It foresees the Filipino people enjoying a quality of life in abundance, living in peace and building a nation that the next generation will nourish, cherish and value.

Mission

The UNIVERSITY OF PERPETUAL HELP SYSTEM DALTA is dedicated to the development of the Filipino as a leader. It aims to graduate dynamic students who are physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually committed to the achievement of the highest quality of life.

As a system of Service in health and in education, it is dedicated to the formation of Christ-centered, service-oriented and research-driven individuals with great social concern and commitment to the delivery of quality education and health care.

It shall produce Perpetualites as “Helpers of God” – a vital ingredient to nation building.

THE CURRICULUM PRIOR TO CHANGE

A. External Factors

Medical education, perhaps more than at any other time, faces pressures for change in response to the rapid development in medical and health care delivery, advances in information technology, globalization influencing medicine and education, changing political and public expectations, demands from within the profession and developments on how we look at teaching and learning. The vision of a transformative education is: All health professional is all countries should be education to mobilize knowledge and to engage in critical reasoning and ethical conduct so that they are competent to participate in patient and population – centered health systems as members of locally and globally connected teams (Lancet, 2010).

National Movement for Reform in Medical Education

Implementation of Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) is now the main thrust of the Philippine Higher Education Institution’s (HEI’s) to compete with the regional and global academic field, on the premise that they are able to offer quality degree programs that meet world-class standards and produce graduates with life-long learning competencies. In addition, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) supported the development of HEI’s into mature institutions by engaging them in the process of promoting a culture of quality. This was based on a shared understanding of quality and that CHED encouraged institutional flexibility of HEI’s in translating policies into programs and systems that lead to quality outcomes, assessed and enhanced within their respective internal quality assurance (QA) system. The starting point of QA is the articulation of the desired quality outcomes, set within the context of the HEI’s Vision, Mission and Goals (VMG).

The VMG can be stated in operational terms as the HEI’s institutional outcomes (i.e. attributes of ideal graduates and desired impact on society) that would serve as the foundation for the development of a proper learning environment (i.e. teaching-learning and support systems). It is important to note that the learning environment needs to be focused on developing the attributes of the HEI’s ideal graduates.

CHED’s definition of OBE is: an approach that focuses and organizes the educational system around what is essential for all learners to know, value, and be able to do, in order to achieve the desired level of competence. Thus, this kind of teaching-learning system will have its appropriate assessment of student performance.

CHED is also adopting an outcomes-based approach to assessment (monitoring and evaluation) because of its potential to greatly increase both the efficiency and effectiveness of higher education. This is to demonstrate that our achievement of outcomes matches international norms.

The Philippine Qualification Framework (PQF) was designed to make our system more aligned with these norms, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Qualification Reference Framework.

B. Internal Forces

JFSM’s curriculum was reviewed internally four separate times during the decade prior to the initiation of the OBE curriculum. First, after four years of the Flexner Model, The Academy spearheaded the initiation of the Synchronized model in 2000 with the modifications in strategies based on yearly feedbacks and evaluations from students and faculty. This was also the time when Problem-Based Learning (PBL) strategies were on the rise; however, JFSM could only utilize hybrid representations of PBL.

The second time was when JFSM had to spell out the competencies expected of its graduates in terms of knowledge, skills and attitude in 2010. During this time, results of yearly feedbacks focusing on greater clinical correlations and more objective evaluations in both the basic and clinical (OSCE) science were also being implemented. In 2013, using the self-study instrument of the Association of Philippine Medical School, the status of JFSM and the competency –based curriculum it was implementing, was presented by the newly appointed Dean.

The presentation was successfully delivered based on the objective assessment of the following 8 key areas: Curriculum and Instruction, Faculty, Students, Physical Plant, Library, Research, Administration and Clinical Training /Service Facilities. This was the third time that the curriculum was reviewed internally. Later in 2014 up to 2015, most medical schools were gearing up to transforming their curriculum to Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) as a result of the main thrust o Philippine Higher Education Institution, CHED and APMC.

Seminar-workshops on OBE were being conducted nationwide orienting and guiding medical school representatives in planning and designing their respective OBE curriculum with emphasis on what kind of graduate they wanted to produce. This was the fourth time in its two decades of existence that the curriculum of JFSM was revisited, reviewed and redesigned.

All in all, these curriculum reviews made a number of recurring recommendations for change:

FOUNDATIONS FOR CHANGE

Changes are always occurring, and the question is: whether to ignore changes while hoping for the best; observe changes and respond to them; or anticipate changes and plan prospectively for them. It’s like being startled by an animal. Whether one goes back, stands still or goes forward-depending on how fearsome or big the animal is.

In medical education, many external forces are big and most internal force is relatively harmless although annoying. But we find ourselves in a challenging era. Faculty face a dilemma: the easiest course of action is to let others make changes in response to new forces and then try and pick the best of their changes. It is much more challenging to be a leader for change. Planning for and implementing change provide an opportunity to be flexible, to adapt to ever-changing external forces, and to remain relevant.

Some of the major issues prompting us to move forward were these:

In most of the discussions, the following arguments for curricular change began to be defined:

Following these efforts was a statement of JFSM’s guiding mantra essential for the OBE curriculum, which was used as a focal point of reference for the elements to be incorporated in the substance of the curriculum. JFSM’s guiding mantra involved: Self, Society and being answerable to a Supreme Being specifically emphasized its mission statement as the 3s: JFSM is dedicated to developing a professionally competent and holistic healer (SELF), socially responsive to the needs of humanity (SOCIETY) and imbued with moral, ethical and spiritual values (answerable to a SUPREME BEING).

In consonance with the goal of medical education which is to prepare broadly educated, responsible physicians capable for pursuing postgraduate medical education in any clinical discipline and/or pursuing a career in medically related research, it is essential that every JFSM student should be proficient in:

PROCESS OF CHANGE

By early 2014, the Curriculum arm of the Academy started a series of seminar-workshops on OBE involving the Basic Sciences departments initially, then the Clinical Science departments. Dissemination of information had been gradual and repetitive for faculty and student representatives to imbibe the significance and need to institute modifications or changes in the existing curriculum.

Resistance may have been present in the beginning but patience and perseverance in presenting the need for JFSM to address both external and internal forces surrounding the OBE curriculum, faculty and students gradually embraced the necessity. Various strategies were included in the instructional design and evaluations focused on the objectives stated. Also, disaster-preparedness was emphasized in applicable areas since this was the essence of a JFSM graduate.

DESIGNING THE OBE CURRICULUM

  1. A first important change was the initiation of the effort to move from the traditional curriculum, although synchronized and competency-based, with its sharp demarcation between the basic and clinical science to a graduated, OBE curriculum in which basic and clinical science are represented throughout the four years with emphasis on the JFSM disaster-preparedness graduate. This process involved instituting disaster-preparedness sessions in different courses namely; Preventive Medicine and Community Health, Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery, etc. It also involved strategies which would carry Basic and Clinical Science education all throughout the four years;
  2. The second step was to increase students’ exposure to communities, facilities for geriatrics and cancer patients as well as providing additional out-patient experiences in clinical core course;
  3. A third step was to institute an orientation or immersion process for the student to be acquainted with the different areas in the hospital (ICU, ER, wards, specialty clinics, OPS, triage, etc.) as early as the second year.
  4. Fourth was to institute modular formats where applicable and utilize self-instructional materials/modules;
  5. Fifth, evaluation of faculty and courses were standardized in order to identify issues in a manner to which The Academy could respond. Faculty development thus, is essential and the OBE program of the Academy was made the cornerstone of faculty training and education program;
  6. Sixth, topics relevant to medical practice but were not found in the previous curriculum were to be incorporated into the four-year program such as: Professionalism and Ethics; Patient Safety and Disaster-Preparedness; Service and Empathy, Geriatrics and Nutrition.

The Dean’s office relevant to medical practice but were not found in the previous curriculum change. It includes support staff and faculty to help create and present the new OBE curriculum, assess it, and support interdisciplinary courses and central services. There is a budget for these functions. Prior to this, little attention was given to identifying the budget for education.

The process of curriculum reform is not an easy task. Meetings and forums seem, at times, interminable. They occur among students, faculty, administration, coordinators, The Academy and chairs.

Benefits of Studying at UPHSD

Quality of Education Program.

The University of Perpetual Help has been providing quality education for the past 45 years by continuously enhancing its academic programs as it paves the journey of tomorrow’s leaders. Students are surrounded by an environment that encourages proficiency in their chosen fields. As a result, the University boasts of board topnotchers and graduates who excel in their chosen careers. As proof of Perpetual Help’s investments on standardizing and internationalizing its curricula, the University has received several awards from the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) in recognition of its excellence in education.

Highly Competent and Caring Faculty and Administrators

From justices to admirals, our faculty is a diverse group of educators, professors, industry professionals, and prominent personalities in the country. They are not just teachers but also mentors and consultants who nurture students to develop their full potential.

Modern Equipment and facilities

The University continually updates its modern facilities and equipment to prepare students with the required skills for evolving industry needs.

Local and International Affiliations

The University has established local and international linkages with prestigious institutions to further enhance the skills, competencies, and professional network of our globally competitive students to help them jumpstart their careers here and abroad.

Convenient Locations

Our campuses in Las Piñas, Molino, and Calamba are strategically located along major thoroughfares in their respective cities which makes them accessible to all types of transportation and convenient for students, parents, and faculty.

Vibrant Social Community

The Perpetual community offers plenty of experiences beyond what take place solely in a classroom. Students can choose from a number of school organizations that address a varied range of interests. Whether it’s getting involved with the Students Council, performing with the Perpetual Street Dance, or playing basketball with the Perpetual Altas, campus life at Perpetual Help has something for everyone.

JONELTA Foundation

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Students entering the JONELTA Foundation School of Medicine today will have a very different educational experience from that of students who entered two decades ago. In response to globalization moves, calls for change from numerous accreditation and national organizations, societal needs and an internal recognition of growth opportunities, JFSM has made many important and far-reaching changes in governance, organization, curriculum and strategies.

Implementing innovations in teaching format and programs, it aims to develop, recognize and reward its faculty. These changes have produced an increase in Licensure passing rates and a more active, meaningful and responsive learning environment.

WHAT ARE THE INNOVATIONS?

JFSM faculty and students today have a greater awareness of the health needs of the population we serve – the Southern Metro Manila area. This awareness, coupled with our desire to serve, have compelled the faculty and administrators to strive to design an Outcomes Based Curriculum producing a Disaster Prepared Medical graduate since its teaching hospital, the University of Perpetual Help DALTA Medical Center is the first Armed Force of the Philippines (AFP) Reserve Hospital, south of Metro Manila. Clinical and community experiences now occur early in the curriculum in order to correlate the Basic Science in relation to disease processes.

To support active, lifelong learning, we have woven small group problem-solving, case-based learning, disaster-preparedness workshops, vignettes and journal reports into the curriculum. Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Empathy, Ethics and Professionalism, and Service and Altruism are emphasized in the values aspect of the curriculum.

Curriculum reform also resulted in strengthening the medical education unit, The Academy. It spearheaded all efforts to design the curriculum in a new way and has spurred the faculty to a new level of excitement about education. Its programs are geared towards enhancing medical student learning, improving faculty teaching skills and demonstrating that we value the teaching-learning process.

WHAT ARE THE INNOVATIONS EXPETED TO ACCOMPLISH?

JFSM faculty and students today have a greater awareness of the health needs of the population we serve – the Southern Metro Manila area. This awareness, coupled with our desire to ser JFSM’s educational goal is to develop the complete physician, who is disaster-prepared, a professionally competent and holistic healer, socially responsive to the needs of humanity, and imbued with moral, ethical and spiritual values.

The innovations are designed and incorporated in the curriculum enabling our students to grasp the concept of Disaster Preparedness, acquire new scientific knowledge in the context of patient’s health needs, allowing them to communicate with their patients about health issues concerning them, and to respond to societal need.

It is hoped that these innovations will encourage our students to be active lifelong learners incorporating new knowledge into their medical practice as well as offer pedagogical training to the faculty, while emphasizing values education.

We, have compelled the faculty and administrators to strive to design an Outcomes Based Curriculum producing a Disaster Prepared Medical graduate since its teaching hospital, the University of Perpetual Help DALTA Medical Center is the first Armed Force of the Philippines (AFP) Reserve Hospital, south of Metro Manila. Clinical and community experiences now occur early in the curriculum in order to correlate the Basic Science in relation to disease processes.

To support active, lifelong learning, we have woven small group problem-solving, case-based learning, disaster-preparedness workshops, vignettes and journal reports into the curriculum. Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Empathy, Ethics and Professionalism, and Service and Altruism are emphasized in the values aspect of the curriculum.

Curriculum reform also resulted in strengthening the medical education unit, The Academy. It spearheaded all efforts to design the curriculum in a new way and has spurred the faculty to a new level of excitement about education. Its programs are geared towards enhancing medical student learning, improving faculty teaching skills and demonstrating that we value the teaching-learning process.

WHAT ARE THE KNOWN EFFECTS OF THE INNOVATIONS?

 The JFSM medical graduate will be prepared for disasters that may strike our country, community or area, more knowledgeable about the services available to patients in the community as a result of their exposure to these services, more involved in reaching out to the community through various activities especially during disasters, more attuned to contemporary medical issues incorporated in the OBE curriculum and more adept at passing the Physicians’ Licensure Examination. In addition, faculty will have a sustained and renewed interest in medical education through the Academy.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

The need for a medical school to serve students south of Metro Manila, coupled by the imposing presence of the University of Perpetual Help DALTA Medical Center as a premiere tertiary center, gave birth to the medical institution which we now call JONELTA Foundation School of Medicine. In June 1996, it was initially an extension of the Perpetual Help Foundation of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, and was then known as the Perpetual Help College of Medicine Rizal (Extension School), with Dr. Aretas S. Alday as its founding dean.

On April 20, 1997, the Perpetual Help System Campuses in Binan, Calamba, Las Pinas, Malasigui, Manila and Molino became the University of Perpetual Help System. Hence, the medical institution was granted permission to operate by the Commission on Higher Education on November 7, 1997.

On July 8, 1999, the University of Perpetual Help Rizal Las Pinas was granted government recognition to offer the course leading to the degree international recognition by virtue of its inclusion in the WHO Directory of Medical Schools and the AVICENNA Directory of Medical Schools. In November 2009, it was granted affiliation by the Affiliated Institute of Medical Education (AIME) of Chicago, Illinois for its students to rotate during their Clinical Clerkship in any of its affiliated hospitals. On July 5, 2013, Dr. Harivelle Charmaine T. Hernando, Chir of the Academy, succeeded Dean Alday.

The vision of JFSM is: The Jonelta Foundation School of Medicine, believing that Christian character building through quality education is nation building, aspires to be an outstanding center of excellence in medical education, training, and research and community service committed to the achievement of the highest quality of life.

The goals of JFSM are: 1.) To develop the complete physician, instilled with values geared towards health promotion and disaster preparedness; 2.) To enhance faculty development through sustained and relevant learning programs cascaded to the studentry; 3.) To contribute to the upliftment of the community through relevant and viable health service, with significant impact to society.

Spearheaded by its medical education unit known as The Academy, JFSM boasts of highly qualified, competent and experience faculty which continuously adapts its curriculum to the changing times. The Academy, through its on-going programs-Pedagogy, Mentoring, Outcomes-Based Education, Mock Board Examinations, Seminars I & II, Refresher Modules, prepares the road map and propels faculty and students to achieve the institutional objectives.

Over the years JFSM has produced graduates who have made significant contributions to the health care delivery system in the Philippines and abroad. This commitment continues up to the present.