Inside Out: de La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute (DLSMHSI)
Most students set on entering medical school have a variety of schools in mind come application period. I, however, only had two.
It was either the University I will be graduating from – University of Santo Tomas, or the Institute I heard so much about – de La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute. One has been recognized as one of the best Medical schools in the country, while the latter showed a lot of promise – climbing up the ranks step by step. I remember thinking that either would work fine with me, especially since I already did what I could, and it was now up to fate to take me where I was meant to go.
Turns out, I was meant to end up in Dasmariñas,
Cavite.
The application process was quite simple. All
we had to do was fill up an online form, pay the Php 2,000 application fee,
then send the requirements to the Office of Admissions via email. The
requirements are, as follows: (1) NMAT result (they require at least a score on
the 80th percentile), (2) Transcript of Records/Certification of
Grades, (3) PSA Birth Certificate, (4) Certificate of GWA/GPA, (5)
Certification of Recommendation from a previous professor, (6) 2x2 color
pictures in white background, (7) Certificate of Graduation, (8) proof of
payment for the application fee, and (9) a notarized sworn statement. An
additional requirement for people who wouldn’t be able to go to the campus for
the interview (those who live in Visayas or Mindanao, for example) would be
your Skype ID. After this, all you’d have to do is wait for the email regarding
your interview schedule.
My email came about a week after I passed my
requirements, with the interview set two weeks later. The interview itself will
be held in the Dean’s Office of the College of Medicine, with a faculty from
the said college as your interviewer. My experience with the interview was
simple enough, the interviewer was straight to the point and we finished
quickly. I got my acceptance letter via email a week after.
There are several scholarships available for
medical students in DLSMHSI. The Entrance Scholarship is automatically
given to incoming students who graduated with Latin honors in their undergraduate
program. The Special Entrance Scholarship, on the other hand, is
automatically given to incoming students who graduated from DLSMHSI and became
a top-notcher in their respective Licensure Exams. Another is the Dean’s
Scholarship Award, which is given to incoming students who have both high
NMAT and undergraduate grades. An academic scholarship is given to
students with no grade lower than 83 in all their classes, and who have a
general weighted average of at least 87% and above during their current stay. A
Financial Scholarship is given to incoming and current students who are
in need of financial assistance. The Service Scholarship, on the other
hand, is given to varsity players or choral members recommended by the Director
for Institutional Sports and Performing Arts and officers of The Student
Affairs’ Accredited Institutional Organizations. Another scholarship is the Brother
President Scholarship Grant through Individual Sponsorships, which is given
to incoming students who are Latin awardees in their undergraduate programs and
are also in need of financial assistance. A St. La Salle Medical Education
Benefit is given to children of DLSMHSI employees who wish to enroll to the
institution. Another option for students is an Externally Funded Scholarship.
Because the campus is in what is usually
considered a “province,” people think it’s not as accessible as other cities.
However, there are a lot of buses available that’d take you straight to
Dasmariñas and back. It’s much less of a hassle for me because I live about 30
minutes away from campus, and there are a lot of UV Express available that
would take me straight to Alabang from Dasmariñas. In addition, there are also
a lot of jeeps that pass by our campus, you’d just have to know which one to
take for you to get to where you want to go.
There are four dormitories/condominiums to
choose from that’s really near the campus. One is Dormbuilt, which is within
the campus itself. Then there’s Villa Nicasia, which is what you would call a
“dorm village,” as it has numerous dorms within its gates. Then there’s also
Villa Isabel, which is another subdivision – although it’s not as near as the
other dorms I mentioned. And, there’s One Dasma Place, where I currently
reside. It’s across the street from Villa Nicasia and has food stalls in its
ground floor. For other food options, there are numerous carinderias in the
vicinity, and there’s also Antler’s Square right across the campus, which
houses Kenny Rogers, Army Navy, YellowCab, and Starbucks. There’s also a
McDonald’s across the hospital, if you’re craving for some iced coffee and
French fries. For places inside the campus, there’s also a handful of places
you can choose from. There’s Pancake House and Café France in front of the
hospital, then there’s Café Verde (our canteen) in front of the library, and
there’s other places you can buy food from near Dormbuilt.
The tuition fee came to me as a shock at first,
as I had not expected it to reach Php 300,000 pesos. Though, it is important to
note that this tuition fee is inclusive of both semesters already. And, well,
as I started my journey in the institution, I started to see where our tuition
was being spent on. Our college uses technology on a day-to-day basis, and
our equipment is up to date. Instead of microscopes for our Histology
sessions, we use a special computer program that mimics an actual microscope
and aids us to have an easier and precise learning experience. In addition, we
also have an Anatomage Table in our Anatomy Department, which is a 3D
anatomy software that features a digital cadaver. We usually use this for
laboratory discussions and recitations alongside our dissecting sessions. Also,
all of our exams are paperless – we all take them on a computer in our Health
Informatics Laboratory. To assure complete honesty from the students, all of
the professors from the specific department proctor our exams, and we have an
application that prohibits us from opening anything else aside from the exam we
are taking. But of course, what brings home the bacon would surely be our
amazing library.
I remember my first time on campus on the day
of my interview. The first building I immediately noticed was the library. Its
beautiful exterior reflects its astounding features. The medicine section alone
looks like a coffee shop with endless amounts of medical books to choose from.
Not to mention the library also has numerous small rooms you can use for small
group discussions. And – wait for it – there’s an art gallery on the higher
floors which features some of Dr. Ariniego’s collection! You can even ask for a
tour of the art gallery, if you really want to. I’m pretty sure the art gallery
is one of my favorite spots in campus despite only having gone there twice.
If I were asked what my school’s forte was, I would probably say its facilities. Our school prides itself in its up-to-date technology. The technology we have goes hand in hand with our lectures, and it ultimately helps us make the most out of every lesson. It also provides us with a variety of ways to learn complex topics.
As to how we actually learn, we have about 2-5
lectures a day, each lecture can span from about an hour and a half to four
hours. We study subjects per module, and we take exams every time we finish a
module. So essentially, we have exams every week or two. While some would think
of it as a burden, I’m thankful for it. At least, this way, we wouldn’t have to
cram multiple modules worth of information for just one exam. In addition, we
also have semestral exams for some of our subjects which encompasses all of the
modules studied in the semester. In order to review well, each department
usually gives us access to our past exams on the school website. Also, for
every exam, we usually get our scores within the same day, and some professors
even include explanations for each answer. So, if you get something wrong, you
get to understand why. And if you have questions about a specific item, you can
usually bring it up for the professor to check back on. Aside from these, most
of the professors are usually approachable so if ever you have questions, you
can go to them straight away. All these make Medical School all the more
bearable for me.
Most of our lectures are done as a whole batch,
with 318 students in one auditorium listening to our professor. But our
laboratory sessions are divided by section, with two sections in each batch.
For example, while Section A is in Anatomy lab in the morning, Section B will
have Biochemistry Lab. Then, they’ll switch in the afternoon. Furthermore, each
section is divided into 20 groups, with about 7-8 members each. This group will
be the group you’ll do most, if not all, group activities with. Basically, they’ll
be your family for the first year. You’ll go through the year’s toughest
moments with that bunch, so it’s really best to hold them close! We also had an
overnight retreat, and we went with our groups so that helped us all grow
closer. Although, they’ll be changing up groupings come second year, which is
honestly sad.
Some photos with my group, 17A!
We also had various events throughout the year. One of my favorites would have to be “JFT” or “Just for Two Nights,” which is a two-day event held with lots of fun activities such as a pageant and a batch production! You’ll be competing against the other batches, so make sure to give it your all!
Another thing I really liked was our Perspectives
in Medicine course. It’s essentially a class we have that features
different speakers talking about diverse subjects that’s not usually taught in
a normal setting. For example, we had a speaker talk to us about Health
Economics, and another talked about Systems Thinking in Medicine. Aside from
these sessions, we also had Simulation Sessions where we were taught clinical
skills as early as freshman year. Some of our sessions involved real volunteers
as our patients, and Doctors were there to guide us through the sessions. We
had one where we learned how to do a Basic Vascular Examination, and another
where we learned how to insert an NGT.
For even more guidance in Medicine, the school
assigns us to doctors who will be our mentors for our whole stay in Med School.
We have set Mentor-Mentee Meetings every month, and we also make portfolios
that’ll help us track our progress throughout the year. My mentor is a
pediatrician, and she’s a very nice lady and a great doctor. She always checks
up on me and makes sure I’m doing great, which is honestly something I appreciate
very much.
Despite all the great things I’ve mentioned
about our institution, it’s also important to take note that it is still
Med School, and it is still as hard as it could be. Yes, our resources
and our different ways of learning help me greatly, but that doesn’t erase the
fact that Medical School in itself is difficult. To survive, you really
do have to have the drive, the discipline, and the motivation to keep pushing
even though there are numerous challenges along the way.
Good luck, Future MD!
Kathryn Libago
Written by: Kathryn Libago
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Furthermore, the assumptions, views, and opinions made by the writer of this blog does not reflect those of the medical institution and its management nor does it intend to degrade and offend the medical institution or medical student. It is only used for educational and recreational purposes.
Medical School Series claims no credit for any images from the medical institution and management except those of the authors and writer's personal images featured on this site unless otherwise noted. All visual content is copyright to its respectful owners.
Information on this site may contain errors or inaccuracies; we do not make warranty as to the correctness or reliability of the site’s content. If you own rights to any of the images, and do not wish them to appear on this site, please contact me via e-mail, and they will be promptly removed.
The views expressed here are solely those of the authors in his/her private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of the medical institution and its management.
Furthermore, the assumptions, views, and opinions made by the writer of this blog does not reflect those of the medical institution and its management nor does it intend to degrade and offend the medical institution or medical student. It is only used for educational and recreational purposes.
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