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Inside Out: University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM)

Inside Out: University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM)


written by: Jervey Vergara

Application Process

The UP College of Medicine (UPCM) has relatively few requirements. UPCM only requires:

            - Accomplished application forms

            - Application fee of PhP 1,500

            - Original transcript of records

            - Four 2x2 pictures

            - Certified true copy of PSA birth certificate*

            - Latest true copy of income tax returns (ITR) of both parents*

            - Original and photocopy of NMAT result*

            - Long brown envelope

               * photocopy is acceptable provided the original is shown

    In my experience, the most tedious requirement to acquire are the ITRs. So, better to prepare them beforehand. These are usually acquired from the employer. If in case your parent/s is/are self-employed, unemployed, or has a salary below the tax deduction cut-off, they can provide a certificate of non-filing, which can be acquired from BIR. If under other special cases, you can always ask the admissions office on what to submit. It is good to note that the UPCM does not require prerequisite subjects or units of life sciences. So even if you came from undergraduate programs with less units of subjects in the NMAT, you are still eligible to apply.

    The admissions has no online platform or online applications. You will need to submit a physical copy of the form which you can only get after paying the application fee. This can be a bit tedious as you need to come to UPCM at least twice. So, it is better to really double check your requirements before submitting them. The cashier where you can pay for your application is located on another building which is a block away from the College of Medicine. This can be time-consuming especially if you are not familiar with the UP Manila area.

    The application process takes two screening processes. Applicants will be screened before the interview process. So, not all will be interviewed and will be considered for admissions. After the interviews, the highest ranking applicants based on their GWAs, NMAT, and interview scores will be qualified for admissions. Only around 140 applicants are accepted and admitted in UPCM. Aspiring medical students from the provinces may also apply through the Regionalization Program (RP). This will have additional requirements and a different interview process compared to the regular lateral admissions.

 

Tuition Fee

    Since UP Manila is a state university, the tuition fee is subsidized by the government. Although, there are still fees to pay, they are relatively less expensive than other medical schools especially private schools. In general, students have to pay for the tuition fee which costs PhP 1,500 per unit and other miscellaneous fees. For Learning Unit III (LU III) or first year med in UPCM, the total amount to be paid is around PhP 50,649.50 per semester.

    The aforementioned amount is for Bracket A students with no tuition discounts. All students can apply for the Socialized Tuition Subsidy (STS) which can a grant a student tuition discounts depending on the bracket they will be classified based on the income and socio-economic characteristics of their households.

            Bracket A = PhP 1,500 per unit

            Bracket B = PhP 1,000 per unit

            Bracket C = PhP 600 per unit

            Bracket D = PhP 300 per unit

            Bracket E1 = Free tuition, miscellaneous and lab fees

            Bracket E2 = Free tuition, miscellaneous and lab fees + monthly stipend

    For the past three years (from AY 2017-2018 to 2019-2020), UCPM is one of the eight state universities and college that received tuition subsidies under the Cash Grant to Medical Students in State Universities and Colleges (CGMS-SUCs) of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). This covered 100% of the tuition fee for those academic years. We only paid around PhP 7,000 per semester. Although the CGMS-SUCs continues next year (AY 2020 - 2021), this is not permanent and is yearly coordinated with CHED. So, there may be changes in the succeeding years.

    UPCM also bridges students to other scholarship grants such as several private scholarships and the DOH Scholarship. This can be inquired in the Committee on Scholarships, Honors & Awards once admitted.

NMAT Score 

The percentile rank cut-off for UPCM is 90.

School Address

Pedro Gil Street, Taft Ave, Ermita, Manila, 1000 Metro Manila

 Scholarships available that you know of

see tuition fees

 What is it like in your school? The culture, socials...

                            one of our SGDs

    A lot of UCPM students go beyond academics as there are many opportunities for the them to engage with. There are many organizations that cater to different interests of students. There are also different college and university-wide activities such as:

     Tao Rin Pala (TRP) - what was once an inter-class chorale competition as a response to the censorship and social climate of Martial Law, TRP has evolved to a variety show that gathers the whole UPCM and PGH community.

   Mediscene - an inter-class competition where UPCM students have the opportubity to write, produce, and perform an original screenplay based on a given theme.

            Medisings - an inter-class singing competition

            FATE - an inter-class battle of the bands

            Himedsikan - an inter-class sporting event (i.e., basketball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, futsal)

            Bakbakan - a university-wide sports league

         Lantern Parade - a university-wide lantern-making competition which is also an annual Christmas celebration in UP Manila

UPCM is also active in several inter-med school competitions and activities such as the Medgroove and Medrhythmia, which is an inter-medschool dance and chorale competition, respectively, and Palarong Medisina, an inter-medschool sports league.

 

Whats the system of teaching in your school, your school's forte. What's unique in your school?

First dissection day
    UPCM has a different curriculum compared to most medical schools in the Philippines. Unlike most med schools where anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, etc. are taken up as separate subjects, they are integrated in the context of organ systems. In the Organ System Integrated Medical Curriculum (OSI) of UPCM, the subjects are separated in organ systems. For example, OS 203 is for Skin, Muscles and Bones, so all the anatomy, physiology and biochemistry related to the skin, muscles, and bones are tackled here. Our subjects are also mostly not simultaneous and do not span the whole semesters. For example, we focus only on OS 203 for a few weeks before we move on to OS 204, a different subject tackling the head and neck. The only subject that encompasses the whole semester for the first year, first sem is OS 201, which tackles human cell biology and biochemistry. In addition, clinics are integrated as early as first year in UPCM as part of the OSI. We have had patient encounters and ward works since the first semester of our first year.

    Regarding examinations, we don’t have the usual midterm examinations. Since our subjects span only a few weeks, examinations are given within that time frame. Number of examinations also vary depending on the subject. In general, we can have exams every other week or as much as two exams per week. In UPCM, you can also be exempted from taking the finals, depending on the criteria for exemption of the subject. Professors also do not give out quizzes and homework often, but expect a group output for almost every subject.

 

What do you like most about your school?

    The values and principles UPCM upholds and passes on to future physicians is what I like most about my school. UPCM intends to produce excellent and compassionate doctors serving the underserved. These values and the goal of serving the people are always reiterated by our professors, who do not only lead by words but also by example. Learning from brilliant and kind physicians is really inspiring. Although, I must admit that it gives me the pressure to do better because of the standard they set, but at the end of the day the standard set is always for our future patients.

How is the lifestyle in your school? Food, utilities, accessibility of transpo

    This may be probably one of the biggest cons in UPCM. There are not a lot of affordable and good and healthy food options around. Unfortunately, UPCM has no cafeteria. Although there are a few cariderias in the vicinity, viands are the same everyday. The best, varied food options are in Robinson’s Place Manila which is very near to UPCM. However, food options here may be a bit pricey. UPCM is quite accessible in terms of transportation especially UV express and jeepneys. It is also near Taft avenue if you wish to ride the LRT. For utitlities, you can easily buy them in Robinson’s.

    Another con to consider is that there are a few accessible, affordable housing options around the vicinity. There are really few dormitories and apartments around. Although there are a good number of condominiums, these can be really expensive. There are two dormitories inside UP Manila, however slots may be limited.

 How bearable is your med school?

Last day of dissections 
with my cadmates (cadaver maters)
    Med school is difficult. Standards will be set really high, and sometimes even though you have exerted twice as much effort as before, you might still end up short from your desired results. Celebrate each milestone, no matter how little it may be, such as a good exam score, a first patient encounter, your first and last dissection day, etc.  Always hold on to your “whys” and your reasons why you pursued medicine. In addition, find a good support system in your class who can be with you in every struggle and celebrations. These can make med school bearable. It is also a good thing that UPCM really tries to reach out to students who find a difficult time in their subjects. As much as possible, UPCM does not want to fail or delay students in their med journey. However, sometimes, difficulties are beyond the bounds of schools and are ingrained in the the whole system, which in our case our struggling healthcare system.

 

Do you regret choosing your school?

    No. Let’s face it, medical education is really expensive, and practicality-wise, UPCM offers quality education with less expenses. That’s one less thing to worry about. Moreover, the experience you will gain and the number of lives you will be able to help in PGH is priceless. There may be several shortcomings from UPCM, I don’t regret choosing this school.



 
first day in white uniform in front of "Lady Med" 
replica of Jose Rizal's Triumph of Science over Death

Read the other features on this medical school series:


and also a feature on how to ace NMAT:


Hi to all! My friend, Caryl, who I recently featured about her self-studying journey for NMAT here in my blog is selling cookies to help pay her lolo's hospital bill who is currently in the ICU at Providence Hospital. If you are interested in buying, just send her a message on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/cstllcryl) All your help would be appreciated! ( ◜‿◝ )♡



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