Inside Out: Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Inside Out: Saint Louis University School of Medicine
written by: Alehx Garay
Application process
All
the requirements for the School of Medicine are in their website (see picture
and link below) and I encourage those who are planning to apply to get them
ready by January of the year you plan to apply because I think SLU has one of
the earliest deadlines for submission of forms and they only give up to one and
a half months for submission of application forms. Once you’ve submitted all
your requirements, you will be given a permit to pay 460.00 php for the
Application form.
https://www.slu.edu.ph/admission/medicine/
If you
did not take your undergraduate course at SLU, get ready to climb up and down.
Bring lots of water because this process can be exhausting. The Dean’s office
is at the 5th floor while the cashier is near the school’s lobby; so
you’ll be burning lots of calories! After paying for the application form, you
have to head back to the 5th floor to fill up the form. After
submitting the form to the secretary, you will again be given a permit to pay
3,330.00 php to cover the application processing fee. Pay for the permit,
return it to the secretary and that’s it! All you have to do is wait for a text
from the Dean’s secretary regarding your interview schedule.
The
screening will be based on your General Weighted Average (better chance of
admission of no failures form undergrad), your NMAT score and the interview. During
the interview, better to come in a semi-formal attire, be prepared on the
possible questions to be asked and speak English especially if your interviewer
is the dean. I was asked “Why do you want to become a doctor?”, “Why did you
choose Nursing as your undergrad course?” my interviewer made me feel
comfortable. Pero be prepared kasi I heard from my batch mates that some
doctors ask questions about ethical dilemmas, etc. Interview lasted about 10-15
minutes.
Tuition
108k-110k
(for S.Y. 2020-2021) for first years. Pag labas ng list and you’re in it,
you’ll be asked to pay for a reservation fee of atleast 40% of your tuition fee
(SLU increases 5% of tuition fee every school year) and the rest should be paid
upon enrollment. So before you enter classes, your tuition fees
should be fully paid only for the first semester of the 1st year. 2nd-3rd year is 90k-100k.
NMAT Requirement
The
SLU website states 40 percentile but according to my batch mates, at least 70-80
percentile. If you have a lower GWA, make sure to have a higher NMAT score.
Address
Saint
Louis University – Main Campus
A. Bonifacio
Street 2600 Baguio City, Philippines.
Contact No.: (074)
442 2793
Scholarship
Nellie
Kellog Scholarship, which covers 100% of tuition fee, rent and transportation
allowance of 9,000php per semester, book allowance of 5,000php per year, med
kit allowance of 3,000php for the whole 4 years and research allowance of
5,000php; all these are applicable only for first year medical students and maintaining
grade for all subjects is 80.
There
is also financial assistance program under the Nellie Kellog Scholarship, 100%
of tuition fee will be covered but there will be no allowances from the grant,
2nd year up to 4th year medical students may apply, also
with 80 as the maintaining grade for all subjects.
What’s it like in your school? Culture, Socials
SLU
School of Med only accepts 165 1st year medical students each school
year, so most probably you will get to know all of your classmates by the end
of the semester. Part of SLU SOM’s culture is close ties with our seniors.
During the freshmen orientation, our seniors endorse about extracurricular
activities, dos and don’ts, and they will be there to support and guide us.
Generally, nagtutulungan talaga buong
School of Med, from 1st to 4th
years at kahit mga Alumni pag kaylangan sila, tumutuog parin sila; but of course
di maiiwasan mga issues from one
batch to another or within the batch so be sure to elect the most suitable
person for the position.
There
are a LOT of extracurricular activities and the School of Medicine is very
competitive, be prepared to stay up until 1-2am making props or practicing. Naririnig namin ang ibang estudyante, “Yan
nanaman mga Med, mga adik manalo” it’s because we pour our hearts out every
time we participate in any activity; plus people always expect the best from
doctors/medical students.
Some of us are being forced to participate, siyempre yung iba sabi nila “Nag Med ako para mag-aral. Hindi para sumayaw, kumanta o gumawa ng props” I sometimes agree with this statement but a mentor told us “If you really want to be a doctor, nothing can stop you. Not even these extracurricular activities.” Then it hit me, these activities teach us to balance our time and to bring out the leaders in us.
What is the system of teaching, school’s forte? What is
unique?
Outcome-Based
Learning is SLU’s system of teaching. We are often given case studies per
subject; at least two per grading term per group and we get to present and
defend our answers. We are given cases from real life situations that our
professors have encountered during their time at the hospital then we answer
the guide questions given to us. These Case/Problem Based Learning Activities
play a big role on our grades and we are being taught that a good physician
should also be a good presenter.
For
Medicine, I think what’s very helpful is all 165 students are placed in 1
classroom during lectures so we all learn as one and if a question is brought
up, we will all be able to participate. We only split in blocks when we go to
our laboratory classes so our professors can better guide us during dissection,
experiments and group discussions.
Every
after quizzes, examinations or practicals, test questionnaires are given back
to us and each question is rationalized. Some of us find that the answer is not
the right answer, we show references that prove our answer is correct and our
professors are accepting of these corrections. Some of them even intentionally
say the wrong terms and encourage us to question them. I think it’s one of
their ways to evaluate if we are really learning.
I love
that the SLU School of Med encourages students to join medical missions and
outreach programs, kahit noong undergrad
pa madami nang medical mission ang SLU. This helps you be exposed on
patient encounters and practice skills. Organizations/clubs in SOM also does seminars
on bandaging, suturing, physical examination, etc.
We also
have kind, considerate and motivating professors, they do their best to produce
7 star physicians. We get scolded occasionally when they think we are not doing
our best, and most of the time they’re right. Kasi you can always push yourself harder kahit na akala mo you have
given it all.
How is the lifestyle in your school? Food, utilities,
accessibility of transpo
Baguio
City is a beautiful place, good climate and good food so nakakatanggal din ng stress pag sumilip ka sa labas tapos puro puno at
paglanghap mo fresh air diba. It helps a lot with the stress pero minsan dahil malamig, masarap matulog
HEHE. There are a lot of study hubs and restos you can choose from but for
me the best place to study is in the SLU Library or canteen, less gastos pa.
For
electricity, there are rotational brown outs for maintenance conducted by
BENECO (Benguet’s electricity supplier) and you’d be advised a week before.
Water supply depends on the place where you reside. We have lived in 3 houses
ever since we moved to Baguio, some have water tanks only wherein you have to
call for a water supplier to fill the tank because there is no water line yet,
but most of the areas in the city have a stable water supply. I advise that you
get an apartment/dorm near town especially if you live alone, it’s less hassle (of
course when physical classes resume).
Transportation
also depends on your part of the city. If you just live near town it’s easy to
get a jeep but if you live farther, you might have to wait in long lines for a
jeep - I have tried waiting 1-2 hours, so I just read while waiting in line.
Taxi is also an option and is not that expensive – for 5km is approximately 100-130php.
How bearable is your med school?
At
first I had a hard time, I think all of us did naman. I had no friends during the first day of classes because my
other batch mates who were also taking up med were in different schools, so I
wasn’t really sure what I was getting into - having no support system and study
buddies. Honestly, after prelims I told my parents that I was going to fail. Gusto ko nalang mag-stop at mag-review for
NLE tapos mag abroad (My back up plan). But my family’s support and
motivation is what kept me going.
We
have this buddy system wherein the 2nd years were paired with the 1st
years. My buddy was very helpful and shared with me study tips, tips on how
written and practical exams were given and whenever I ask for advice on a
subject he is always willing to help me kahit
toxic sched nila at 30 minutes break lang, he finds time to send references
and books.
Seatmates
became study buddies, and we would often study together and ask random
questions from our own notes. We would stay up because of extracurricular
activities then be at school by 7am, super
blessed ako sakanila because we always find ways to pull each other up. So
you should really choose who you spend your time with in Med School kasi it can
be competitive AF, some of your classmates will try to pull you down. Best to
find friends who are true and yung magtutulungan
kayo na mag aral at magsurvive, pag hindi alam ng isa may magtuturo – that
is how you stay in med school, and ofcourse a LOT of hard work and sleepless
nights.
Do you regret choosing your school?
I
regret even going to medical school for the first few months. But when I made a
decision to apply for SLU SOM, I was very sure that this is where I want to be.
When you choose your medical school be sure to evaluate everything –
environment, lifestyle, support system, ranking of the school in board exams,
accessibility of learning materials, etc. The things you value most should be
accounted for, this will help you focus more in studying and give you a better
mental health.
Don’t
get me wrong, bumagsak ako, kahit anong
aral ko, I still felt so stupid. Pero masasanay ka rin. Masasanay ka din
bumagsak. CHAR! You’ll get used to studying all the time and juggling
everything until you realize you’re meeting your goals.
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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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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