Real Talk

How Much Does It Cost to Send Your Kid to Medical School in the Philippines?

by Kevyn Gohu
June 23, 2023

This is how much it costs to send your kids to medical school in the Philippines.

There’s nothing wrong with inspiring your kids to save lives and become doctors. But that’s no easy road. There will be victories but there will also be heartbreaks. Moreover, there will be days that they will lock themselves in their rooms and isolate themselves just to study their medical modules. Sometimes, we will be haunted by their wails as they experience mental meltdowns in the middle of the night.

That doesn’t end when they add that “M.D.” to their names. Rotations, residency, hospital politics — all these plus the financial cost can put a strain on families.

How Much Does It Cost to Send Your Kid to Medical School in the Philippines?

Medical schools in the Philippines: how does one prepare?

To enroll in a medical school in the Philippines, and with the new strand system, some parents and teachers advise children to take STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to make it easier to transition into their college courses, which will serve as a pre-med course.

But not all courses are fit for medical schools in the Philippines. Some medical schools require a few units in Physics, Chemistry, and even more specialized courses in Biology.

Pre-Med College Course: PHP 40,000++

University of Santo Tomas (UST) charges around PHP 50,000 to PHP 60,000, while the University of the East charges around PHP 44,838. Ateneo charges around PHP 136,000, which may not include some of the laboratory fees. Plus, that does not include the books yet.

Medical School Books: PHP 1,000++

Medical school book prices depend on the edition and if it’s softbound or hardbound. Some books cost at least PHP 1,000 but others can go as high as PHP 8,000 — most especially if they’re colored, hardbound, and come with a CD. Some medical school students sell or photocopy specific pages from these to save money.

Medical School Proper: PHP 140,000++

Most medical schools in the Philippines charge PHP 140,000++ with UERM charging PHP 170,000 a semester. Ateneo School of Medicine is around PHP 150,000. These include all the lab equipment that the students will be using.

NMAT Fee: PHP 1,400.00

Instead of entrance exams, students who want to go to medical school need to take the NMAT and achieve a certain score. The minimum is 85, but it highly depends on the school they want to enroll in. UP Medicine is one of the few that demands at least a 90.

Medical school is an investment!

While it’s nice to have a doctor in the family, it’s not a profession that quickly returns an investment. The field of medicine challenges a family and the individual’s passion. It’s a field that demands a lot of compassion and support from everyone especially when the child starts doing residency.