New Colleges of Medicine Signed Into Law: How It Helps

As the demand for doctors and nurses grows, signing into law new colleges of medicine may just make it easier for kids to chase their passion to become doctors.

When we dream about our kids becoming doctors, we scrimp every penny and invest whatever we can. However, there aren’t enough colleges of medicine spread out enough to help even those from the farther areas to pursue their dreams. Those also from the province invest a lot of money and leave their homes to pursue their dreams, often staying in the dorms near their choice of colleges of medicine.

But with President Bongbong Marcos signing the new colleges of medicine into law, it may perhaps make things easier for families whose kids aspire to be doctors since it’s a lot closer.

The Cost of Learning Medicine in The Philippines

Pursuing medicine is no light decision since it means giving at least 10 years of your life to pursue the art. It is not for the faint of heart; some of us who have friends for doctors didn’t start earning money until they finally got their license. As parents, it means they’ll have to support their child financially for a little while longer (Leaune, Rey-Cadilhac, Oufker, Grot, Strowd, Rode, and Crandall, 2021).

However, this is assuming that we live in Metro Manila or Cebu where some of the best medical schools are. But those from provinces such as Benguet (near Baguio), Leyte, Northern Samar, and Quezon who only have a few need to calculate additional costs.

That usually includes a place to stay during their medical school years, food, money for their books, etc. because it doesn’t make sense to keep commuting or driving back and forth. By the time they get there, they’ll be tired and spent by the time they get to school! And by staying in a dormitory, some of these kids develop homesickness and have their mental health decline due to the lack of proper emotional support (Dahlin, Joneborg, and Runeson, 2005; Cedeño, Rocha, Ramos, and Uy, 2021; Palmes, Trajera and, Sajnani, 2021.).

But with Benguet State University (BSU) in the Cordilleras (RA 11970), University of Eastern Philippines in Catarman, Northern Samar (RA 11972),  Visayas State University (VSU) in Baybay, Leyte (RA 11974), and Southern Luzon State University in Lucban, Quezon (RA 11971) now recognized as medical schools, these kids wouldn’t have to go too far to learn how to practice medicine.

There’s also a bonus for aspiring veterinarians: Bicol University-College of Veterinary Medicine in Ligao City, Albay is now a possible option for veterinary school under (RA 11973)!

To help them become empathetic to their patients, we need to be kind to them.

Doctors and even medical students are no strangers to compassion fatigue: the continuous exercise of compassion without any form of validation or kindness in return. And they shouldn’t need to ask for it! As medical practitioners, they give up their lives to become healers and preservers of Life. Ironically, those who preserve life sometimes have to give up theirs in return.

But with President Bong Bong Marcos signing these four new colleges of medicine into law, hopefully, distance will be one stressor taken off their plate.

References

Cedeño, T. D. D., Rocha, I. C. N., Ramos, K. G., & Uy, N. M. C. (2021). Learning strategies and innovations among medical students in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Medical Students, 9(1), 77-79.

Dahlin, M., Joneborg, N., & Runeson, B. (2005). Stress and depression among medical students: A cross‐sectional study. Medical education, 39(6), 594-604.

Leaune, E., Rey-Cadilhac, V., Oufker, S., Grot, S., Strowd, R., Rode, G., & Crandall, S. (2021). Medical students attitudes toward and intention to work with the underserved: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Medical Education, 21(1), 1-15.

Palmes, M., Trajera, S. M., & Sajnani, A. K. (2021). Knowledge and attitude related to use of electronic cigarettes among undergraduate nursing students in an urban university setting in Philippines. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene, 62(3), E770.

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