University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery

The University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, popularly known as UST Medicine or UST Med, is the medical school of the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest and largest Catholic university in Manila, the national capital of the Philippines.

The Faculty is the oldest medical school in the Philippines. It is also one of the most prestigious medical schools in Asia, and a consistent top performing school in the national medical licensure exams in the Philippines.

History
The Faculty of Medicine and Surgery was founded in 1871.

Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines, enrolled in the Faculty to pursue foundational courses in medicine. He pursued further studies in Ophthalmology at Madrid Central University (now Complutense University of Madrid), the University of Paris, and the University of Heidelberg in Germany.

Since then, the Faculty has consistently ranked among the top performing medical schools in the country. It has also produced the largest number of medical doctors in Philippine history.

Program design and delivery
The Faculty offers the four-year Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree, a comprehensive professional academic program which combines lectures, case analyses, and practical simulation exercises. The entire curriculum focuses on the basic, clinical, and emergency medical sciences. Teaching methods make use of both classic and modern medical practices and technologies.

In 2001, the Faculty adopted the problem-based learning method for use in the curriculum. The move was highly controversial. Several professors complained that the medical students were not learning the basic sciences adequately. In 2003, the curriculum format combined elements of both traditional (lecture-based) and problem-based methods.

The Faculty is distinct from other medical schools in its policy of requiring graduating students to undergo a series of written and oral exams known as the revalida. In the oral exams, groups of three students each are questioned by panels composed of three professors on basic, clinical, and emergency medical sciences. Passing the revalida is a prerequisite to graduation. Medical school graduates qualify to take the licensure exams for physicians conducted by the Board of Medicine, and under the control and supervision of the Professional Regulation Commission of the Philippines.

Academic programs
The Faculty offers the following professional academic programs:


 * Doctor of Medicine
 * Master in Clinical Audiology
 * Master of Arts major in Hospital Administration (offered in the UST Graduate School)
 * Master of Science major in Medical Physics (offered in the UST Graduate School)
 * Master of Science in Medical Technology (offered in the UST Graduate School)
 * Master in Health Professions Education (non-thesis; offered in the UST Graduate School)

The Faculty regularly conducts post-graduate courses covering specialties and subspecialites in Medicine and Surgery (i.e. Sports Medicine, Family Medicine, Geriatrics and Gerontology, Alternative Medicine, etc.).

Performance
The Faculty is proclaimed Center of Excellence in the field of medical sciences by the Commission on Higher Education. It has been producing several topnotchers in the national licensure exams for Filipino doctors. It is also the alma mater of several Secretaries of Health of the Philippines and several Presidents of the Philippine Medical Association, the largest organization of medical doctors in the country. The Faculty has also produced numerous hospital administrators, medical directors, clinical specialists, and medical professors in the Philippines and abroad.

Reputation
The Faculty is widely regarded in medical, educational, and social circles as the top private medical school in the country. Local cinema and television frequently include UST Medicine in scenarios and storylines dealing with health, technology, and social issues.

Facilities
The Faculty draws physical and manpower resources from its training institution, the Santo Tomas University Hospital, popularly known as the UST Hospital. The hospital is one of the largest fully-equipped medical facilities in the country.

Several autonomous units of the University of Santo Tomas provide allied faculty and research support, such as:
 * The UST Graduate School - Center of Excellence in Chemistry
 * The UST Faculty of Pharmacy - top performing school in the licensure exams for Pharmacy and Medical Technology
 * The UST College of Nursing - Center of Excellence in Nursing
 * The UST College of Rehabilitation Sciences - top performing school in the licensure exams for Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy
 * The UST College of Science - Center of Excellence in Chemistry, Center of Development in Biology

Prominent alumni
Among the Faculty's illustrious alumni include:


 * Jose Rizal - National Hero of the Philippines; one of the first ophthalmologists in Asia
 * Evangelina Macaraeg-Macapagal - former First Lady of the Philippines; spouse of former Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal; mother of current President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo; renowned medical professor
 * Luisa "Loi" Ejercito-Estrada - former First Lady, Senator, and spouse of former Philippine President Joseph Estrada; renowned psychiatrist
 * Francisco Duque, III - current Secretary of Health of the Philippines
 * Carmencita Noriega-Reodica - first woman Secretary of Health of the Philippines; Hospital Administrator, The Quezon Institute
 * Ramon Sin - former President, Philippine Medical Association; brother of Jaime Cardinal Sin
 * Modesto Llamas - former President, Philippine Medical Association
 * Angeles Tan-Alora - former Dean, UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery; first female medical school dean in the Philippines
 * Raul G. Fores - Medical Director, Makati Medical Center
 * Jesus Dueñas - Medical Director, Philippine Orthopedic Hospital
 * Vicky Belo - Medical Director, Belo Medical Group; pioneered advanced methods in cosmetic surgery in the Philippines
 * Maria Elena R. Enriquez - Associate, Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc and De Los Angeles; anesthesiologist, physician, and trial lawyer
 * Arlo Luis R. Salvador III - Instructor in Experimental Psychology, UST Faculty of Arts and Letters; the only medical doctor teaching in the liberal arts college