Applying to UP College of Medicine

Assalamu Alaykum! (Peace be upon you all!)

 

[NOTE: This is a really, really old post! For those applying to UPCM for school years 2021 and beyond, it is best to visit the UPCM website for updates. Download and read the latest primer here. The details in this blogspot may not be applicable anymore. Read with discretion. 

 

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This post was originally published in January 2015, almost two years after I entered the great hallways of Calderon in UPCM. Now, it's January 2018: roughly 6 months since graduation, and here I am, a full-pledged UPCM Alumnus and now a licensed physician! Wow!

Then I realized in this blog that this post reaches more hits that the other posts I have published , and I know I badly needed to update this...And so I did. I tried...

And so... To those aspiring future martyrs amazing medical students who will sacrifice their social lives really enjoy learning the wonderful world of medicine: here's a few tip/instructions on how to apply to UPCM. A complete list of what you need to accomplish before the deadline!

First, a disclaimer! I AM NOT IN ANY WAY CONNECTED TO THE ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE of the UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES COLLEGE OF MEDICINE. I am simply an old timer who wanted to help the young ones wanting to follow our, uhm, noble steps.

Ready? let's do this!

Who are qualified to apply to UPCM?

You can just download the admissions brochure (updated annually) here: UPCM Admission Brochure. But to sum it up and make things easier for you:

1. You must at least finish high school (a very special case) or had a bachelor's degree in any field (preferably but not limited to natural and health sciences like biology or nursing);
2. Have an NMAT score of not less than 90 percentile (96%ile is the safest, believe me you will see a lot of the applicants having 99+ %ile in NMAT!!! I don't even know that score existed until I saw one!)
3. Have a very good academic standing in the previous institution you were in. No specific grade mentioned (1.75, etc), but having a 'laude' would make your application form more attractive to the panel; But then again, you will see your fellow applicants having double 'laudes' if they could;
4. A law-abiding Filipino. Non-Filipinos are allowed to apply, but chances are slim for them to pass. Priority is still for the children of the tax-paying, always-late, iskolar-ng-bayan Filipinos.
5. Willing to commit and serve his/her people and his/her country. I believe this the most important part. Because this will define what kind of UPCM Student you will become, and how long you will be able to stay.

As you can see, there is no age-limit, or marital status asked in the application. So long as you can show them that you are willing to apply, go for it! The only limit they have, aside from the above-mentioned requirements, is the slots per sex. There is a 50-50 rule about this matter and the number of slots for accepted students for each school year have never changed: 160 students accepted every year (80 males, 80 females).

Who are not allowed to apply?

 If you are any of the following, I would humbly suggest that you do not pursue your applications:

1. Been convicted of any crime;
2. A drop-out of UP or any other school;
3. A transferee from other medical school (UP do not accept transferees :(
4. An alien from another planet (seriously! You might have a totally different anatomy, how could our professors teach you about ours!) 

What is INTARMED? Lateral Entry or Direct Entry? RP? MDPhD?

Before we move on to the "requirements", let me explain first the different "ways" of entering the roster of proud UPCM class.

INTARMED

INTARMED stands for Integrated Liberal Arts and Medicine. It is the term used for the whole seven-year academic program of UPCM for their medical students. Why 7 years, and not the usual five (5) years unlike other medical schools, you ask? It has a special two-year program for the "Direct Entrants" who are mistakenly identified as the "Intarmeds" or the "iMeds". No, they are not aliens... just close to that. (joke!). I will explain later who the "iMeds" are... But you should know that the 7-year program looks like this:

• Learning Unit I (Pre-Med, Basic Medical Sciences I)
• Learning Unit 2 (Pre-Med, Basic Medical Sciences II)
• Learning Unit 3 (1st year Medicine Proper)
• Learning Unit 4 (2nd year)
• Leaning Unit 5 (3rd year, Integrated Clinical Clerkship I or ICC)
• Learning Unit 6 (4th year, Integrated Clinical Clerkship II or simply Clerkship)
• Learning Unit 7 (5th year or Internship; in other schools, Post-Graduate Internship)

I made a diagram to better picture things out:

Direct and Lateral Entry

Now, there are basically two ways of entering the rosters of UPCM: The Direct and Lateral Entry. The Direct Entry are for those gifted souls, fresh from high school who qualified for the 7-year INTARMED program. They are selected from the top 100 students who passed the UP College Admissions Test (UPCAT) and those who will apply to UPCM's program, will again be screened. Only the top 40 students (20 males, 20 females) will be accepted.

Yes, they are the ones who are called the "iMeds" :) Very, very smart kids. And very competitive.

Lateral Entry on the other hand, is where the other "smart kids" go. Those who finished their 4 or 5-year Bachelor's degree, then applied to UPCM. These are the "regular students". But they are still part of the INTARMED program. Don't underestimate these guys... They can become as competitive as the iMeds, too.

Regionalization Program (RP)
RP is a special Program by the UP College of Medicine designed to addressed the growing disaster of having not enough doctors in the rural areas. These are aspiring medical students coming from different regions in the country (hence "Regionalization"). The difference with the lateral/non-RP students? They will have a bigger responsibility and must have greater commitment to go back to their region of origin and serve for 5 years instead of 2.

They have special slots for their regions, but it doesn't mean they have "less-strict" requirements. No, they have the same exact if not, more complicated requirements (NMAT of >90%, good grades, pass the interviews x 2, etc) before getting accepted. So, think well before checking the RP tickbox :)

MD-PhD Program

Yes, you heard it right. It's the "doctor-doctor" Program. You don't just become an MD (medical doctor) for that matter, you will also become a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) after this. This is yet another program wherein the medical students stay longer at school. For 8 Freaking Years! Seriously! Why!?!? Just kidding. This is rather a new program of UPCM (our batch was only the second batch). These people are the usual geeks, I mean, the geniuses in the class who also aimed not just becoming a good physician to heal, but to become scientists pioneering great discoveries in the field of medicine!

The perks? You have a monthly stipend care of DOST. And you get the rare chance of representing the Philippines in future scientific gatherings, get published in famous journals... oh, the greatness it brings! (sums up my admiration to these people haha). Plus, you are always highlighted as the "creme of the creme of the creme of the crop!" LoL

The Downside? You cannot proceed to any residency program unless you finish your PhD. You march with your fellow MDs in barong/sablay and not in toga :(

Now, moving on...

 So what are the requirements for applying to UPCM?

Years have passed but seems nothing much changed in the requirements. Here are the requirements:

For Lateral entrants/Regular applicants for LU3 (Medicine Proper), i.e. those who finished their Bachelor's Degree or about to graduate on the same school year you are applying:

SUBMIT AL THESE DOCUMENTS IN A LONG BROWN ENVELOPE with your PRINTED NAME WRITTEN IN PENCIL ONLY!

1.       Fully accomplished UPCM Application Form

a.       Available at the Admissions Office (Calderon Hall)

b.      You have to pay a fee of P1,500 before getting the application form. The fee is NON-REFUNDABLE :(

c.       For those coming from Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, you can PM in my FB page for some assistance, if needed.

A sample of the UPCM Application form

2.       A certified true copy of NSO Birth Certificate (Original and photocopy)

3.       True Copy of Income Tax returns (ITR) of both parents if available

4.       Original plus a photocopy of your NMAT result taken in last 2 years ;

a.       If you don’t have a copy of your results yet, request a copy from CEM, Inc and just inform the secretary in the admissions office that you will submit it later on (“to follow”).

b.      An NMAT Score of not lower than 90 percentile is required to be eligible for application.

5.       True copy of Transcript of Records (TOR) or Certified True copy of Grades for at least the 3 and a half years of your BS/AB program.

6.       Four copies of 2x2 pictures. Formal, white background and signed by the applicant (on the front), do not staple/glue them in your application forms.

7.       An updated certificate of Immunization (especially Hepa B) is also required. Having the first dose of HepB Vaccine is allowed provided that the student will ensure that he/she will complete the immunization later on.

8.       A signed copy of the Return Service Agreement (RSA) for all regular applicants. This must be signed by both parents, with witnesses and also notarized, so I advise that you finish this first as soon as possible especially if your parents are in the provinces.

9.       For Regionalization Program (RP) Applicants:

a.       A photocopy of all the requirements submitted to the Community Liaison Officer (CLO) of their respective Region (you will be informed to whom you will send the additional documents)

b.      A signed Acceptance to Serve and Assumption of Liability (ASAL) Agreement instead of the RSA. More on this later.

c.       A fully accomplished Reply Slip (included in the RP Primer, downloadable copy provided below)

For those applying in the REGIONALIZATION PROGRAM (RP), there will be a slight difference in the application process. Aside from all those mentioned above that you have to submit to the admissions office, you also have to submit these documents to your respective CLO:

1.        A fully completed Regionalization Program (RP) Application form. It is basically the same and provided together with the regular application form; no additional fees to pay.

2.       A certified Photocopy of NSO Birth Certificate

3.       A proof of Residency in the community by submitting the following:

a.       Barangay Certification

b.      ITR of Parents

c.       Certificate of Membership of Indigenous People

4.       RP Form # 3 (to be provided by the Admissions Office)

5.       True copies of ITR of both parents for the LAST THREE (3) YEARS.

6.       Voter’s/Comelec ID of parent(s) and Applicants (Clear photocopy)

7.       A Letter of Intention addressed to the RPC Chair (Dr. Abdel Jeffri Abdulla) to be considered under the RP. (download the pdf copy of the RP Primer for more info about this).

ALL THESE DOCUMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN A LONG BROWN ENVELOPE WITH YOUR NAME PRINTED AT THE BACK.

Downloadable copies:

UPCMAdmissions Brochure

UPCM Regionalization Program Primer

For any other concerns regarding the application form, kindly visit the UPCM website or contact the Admissions Office:

 ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE
UP College of Medicine
547 Pedro Gil St., Ermita, Manila
Telefax: 536-1368 you may visit our website

GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE ASPIRING APPLICANTS OF UPCM! BE PART OF THE GROWING COMMUNITY OF PHYSICIANS DEDICATED TO LEADERSHIP AND EXCELLENCE IN PROVIDING HEALTH SERVICES DIRECTED TO THE UNDER-SERVED!

 See you in there! ^_^

Salam Kasilasa!

_Doc Ahmad
Regionalization Program, Batch 2017
UPCM Class 2017
Reign Supreme!