HISTORY

The Batangas State University College of Medicine began its operation in August of academic year 2021-2022. The plan for its establishment was finalized and approved by the Batangas State University Board of Regents in December 2020. The program reflects the University’s commitment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of ensuring healthy lives for all at all ages. The principal aim is to develop holistic and technology-oriented medical graduates. It is envisioned that graduates will be able to pursue various medical career options in order to become leader physicians and managers who can improve healthcare and advance biomedical research in the clinical and community healthcare delivery system at local, national, and global levels. The Batangas State University College of Medicine aspires to mold students to be change agents in implementing community-oriented medicine for diverse populations with various conditions that plague the province of Batangas and the nation using innovative technological solutions.

The program is also a response to Republic Act 11509 “Doktor Para sa Bayan Act”; An Act Establishing Medical Scholarship and Return Service Program for Deserving Medical Students.” By providing training steeped with multiple opportunities for immersion in the community, the program aims to produce physicians responsive to the current and emerging needs of the community especially the poor and marginalized and help make quality medical care accessible and affordable for all.

The curriculum developed for implementation by August 2021 adapts a traditional framework of four years and includes community health related courses, medical informatics, interprofessional education, basic biomedical engineering concepts, research related subjects in addition to the basic and clinical sciences prescribed by the Commission on Higher Education with learning objectives aligned with the CHED ten-program outcomes and the university’s sustainable development goals and institutional graduate attributes.

All courses employ varied teaching-learning large and small group strategies as well as traditional and non-traditional assessment methods. As the school opened amid the challenges of the pandemic, the first year of implementation utilized the online synchronous and asynchronous mode of delivery. This gradually transitioned to blended delivery with calibrated and planned scheduling of face-to-face sessions.

Since news of its opening, the College of Medicine has received several applicants to its program from the various municipalities of the province and even from other parts of the country. To date, the pioneer batch has 24 students enrolled in the sophomore year and 31 students in the freshman year.

At present, the COM utilizes the University Wellness Center and Higher Education Building at the Pablo Borbon campus. It will soon transfer to the new College of Medicine Building also located within the campus.