Aspiring UST med student here.

[Sorenn]

Hi. let's just say im a bs psychology student from another top private university here in the phils. I really want to enter the UST faculty of medicine and surgery. If all goes according to plan, I will be graduating in 2 years at the age of 18. Can anyone here with empirical knowledge about the respective faculty tell me about its application procedures and what to expect just in case i get accepted? Btw, The application procedures doesnt have to be linear. More of a guide to having a good application.

All constructive comments/information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

[Sorenn]

btw, my grades are quite high. not very high but relatively high. I have no failing grade yet and my cumulative grade is the minimum grade for Deans listers. I also admit that i am not that good at memorizing but very competent at analyzing. Thank you. Also, will a failing grade mean that my chances are gone in entering the faculty?

Thank you for your help.

[clawed_out]

^ any failing grade even if you're from UST undergrad will not get you in the postgraduate program.

They use to be more strict in accepting ladies than guys as (I think) the attrition rate is higher for the ladies. I'm not sure of this case these years.

I hope you can carry your eloquentness on your interview. As based on your credentials, you have a chance on making the quota. Strong analytical skills are not weighed heavily during the interview but it will serve you properly on your admissions exam.

The acceptance rate on foreigners are more stringent than accepting local students.

I don't think there is bias on accepting students coming from a different university but I maybe wrong. There are some pre-med UST students that have alumni connections and I think that is being asked in the application process. If you have a relative that went there for Medicine, note it atleast.

Good luck on your quest.

[pampi1010]

Hello, I'm an incoming second year UST Med Student.
Here are some of my observations that might help you..

Hi. let's just say im a bs psychology student from another top private university here in the phils.

Population
There's this doctor that once said that as much as possible, they don't want to accept Psychology graduate students because, according to him, they're most likely to fail. But don't worry, I have some classmates in Med who came from UST Psych, and Ateneo Psych and heck! I have classmates who have very very unrelated baccalaureate degrees like B.S. Management in Chemistry, Economics, and you have to believe on this, Music. I'll give you a rough estimate.
35% UST-Medtech
25% UST-Bio
10% Others-Bio (Mostly Ateneo and DLSU Bio)
10% UST - Health Sciences (Pharmacy, Psych, Nursing, PT, OT, Biochem, Microbio)
10% Others - Health Sciences
10% Miscellaneous courses, and foreigners.

On the other hand, I have about 10 classmates from The Ateneo, 5 from De La Salle, and about 10 from the different universities of the UP System. There are also one or two who got in from FEU, UERM, St. Louis, Aquinas Univ., etc.

NMAT
Though the Admissions Committee will only be taking your NMAT score as requirement and not anymore a basis of your eligibility, getting an excellent NMAT grade will mean a greater chance for you to be admitted, and since you're not from UST, might as well get an exemplary NMAT score, like 99+. haha. No, I think, 80 as NMAT from a non-Thomasian is good enough.

Interview and Grades
There are no more interviews during the admissions, instead, it's your grades they'll be looking at first. The committee prefers average Thomasian graduates than students who have flying colors from other universities. Of course, UST is for Thomasians. Being an outsider, a failing mark may affect your chances.

Admissions
The committee had different admitting procedures for the past years. Usually, they release 3-4 lists to fill in 500 slots. They are very lenient. I have to say this - sobra. As if they're not a Center of Excellence in Medicine. UST FMS has the capacity to get a 100% passing rate in the Physician board examinations if not with the poor admission policies. If you won't be accepted after the first list, you can give them a letter of consideration which, more or less, is reconsidered.

As of the moment, the admissions starts on October to December. You should take your NMAT after your third year, or April before your fourth year. If you won't be satisfied with your score, UST will allow you to get another in December.

What to expect
Curriculum and Amenities
UST FMS has an "Innovative" curriculum, which I think is a mix up of PBL(Problem-based learning) curriculum and Integrated curriculum. PBL curriculum is currently used by UP-CM, and UERM Med.

The techniques of teaching are cultivated from 137 years of experience and innovations. This makes the Faculty the creme de la creme of medical schooling in the country.

- Dr. Hubert Wong Learning Resource Unit - a spacious computer laboratory which houses hundreds of computer units for research, examinations and simply internet use.
- UST Health and Sciences Library
- UST Medicine Museum
- UST Hospital
- UST Clinical Division - the largest hospital ward in the country. Having the largest wards expose Thomasian students and clerks the widest array of clinical cases.
- Very Large classrooms - sitting capacity of 150 students.
- Ample sources of clinical materials such as cadavers, other body parts, microscopes (wow on this) and laboratory apparatuses.

Professors
The doctor-lecturers are the best in the country. Sobrang gagaling nila. Some of our professors are being hired by different med schools in Quezon City, and sadly, some were even "pirated" by other (new - ehem)universities.

Students
Student population of 500 is not a disadvantage. As I've mentioned earlier, the Medicine building has many large auditorium-size classrooms, which can accommodate a class section of 130. The four sections are further sub divided into 6 to 7 sub-sections, each with supervising doctors.

Assistance
USTMAAA or UST Medicine Alumni Association is the largest alumni organization in the U.S. Having them gives every Thomasian doctor the advantage to continue their medical specialization outside the country. The alumni association is also constantly supporting the needs of the faculty.

Though UST-FMS is not that generous enough in scholarship, they still accommodate those who are really deserving.

--

umm... Two years from now, the tuition of Medicine in UST might go up as high as 120K per semester, you might change your mind by that time. hehe.

[Ashlars]

pampi, lumalabas na lenient pa pala ang admissions policy ng UST-FMS considering na Center of Excellence ito sa medicine? Anyway, bilib pa din ako sa UST med. Iba pa din 'pag UST med ka. *okay*

@Sorenn: All the best to you. I hope you'll become a part of one of UST's most prestigious faculties.

[pampi1010]

yeah.. sobra.. lahat tinatanggap nila. when I say lahat, i mean all.
FMS is UST's premiere.. haha.

[Ashlars]

Hindi naman siguro lahat. Shempre 'pag may failing marks ang applicant, siguradong hindi na kukunin 'yun. Unless...koneksyones! :naughty:

Naalala ko tuloy yung nabasa ko before sa application guidelines ng med, indicating that donation in any kind is not a requirement for admission to the Faculty. :lol:

Grabe ang tuition niyo ano? Magkano na ba? P90k per sem?

[pampi1010]

let's not make this thread a chatting room..hehe
yeah, 90K.

[Ashlars]

Eh 'di huwag.

[Sorenn]

Hello, I'm an incoming second year UST Med Student.
Here are some of my observations that might help you..



Population
There's this doctor that once said that as much as possible, they don't want to accept Psychology graduate students because, according to him, they're most likely to fail. But don't worry, I have some classmates in Med who came from UST Psych, and Ateneo Psych and heck! I have classmates who have very very unrelated baccalaureate degrees like B.S. Management in Chemistry, Economics, and you have to believe on this, Music. I'll give you a rough estimate.
35% UST-Medtech
25% UST-Bio
10% Others-Bio (Mostly Ateneo and DLSU Bio)
10% UST - Health Sciences (Pharmacy, Psych, Nursing, PT, OT, Biochem, Microbio)
10% Others - Health Sciences
10% Miscellaneous courses, and foreigners.

On the other hand, I have about 10 classmates from The Ateneo, 5 from De La Salle, and about 10 from the different universities of the UP System. There are also one or two who got in from FEU, UERM, St. Louis, Aquinas Univ., etc.

NMAT
Though the Admissions Committee will only be taking your NMAT score as requirement and not anymore a basis of your eligibility, getting an excellent NMAT grade will mean a greater chance for you to be admitted, and since you're not from UST, might as well get an exemplary NMAT score, like 99+. haha. No, I think, 80 as NMAT from a non-Thomasian is good enough.

Interview and Grades
There are no more interviews during the admissions, instead, it's your grades they'll be looking at first. The committee prefers average Thomasian graduates than students who have flying colors from other universities. Of course, UST is for Thomasians. Being an outsider, a failing mark may affect your chances.

Admissions
The committee had different admitting procedures for the past years. Usually, they release 3-4 lists to fill in 500 slots. They are very lenient. I have to say this - sobra. As if they're not a Center of Excellence in Medicine. UST FMS has the capacity to get a 100% passing rate in the Physician board examinations if not with the poor admission policies. If you won't be accepted after the first list, you can give them a letter of consideration which, more or less, is reconsidered.

As of the moment, the admissions starts on October to December. You should take your NMAT after your third year, or April before your fourth year. If you won't be satisfied with your score, UST will allow you to get another in December.

What to expect
Curriculum and Amenities
UST FMS has an "Innovative" curriculum, which I think is a mix up of PBL(Problem-based learning) curriculum and Integrated curriculum. PBL curriculum is currently used by UP-CM, and UERM Med.

The techniques of teaching are cultivated from 137 years of experience and innovations. This makes the Faculty the creme de la creme of medical schooling in the country.

- Dr. Hubert Wong Learning Resource Unit - a spacious computer laboratory which houses hundreds of computer units for research, examinations and simply internet use.
- UST Health and Sciences Library
- UST Medicine Museum
- UST Hospital
- UST Clinical Division - the largest hospital ward in the country. Having the largest wards expose Thomasian students and clerks the widest array of clinical cases.
- Very Large classrooms - sitting capacity of 150 students.
- Ample sources of clinical materials such as cadavers, other body parts, microscopes (wow on this) and laboratory apparatuses.

Professors
The doctor-lecturers are the best in the country. Sobrang gagaling nila. Some of our professors are being hired by different med schools in Quezon City, and sadly, some were even "pirated" by other (new - ehem)universities.

Students
Student population of 500 is not a disadvantage. As I've mentioned earlier, the Medicine building has many large auditorium-size classrooms, which can accommodate a class section of 130. The four sections are further sub divided into 6 to 7 sub-sections, each with supervising doctors.

Assistance
USTMAAA or UST Medicine Alumni Association is the largest alumni organization in the U.S. Having them gives every Thomasian doctor the advantage to continue their medical specialization outside the country. The alumni association is also constantly supporting the needs of the faculty.

Though UST-FMS is not that generous enough in scholarship, they still accommodate those who are really deserving.

--

umm... Two years from now, the tuition of Medicine in UST might go up as high as 120K per semester, you might change your mind by that time. hehe.

Thank you for that very informative reply. Sadly, the doctor has a point. being a psychology student myself, i have to admit that we are not trained to memorize.

I am a consistent dean's lister and I have no failing grade as of the moment. But i am very open about the probability of having one. Especially during the later years where all the non-fundamental science courses take place.

and about the NMAT, what is it like? Is it purely objective? or does it have an "IQ test" as well (that would help a lot since again, im not well trained in memorizing). Also, you mentioned that I can re-take the test if i'm not satisfied with my score? I will be graduating with 3 years and 2 terms total(i think i already gave away the private university i'm enrolled in), When is the best time for me to take the NMAT assuming that there is a probability of me not being satisfied with the result and therefore, doing a re-take.

Thank you. you have been very helpful to me.

(btw, no matter how high the tuition fee will be, I will still aim to be part of this prestigious faculty. its all worth it anyway. :) )

[Viva La Tigresa]

Hola Sorenn!

Hmmm... so are you from DLSU?

[Sorenn]

Hola Sorenn!

Hmmm... so are you from DLSU?

Hello. Yes I am. :)

[Viva La Tigresa]

Ok, good luck future Thomasian. ;)

[pampi1010]

The NMAT is given twice in a year, one in April, and another in December. The bulk of the aspirants take the NMAT in the summer. Chances of having a good NMAT score in April, according to 'urban myths', are low since it's a battle of percentile score between you and a larger doctor wannabes and the all-knowing guys from UP.

NMAT is only umm "viable" in a certain amount of time. I'm guessing - 1 to 2 years? So I dunno if the Admissions committee will accept your December NMAT.

My advice is, take the NMAT in April, and if you wouldn't be contented with your percentile score, try your luck again in December. It'll be some sort of a "follow-up" NMAT since you'll also be giving your April NMAT to them. Many of my classmates took this kind of path, and yes, they were able to improved there NMAT scores.

NMAT, btw, is just like taking a college entrance exam sans a bit of difficulty. It includes Biological Sciences, Reading Comprehension, Analytical Thinking, and IQ stuffs with drawings - Inductive reasoning.. hehe.

[bleudsky_md]

being a psychology student myself, i have to admit that we are not trained to memorize.

in Medicine, you don't have to memorize always. memorisation is the lowest form of learning. perhaps it's gonna be useful during your 1st yr because you'll be memorizing O-I-I-A (origin-insertion-innervation-action) for Anatomy & in other subjects during your early yrs. but in most subjects, there's nothing to memorise.

when you go into the higher level and when you start being immersed in the hospital (like clerkship/4th yr), it will be more of clinical analysis. patients will become your real textbooks and handling different cases is the best way to learn.

btw, we answered your query in the UST-Faculty of Medicine & Surgery thread.

good luck and hope you will be accepted.

(FYI: i also had my pre-med at DLSU) :)

[bleudsky_md]

lumalabas na lenient pa pala ang admissions policy ng UST-FMS considering na Center of Excellence ito sa medicine? Anyway, bilib pa din ako sa UST med. Iba pa din 'pag UST med ka. *okay*

let's put it this way:

they'll accept as many applicants as they can. then, babawi sila pag nagsimula na ang school year. meaning, they'll test who amongst the students ang talagang desidido/magpupursiging mag-aral ng maigi given the load they have to study/read everyday, excluding pa pag may exams na. kung magschedule sila ng exam sunod-sunod. literally it's a "hell week".

kada taon ang dami nilang casualties per subject. some become irregulars, some eventually leave or transfer to another school.

[crazziekhryzz]

^^ waa.. haha.. it's the o-i-a thing again.. wahaha..

[Sorenn]

UPDATE: it seems that i will be graduating in a total of 3 years and 1 term. (la salle has a trimestral system, 3 terms per year.) that would be by early september next next year. this is an important question... will i be able to enter the faculty at around this time (september) ? or would i have to wait until around june-july, the time school year usually starts? because it would be a waste really, if thats the case. it is as if i took 4 years to finish my pre-med.

[colorado]

in Medicine, you don't have to memorize always. memorisation is the lowest form of learning. perhaps it's gonna be useful during your 1st yr because you'll be memorizing O-I-I-A (origin-insertion-innervation-action) for Anatomy & in other subjects during your early yrs. but in most subjects, there's nothing to memorise.


true, 'yan ang laging sinasabi ng Professor namin sa college. kapag anatomy session naman, my prof always reminds us that we need to study well not hard and memorize by heart 'yung mga medical terms. huwag 'yung kabisote mode, na pagakatapos ng exams, bigla mo na lang nakakalimutan.



------------------

always remember that anatomy is heavily weighted toward memorization of terms, and recognition of structures lalo na 'yung OIA. physiology also requires a lot of memorization but is more directly concerned with how the body functions (reflex, extension, response, stimulus).

naalala ko tuloy during our zoology and comparative anatomy, human ana and physio class, you will have to know a large number of terms and will also be held responsible for identifying large numbers of structures from tissues to bones to cells to anything else in the human body.

Nag prin-print outs pa kami ng pictures. take flashcards of the pics and test yourself often. In any cases, you are not only basically learning a new language but tons of biology. For my experience you need to be required to learn to name all the bones and to learn every feature on every bone (and there are several for each bone). To learn the osteogenic cells both processes and to identify. To learn to identify every bone by sight (we even had to identify one bone by touch only during the lab practical) etc.

In my humble opinion lang, to pass that course/program, always read beforehand, be prepared for the topics the next day so that you won't be clueless about the topic, take notes, memorize by heart and not in mind so you won't forget anatomy and physiology.

naalala ko tuloy 'yung prof namin, lagi niyang pinapaalala na Introduction to Human Ana and Physio pa lang 'yan and wait niyo ang Higher Anatomy. tsk (Intro pa ba 'yun?), parang hindi!

Off Topic na 'yata ako!

:lol:

[Tigercub]

^ ang galing! puede ka ng maging Cum Laude... :bounce:

[colorado]

^ Doc Coco, manahimik ka diyan! Hahaha

[bleudsky_md]

UPDATE: it seems that i will be graduating in a total of 3 years and 1 term. (la salle has a trimestral system, 3 terms per year.) that would be by early september next next year. this is an important question... will i be able to enter the faculty at around this time (september) ? or would i have to wait until around june-july, the time school year usually starts? because it would be a waste really, if thats the case. it is as if i took 4 years to finish my pre-med.

we have a reply at the Faculty of Medicine & Surgery thread.

don't think of your excess semester as a waste. why don't you think of something productive else to do? wag mong madaliin ang pag-aaral ng Medisina.

yung iba nga 5 taon ang pre-med or nagtrabaho muna ng ilang taon bago nag-aral ng med. now, they're doctors. :)

[Sorenn]

bleudsky_md : thank you very much!

you are right. i have plenty of time.

I just wanted to enter med school really young. i am only 16 years old today and i am already at my second year. i can enter med school at 18 if i graduate by exactly 3 years time.

But yeah, a year or two won't matter. maybe ill spend the time reviewing for the nmat? :) besides, 18 is too young. i might get overwhelmed. :)

thanks.

[bleudsky_md]

going into med at a very early age is an advantage. don't get me wrong but i don't have anything against those who took up Intarmed/Hum Bio/Bio acced in different universities, na nakapagtapos ng Med ng mas bata compared sa mga kabatch nila.

anyways, good luck! :)

[gangstah024]

maraming salamat po!
nakatulong ng mabuti ang thread na ito..
napaka informative!