DMMMSU forged partnership with Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC), a government-retained hospital located in the City of San Fernando, La Union. The MOA signing was held at the Eriguel Hall, DMMMSU SLUC, Agoo, La Union, on November 8, 2023.

Dr. Eduardo M. Badua III, ITRMC’s Medical Center Chief, and Dr. Jaime I. Manuel, Jr., President of DMMMSU, led the MOA signing. Dr. Mario Gerardo R. Tolentino, PETRU Head; Dr. Elsie M. Pacho, VP for Academic and International Affairs; and Dr. Joanne C. Rivera served as witnesses.

Also present during the MOA signing were the DMMMSU Board of Directors, the Vice Presidents, the Function Directors and other University Officials, the Chancellors, SLUC Officials, SLUC Deans, including the inaugural Dean of the College of Medicine Dr. Ricardo Guanzon, faculty members, and nonteaching personnel. In addition, the powerhouse team of ITRMC medical doctors and specialists, who were individually introduced during the short program, were present. CHED RO1 representative Dr. Nympha Buenio also graced the event.  

During her opening remarks, Dr. Elsie Pacho, VP for Academic and International Affairs, highlighted that the Doctor of Medicine Program would be an addition to the 110 academic programs of DMMMSU.

Meanwhile, during his message, President Jaime I. Manuel, Jr. made a walkthrough of how the College of Medicine started from the proposal and approval of the Board in 2021 and acknowledged the benefactors, supporters, and the brains behind the College. He particularly articulated the ‘marriage of DMMMSU with ITRMC,’ an analogy of the agreement and contract between the two institutions. The agreement is one of CHED’s two requirements before its final approval of the Doctor of Medicine, expected to be offered by the first semester of SY 2024-2025. The other requirement, at least 11 qualified faculty members, is also to be complied with as there are already 31 medical doctors who have expressed their intent to teach in the College of Medicine.

Yoking the humor of President Manuel, Dr. Eduardo Badua III, painted ITRMC’s willingness to enter into the ‘marriage contract’ as manifested by the powerhouse presence of ITRMC medical doctors. Dr. Badua further reiterated that the specialists are “competent, if not excellent, the BEST in the country”.

Featuring ITRMC as the base hospital of DMMMSU’s College of Medicine, he further mentioned that ITRMC is accredited by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).  Awe inspiringly, he stressed that the most critical of all is the “shared responsibility between DMMMSU and ITRMC in molding future doctors”.

As part of the agreement, ITRMC will accommodate students for their clinical education. They will be trained in all clinical areas, namely Family and Community Medicine, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Surgery, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Anesthesiology, Radiology, Orthopaedics and Pathology. Qualified graduates will also be accommodated for their Postgraduate Internship and Residency Training.

The agreement will be implemented starting the First Semester of AY 2024-2025. As DMMMSU awaits CHED’s approval of the Program, more than 200 applicants have queued to be qualified as inaugural students of the Doctor of Medicine Program. (By Ayu)