CM prepares for Doctor of Medicine

MAASIN CITY – The College of Maasin (CM) is heeding the call of the people for accessible health services and primary care in the province of Southern Leyte and its neighboring towns, as it once again embarks on a challenging task of offering a Doctor of Medicine program.
In November 2019, the College of Maasin Board of Trustees’ Education and Academics Committee proposed to the Board for the offering of Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program, which was readily approved on the same meeting. The said committee and school officials then made benchmarking visits to several schools with an MD program, including Silliman University.
The new corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic happened and preparation for the program got deferred. But a year later, in November 2020, CM President Reverend Joshue Zuriel Tiempo, made this statement,
“The need for more clinical and medical professionals has been highlighted to cope up with the demand of their services. They are our frontliners in combating the pandemic. Challenged by the need to produce clinical and medical professionals in the country, The College of Maasin (CM) is going to offer a Doctor of Medicine (MD) course and Allied Health programs that are accessible, affordable and competitive to serve the people especially the poor and the dis-advantaged.”
On December 15, 2020, the construction of the Doctor of Medicine and Allied Health Building was approved by the Board of Trustees. And in February 2023, CM announced the building’s actual construction with a time frame of one year.
The building has a P20 million budget allocation, including furniture. It has two floors and a rooftop designed for meetings and conferences. There will be 12 rooms; four rooms will be equipped as different medical laboratories for instruction.
Faculty line-up and other requirements set by the Commission on Higher Education has already been complied with.
Silliman University which has a track record of 100% passing averages in their Doctor of Medicine program has agreed to collaborate with the College of Maasin.
More than one decade ago, CM first offered the course Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The nursing students did not have to spend so much and be far away from their family to study in places like Cebu, Manila and Mindanao to be a registered nurse. Associate in Midwifery and Caregiver courses were also offered.
Since then, CM has developed a niche in the medical field, having produced nurses with around 90% passing percentages and topnotchers in the national examination for Nurses. The school also produced efficient Registered Nurses serving the medical clinics and hospitals in the province and other communities. (GMReyes)