A HOLISTIC AND INNOVATIVE MEDICAL EDUCATION: ST. LUKE’S MEDICAL CENTER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
One of the most critical molding forces of an individual is one’s education. Society’s biggest stakeholders were once students taken under the wings of different institutions trained to be the best in their craft. Different professionals are cultivated to be of service, notably the doctors who have the privilege of saving lives.
For 22 years, the St. Luke’s College of Medicine – William H. Quasha Memorial (SLCMWHQM) has been continuously edifying the finest medical professionals in the country. The realization of what was once an idea of Atty. William H. Quasha and the St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) Board of Trustees came to fruition in 1994, known today as an institution that consistently produces highly trained graduates with unique skillsets.
The St. Luke’s College of Medicine has been awarded by the Professional Regulatory Commission as the number one top performing school in 2016 and 2017, with a 100% passing rate for first-time board takers in the Physicians’ Licensure Examination since 2009. SLCM-WHQM has not only presented an excellent training ground for future physicians, but also embodied a patient-centered direction for providing healthcare. With a comprehensive and innovative 5-year curriculum, the scheme is meant to incorporate the highest standards for ethics, integrity, and professional behavior. With a one to three (1:3) teacher to student ratio, hands-on training is administered by the dedicated faculty – 86% of which are part of SLMC’s roster of doctors.
The capabilities of SLCMWHQM to hone its students are augmented through its affiliations with international institutions like Harvard University and Kobe University. To supplement the expertise of the school, students are also given access to the libraries of these acclaimed universities, and are presented a chance of personally interacting with invited lecturers. Constantly innovating its facilities, the lecture halls and classrooms are equipped with modern audiovisual devices, together with a Skills-Training Laboratory, Behavioral Science Laboratory, Office for Research, and a mock Operating Room. As an accredited Academic Medical Center, St. Luke’s Medical Center’s Institutes are utilized for clinical rotations by the students in their fourth and fifth years.
“The curriculum puts great emphasis on what is important in our medical education and gives us opportunities to put into practice what we’ve learned within the community. At the same time, it provides activities and outlets for medical students to help them reach their maximum potential even outside the medical field,” said a student ambassador, in a survey on satisfaction with the school. On top of its distinctions and competencies, SLCMWHQM prioritizes its students’ holistic development, providing avenues for the intellectual and moral growth of their future doctors. The St. Luke’s Medical Center brand of quality healthcare is integrated with the actualization of the school’s thrust of shaping exceptional medical practitioners.