Reinforcing medical education in the countryside, Isabela State University (ISU) President Dr. Ricmar Aquino formally announced that the university will officially offer the Doctor of Medicine program after securing the approval of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Commission En Banc (CEB) on September 11, 2023. ISU's Doctor of Medicine is a four-year post-baccalaureate program designed to provide the academic requirements for physicians comparable to Level 7 of the Philippine Qualifications Framework or PQF and the International Standard Classification of Education or Isched.
Aquino said the Doctor of Medicine program will be offered under the newly established ISU College of Medicine and Allied Health Professions and will officially open this first semester of the Academic Year 2023-2024. He also noted that the university has been working since the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic on the establishment of the College of Medicine and vigorously complied with the curricular requirements of the program towards its eventual offering. "This is in support of the national development plan for the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act, reinforcing the education of professional doctors and medical experts for rural and countryside areas", Aquino said.
Also in an official statement, Aquino thanked CHEd Chairperson J. Prospero De Vera for "urging and encouraging" the ISU to offer the program to provide access to quality medical education in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley). ISU said now that the permit to offer Doctor of Medicine has been approved, the university can now submit its request for additional funding support from CHEd.
