- UST-FMS alumni give dreamers the chance of a lifetime
- Nurturing a new breed of doctors
Being a doctor is one of the most noble professions there is. However, many students from underprivileged families who want to enter the medical profession face huge obstacles because of the prohibitive cost of medical education in the country.
In order to allow deserving children a chance to realize their dreams, alumni of the University of Santo Tomas – Faculty of Medicine and Surgery (UST-FMS) have decided to form the Anargyroi: Faculty of Medicine and Surgery Foundation, Inc. (AFI).
AFI is a private, non-government organization composed of doctos who graduated from the UST and some faculty members from the FMS. Created in mid-2017, the foundation brings UST-FMS alumni from all over the world to share their blessings and give back to the community that enabled them to be where they are today.
Among the initiatives of the foundation is its Regent’s Scholarship Program which aims to provide quality medical education to underprivileged but deserving students from areas in the country where access to quality medical education is limited.
“Medical school is very expensive, so it’s very challenging, if not impossible, for those who come from poor families to take up a medical course,” said Dr. Ma. Lourdes Domingo-Maglinao, dean of the UST-FMS and president of the AFI foundation. “This is where our scholarship program comes in.”
Under the program, AFI will shoulder the tuition, miscellaneous fees, accommodation, books, and meal expenses of its scholars. AFI envisions that by 2021, they would have successfully funded the education of at least 20 students at the University’s Faculty of Medicine and Surgery. The plan is to grant scholarships to five new students every year.
“Through this program, we’re giving poor but deserving students a chance to pursue a medicine course without the need to worry about their expenses,” she said.
Aside from the scholarship program, AFI has other initiatives that will enable a conducive learning environment and which will produce medical practitioners imbued with Thomasian values and world-class knowledge and skills.
First is a student development program designed to promote the welfare of FMS students. The program’s main focus are mentoring, where students are offered guidance and advice to keep them on track; student and alumni engagements, where students can interact with UST-FMS alumni and learn from them; and student recognition, where standouts, trailblazers, and achievers are given recognition.
Recognizing the importance of the UST-FMS faculty in producing medical professionals with Thomasian values, the foundation also initiated a program to develop and nurture its faculty members. Under the program, AFI implements projects that improve the competence of FMS faculty members, from seminars and workshops to lab simulation and community immersion, to name a few.
Promoting a strong research culture among students within and outside the FMS is another objective of AFI, which is why the foundation has an initiative dedicated to achieving this goal. The foundation is currently spearheading a number of community-based research efforts, one of which is a student-led inquiry in Clinical Epidemology.
In addition, the foundation leads FMS in collaborative multidisciplinary research with other schools in the University, including the College of Nursing, the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, and the College of Engineering where it will help position the University as a Center in Bioengineering in Rehabilitation Equipment.
Finally, there is the modernization program for FMS’ facilities, especially its Simulation Center, where students can apply the knowledge that they learn from the classroom using state-of-the art medical equipment. The program is in its planning stage and the location of the center, the equipment, furniture, and staff are still being identified. Construction of the physical site is slated in the fourth quarter of 2018.
While these programs may differ in terms of what they want to achieve, one thing is certain; at their very core is the desire by UST alumni to give back to the community and improve the quality of life through medical education.
“We can’t do it alone however, and we’ll certainly need a lot of help,” said Dr. Maglinao.
AFI is currently open to donations from anyone willing to help the foundation in its endeavors. Those who wish to help, whether in cash or in kind, may get in touch with the AFI Development Office at the St. Martin de Porres Building at UST, or by contacting telephone no. 406-1611 loc. 8566. Donors and interested individuals can also visit the foundation’s website at www.anargyroifoundation.com or send an email via anargyroifoundation@gmail.com.
