General physicians, or GPs, are healthcare workers who specialize in treating minor and chronic health issues. They are community-dedicated physicians who help people to achieve healthy lifestyles. This article will dig further into how to become a general physician in the Philippines.
We will talk about the following:
- What is a GP?
- What’s the difference between a GP and a specialist?
- Educational path & requirements to become a doctor in the Philippines
- What can a general physician do in the Philippines?
What is a GP?
General physicians can also be considered family doctors, and they often work in medical institutions and primary care centers. Following some years of experience, they can either set up their own practice or join another physician’s practice as an “individual contributor”.
Having tens of duties and caring for various patients, GP doctors must attach immense importance to human values and should have these traits:
- patience,
- empathy,
- communication and interpersonal skills,
- ability to work long hours even under work stress,
- attention to detail,
- organization and observation.
What is the difference between a GP and a specialist?
The main difference between a GP and a specialist is that general physicians specialize in diagnosing and treating emerging diseases. In contrast, specialists are doctors who focus on a single area, such as the heart, brain, or obstetrics. General physicians often perform superficial treatments for major ailments. On the other hand, a specialist would offer detailed treatments to patients dealing with related health conditions, such as:
- informing patients about their ailments,
- making early diagnoses and medical check-ups,
- assembling medical tests during analysis,
- managing common health problems,
- giving nutrition or diet advice, writing related prescriptions or medications,
- referring patients to associated medical specialists.
Educational path & requirements to become a doctor in the Philippines
Becoming a doctor is a challenging path anywhere in the world. Being a general physician is a satisfying and fulfilling role for those who want to help people, but also challenging with nearly 9-10 years of medical training. Students wishing to be a GP need to owe a vast science and a bit of psychology knowledge, medical and theoretical understanding also hands-on experience with years of education which is explained below:
Get your doctorate degree
After high school commencement, students prepared to become a doctor in the Philippines must take either fast or standard tracks of Doctor of Medicine courses. With a standard track, you will need to spend four years to get a baccalaureate degree plus four years for medical school. In contrast, fast tracks enable students to go through a condensed program which will make them become doctors in about six years. These are several fast-track options for the Philippines:
University of the Philippines’ Intarmed
University of the Philippines’ Intarmed selects prospective physicians in the first 10 percent of students to have the UPCAT successfully and provides them with a 7-year medical program straight from high school.
Bachelor in Human Biology at De La Salle University
De La Salle University’s Bachelor of Science in Human Biology offers qualified and successful students the chance to earn their doctorate degree within six years. Students must study at DLSU-Taft through the first two years of the training, and later for the third year, they must take essential medicine courses at DLSU-Med.
De La Salle University, Dasmarinas
De La Salle University is another school that offers students the chance to complete their medical residencies in a shorter period, such as BS Biochemistry which allows students to enter medicine properly during their third year of medical education. The university also has a BS curriculum in Medical Biology like the BS Human Biology previously seen in DLSU-Taft.
The University of Santo Tomas
In 2019, the University of Santo Tomas also began to present a 6-year medicine program which is called “Innovative Doctor of Medicine” for students. The curriculum has a challenging collection process, and the ones who manage to complete the program can have their medical degrees without achieving a bachelor’s degree after having just two years of general courses.
Pre-medical courses
Some pre-medical courses for students provide a pre-knowledge about the structure of the medical school and prepare them for the complexities of the curriculum. Some pre-med courses are bachelor of science in biology, psychology, pharmacy, public health, and physical therapy. In each class, students can take both advantages and disadvantages. Consequently, one should choose curricula in line with personal interests.
Some people change their mindset and find out the desire to become a general physician just after graduation from other disciplines. Thus, although completing a few pre-medical courses is ideal, pursuing a medical education with an unrelated course is also okay.
The National Medical Admission Test (NMAT)
Every student wanting to enroll in medical school in the Philippines must pass the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT). The test measures whether the student is ready to enter medical school. It is commonly administered two times per year by the Center for Educational Measurement, CEM. The test is one of the medical school prerequisites.
NMAT mainly consists of two parts. While the first part measures candidates’ verbal skill, inductive interpretation, numerical ability, and perceptual alertness through repetitive practice tests, the second consists of academic competence tests in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Social Sciences.
Prospective medical students are admitted to medical schools according to their college scores and NMAT results. You can take advantage of your Latin honors and higher NMAT grades. The required NMAT results may differ depending on the medical school you want to enroll in.
Medical school application
Medical students wishing to become general physicians in the Philippines have a few more steps to complete after the national medical admission test. To get into medical schools, one must undergo a testing process as an admission assessment. The entrance exam structure is often the same as the NMAT, so students who had their NMATs before would not face significant challenges.
Moreover, students must clarify that they do not have any record of moral immorality like forgery, robbery, rape, or equivalents by official documents to enter any medical school. Once all the procedures, such as NMAT or the entrance exam, are completed, students must present their certificate of eligibility for admission to medical courses called CEMeds. To receive a CEMed, one needs to provide the following:
- Birth certificate
- Proof of ethical persona
- Transcript of records (TOR)
- The original copy or a duplicate of the NMAT score
- A version of the Certificate of Graduation verified by the school administrator
- Duly achieved CEMed submission form
Aside from the official documents, students better have a reference letter from either a faculty member or the college dean of their previous school. Having a recommendation letter, you will also take advantage during the interview process. The panel interview aims to identify whether the student is indeed shaped to be a general practitioner. Also, it is an opportunity for administrators to dig into the characteristics of prospective students. Thus, it is vital to show up with confidence. It will complement your academic and social achievements.
The Structure of the Medical College
First Year
In the initial year of the medical training, students take courses in biochemistry, preventive medicine, public health, human anatomy and physiology, psychiatry, and medical practice. They will also begin to attend laboratory work until the end of the third year.
Second Year
Students who have completed their first year will continue learning the essentials of pharmacology, microbiology, pathology, surgical medicine, medical economics, and psychiatry the following year. In addition, medical students in the Philippines start to receive practical training in hospital conditions from the second grade.
Third Year
In this year, the curriculum aims to prepare medical students with the required knowledge and experience in patient management. The classes to be taken throughout the semester will make them aware of the symptoms and treatments of common diseases. It will allow them to learn the pathophysiology of rarely seen ailments by witnessing real cases.
Fourth Year
Before having their internships, mainly after the second or third year of school, students need to complete a thesis, a clinical spoken or practical exam, or an impartial research assignment. Then, in the last semester, you will be instructed to different departments of hospitals like obstetrics, pediatrics, internal medicine, or surgery for periods as an intern, and there will be a faculty member of your medical school to evaluate your performance during your rotations. Working with a counselor will allow you to benefit from her professional experiences and suggestions and may help develop your clinical skills.
Post-grad Internship
After completing four years in medical school successfully, students will receive their official “Doctor of Medicine” diplomas. Yet, they still need to finish a post-graduate internship. During the internship, students will witness medical cases in different fields, such as urology, gynecology, and pediatrics. The internship helps candidates learn patient management.
The Physician Licensure Exam
Even with the “Doctor of Medicine” certification, graduates cannot work in a medical company until they pass the physician licensure examination, which is given two times a year. The Board of Medicine (BOM) presents the exam and has two sorts: the basic and clinical sciences. The basic sciences category of the paper includes questions on
- anatomy,
- physiology,
- biochemistry,
- microbiology,
- pathology,
- and pharmacology.
And the second part that is considered clinical sciences consist of
- internal medicine,
- pediatrics,
- obstetrics and gynecology,
- surgery,
- legal medicine,
- and preventative medicine.
All prospective physicians need to have an overall average of 75%, providing scores above 50% for each exam subject. Students succeeding in getting the required scores can finally start working as general physicians in the country. On the contrary, one wishing to become a specialist must undergo medical residency programs.
What can a general physician do in the Philippines?
General physicians mainly diagnose common diseases and perform basic operations like immunization, wound suturing, and cryotherapy. GPs would refer patients to related specialists for complex and surgical conditions.
Can GPs work in private practice?
GP practices are generally private businesses. So, they can enter into commercial contracts with various medical companies in the public or private sector. Moreover, GPs may own medical clinics and provide private healthcare services.
What about Salaried GPs?
General physicians who are not so willing to take on the responsibility of setting up a clinic can also work as qualified salaried GPs. Irregular incomes and working hours would push general physicians to work with a health institution. It is also a more productive way for GPs to focus on clinical work without dealing with the administrative work of practice.
Closure
Working as a healthcare professional needs effort, patience and stability because you will spend a minimum of 5 years starting your career. To avoid regret, take a gap and consider all the pros and cons to understand whether you want to work in the healthcare system as a general physician. If it turns out to be your dream job, then you should look at Doctor Jobs Today to get pre-knowledge about your future profession.
Are you a General Practitioner looking for a new role in the healthcare industry? Here at Doctor Jobs Today, we provide the most reliable and well-curated vacancies from the best medical institutions in the Philippines. You can also access various recommendations and guidelines to help you stay on track. Get your CV ready and find your future career in Doctor Jobs Today, now!
About Doctor Jobs Today
Doctor Jobs Today is the first job-seeking platform in Southeast Asia dedicated to serving the job-searching needs of healthcare professionals. We have created a space to connect employers and medical job seekers seamlessly. As part of the healthcare community, we aim to cater to medical doctors for their vacancy inquiries better than traditional job portals. With Docquity, you will only get job options that are relevant to you, sourced from the prestigious healthcare institutions in the country, because we are just as picky as you are!
Doctor Jobs Today has all the suitable vacancies you’re dreamed about: a higher salary, a better-equipped hospital for your specialization, or even a career shift from patient care.
About Docquity
If your educational and professional experience has not been sufficient to make your CV pop, expanding the network to other healthcare professionals to practice peer-to-peer learning might be the answer. One way to do it is by joining a social platform for healthcare professionals, such as Docquity.
Docquity is an AI-based state-of-the-art private & secure continual learning network of verified doctors, bringing you real-time knowledge from thousands of doctors worldwide. Today, Docquity has over 300,000 doctors spread across six countries in Asia.
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