A General Surgeon is a medical doctor who specializes in performing surgical procedures. They diagnose, treat, and prevent a range of diseases and conditions involving the abdominal organs, breast, endocrine glands, and skin. General Surgeons are trained in open and minimally invasive surgical techniques. In addition, and often work closely with other specialists to provide comprehensive care for their patients. This article will discuss how to become a General Surgeon in the Philippines.
We will talk about the following:
- Requirements to become a General Surgeon in the Philippines
- Career opportunities for a General Surgeon in the Philippines
- Tips to become a successful General Surgeon in the philippines
Requirements to become a General Surgeon in the Philippines
To become a General Surgeon in the Philippines, one must complete a Medicine degree and pass the Licensure Exam. Then it will be followed by a five-year residency program in general surgery and passing the Surgery Certification Exam. After obtaining a professional ID and registering with the PMC, one can practice as a licensed and certified General Surgeon. Below is the detailed journey to start your surgeon career in the Philippines.
Pre-medical courses
Pre-medical courses in the Philippines are undergraduate programs that provide a strong foundation in the natural and social sciences. It will prepare students for a career in medicine. These programs typically include biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and social sciences courses, laboratory experiences, and clinical exposure. The goal is to provide students with the needed knowledge and skills to succeed in medical school.
However, pursuing an educational path with a non-medical course from a different major is also adequate. This flexibility benefits people deciding to become physicians after a few years of training in a particular major.
MD degree
Receiving your Medicine degree is the primary requirement to become a physician in the Philippines. After completing high school, prospective medical students must have either a fast or standard track to take the MD. While the fast track lets you have your degree in six years, a standard track often lasts eight years. You can see the list of the fast tracks you can take in the country below:
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.
Bachelor in Human Biology at De La Salle University
Bachelor of Science in Human Biology at De La Salle University offers qualified and successful students the chance to earn their doctorate 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 introductory 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 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 just two years of general courses.
The National Medical Admission Test (NMAT)
Another medical school requirement is the National Medical Admission Test, NMAT. Students wanting to enroll in medical school must pass the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT). The Center for Educational Measurement, CEM administers the exam twice a year.
NMAT aims to see whether the student is ready to be enrolled in medical school in two steps. The first part measures students’ verbal skills, inductive interpretation, numerical ability, and perceptual alertness through repetitive practice tests. Then the second part consists of academic competence tests in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Social Sciences.
Students will be admitted to medical schools according to their college scores and NMAT results. So, one can take advantage of Latin honors and high NMAT grades. Required NMAT results may differ, depending on the medical school.
Medical school requirements
Completing a few pre-med courses and giving the NMAT successfully, you will take a couple of last steps to be enrolled in your dream medical school in the Philippines. You must undergo a final admission assessment with pretty much the same structure as the National Medical Admission Test. Those two being likely, students who had their NMATs successfully before would not face significant challenges during their assessments.
Additionally, prospective medical students must not have any record of moral immorality, such as forgery, robbery, rape, or equivalents. They need to prove it with official documents during the enrollment process of medical school. Once the admission assessment is completed, students must present their CEMeds, which is the certificate of eligibility for admission to medical courses. 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,
- CEMed submission form.
Also, students should have a reference letter from either a faculty member or the College Dean of their previous educational institution for the admission process, including the panel interviews. The panel interview aims to identify whether the student is indeed shaped to become a physician in the country. Besides, the interview is a great opportunity for administrators to dig deep into the characteristics of candidates. Consequently, it is also a chance to show up as yourself with a proper confidence level to perform your academic and social achievements.
Medical school curriculum
Medical school may be a completely new journey for students from various backgrounds. The 5-year educational path has different curriculums for each year, as stated:
First Year
In the initial year of the medical training, students take courses in biochemistry, public health, human anatomy and physiology, preventive medicine, psychiatry, and medical practice and begin to attend laboratory work which will continue until the end of the third year.
Second Year
In the second year, students will learn the essentials of pharmacology, microbiology, pathology, surgical medicine, medical economics, and psychiatry. In addition, medical students in the Philippines start to receive practical training in hospital conditions from the second grade.
Third Year
The system in the third year of 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 and 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 have a thesis, a clinical spoken or practical exam, or an impartial research assignment to complete. Then, in the last semester, they 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 to evaluate students’ performance during rotations. Working with a counselor will allow students to benefit from her professional experiences and suggestions and may help develop some clinical skills.
Internship
After completing four years in medical school, students can take their official “Doctor of Medicine” diplomas, and now they need to finish a post-graduate internship. During the internship, students will witness medical cases in different fields, such as urology, gynecology, and pediatrics. It makes candidates improve in patient management.
The Philippine Medical Licensure Examination
The Philippine Medical Licensure Examination is a standardized exam that tests the competency and knowledge of a medical graduate who wants to practice medicine in the Philippines. The exam consists of two parts: the Philippine Medical Council (PMC) Clinical Skills Examination, which assesses clinical skills, and the PMC Written Examination, which evaluates medical knowledge. The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) administers the exam, and successful candidates are awarded a medical license and can practice medicine in the Philippines.
Candidates must receive an overall average of 75%, providing scores above 50% for each exam section. Students taking the required scores can start working as general practitioners in the Philippines. However, to qualify as a General Surgeon in the country, one must also undergo a surgery residency which often lasts 4 to 5 years.
Medical Residency in General Surgery
To pass the Philippine Physician’s Licensure Examination, you must take a medical residency conducted in the hospital environment. One willing to qualify as a General Surgeon must undergo a medical residency in general surgery. The surgery residency aims to upgrade the physician’s surgical reasoning, clinical, and technical skills for their future careers. During the residency, physicians are trained to treat various diseases affecting any part of the human body that requires surgical treatments. The residency program also informs physicians about trauma and critical care of patients.
Fellowships
Physicians can either start practicing as General Surgeons or take a fellowship to gain a subspecialty in general surgery. There are various options for General Surgeons to achieve a subspecialty, such as:
- Breast surgery,
- Critical care medicine,
- Cardiothoracic surgery,
- Colorectal surgery,
- Hand surgery,
- Minimally invasive surgery,
- Pediatric surgery,
- Surgical critical care,
- Surgical oncology,
- Transplant surgery,
- Vascular surgery.
During the fellowship, surgeons are trained on the details of their subspecialties.
What are the career opportunities for a General Surgeon in the Philippines?
As a General Surgeon in the Philippines, one can work in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, and private practice. Some potential career opportunities include:
- Hospital-based General Surgeon. Working in a hospital setting, performing surgical procedures, and providing care for patients with various conditions and diseases.
- Clinic-based General Surgeon. Providing surgical care in a clinic or ambulatory surgery center, performing procedures on an outpatient basis.
- Private practice General Surgeon. Setting up a solo or group practice and providing surgical care to patients in the community.
- Academic General Surgeon. Working in a university or academic medical center, training the next generation of surgeons, and researching to advance the field.
- Specialty General Surgeon. Pursuing additional training and certification in a subspecialty of general surgery, such as bariatric, endocrine, or pediatric surgery.
Tips to become a successful General Surgeon in the philippines
To become a successful General Surgeon in the Philippines, you should:
- Focus on excellence in clinical care. Prioritize providing high-quality, patient-centered surgical care, following evidence-based guidelines and best practices.
- Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in surgery. Continuously educate yourself on new techniques, technologies, and treatments in general surgery and related fields.
- Build strong relationships with colleagues and patients. Foster collaboration and communication with other healthcare providers, and develop strong connections with your patients to provide personalized care.
- Seek out opportunities for professional development. Pursue additional training and education, such as fellowship programs or continuing medical education courses, to enhance your skills and knowledge.
- Maintain professional ethics and standards. You should adhere to the medical profession’s ethical principles and prioritize your patients’ well-being and safety above all else.
Conclusion
To be a successful General Surgeon, one should seek out mentors, stay up-to-date with advances in the field, develop good communication skills, be compassionate and empathetic, and take care of themselves. These qualities will help one provide the best possible care to their patients and build a successful career as a General Surgeon in the Philippines.
Are you a General Surgeon 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. So here, 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 right vacancies you’re dreamed about: a higher salary, a better-equipped hospital for your specialization, or even a career shift from patient care.
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