Gynecologists are healthcare professionals specialized in the healthcare of the female reproductive system. Gynecologists diagnose and provide healthcare for ailments related to the female reproductive system, including the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and breasts. This article will discuss how to become a gynecologist in the Philippines.
We will talk about the following:
- What is a gynecologist?
- Requirements to become a doctor in gynecology in the Philippines
- Pre-medical courses
- The National Medical Admission Test (NMAT)
- Enrollment in the Medical School
- Medical College Curriculum
- The Physician Licensure Exam
- Medical residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology
What is a gynecologist?
Women with pelvic, vulvar, or vaginal pain can see a gynecologist. Besides, teenagers should start seeing a GYN between ages 13 and 15 to do regular check-ups. It is super-important to diagnose the reproductive system, including ovaries, regularly to see whether there is a medical concern. WebMD officially states that 80% of women having routine appointments with a gynecologist are often between the ages of 15 and 45.
A few of the health problems a gynecologist can offer care for are:
- endometriosis,
- infertility,
- ovarian cysts,
- pelvic pain,
- ovarian cancers,
- and cervical cancers.
Gynecology is part of the OBGYN specialty, which consists of obstetrics and gynecology. Gynecologists are mainly trained to treat abnormal menstruation, uterine fibroids, vaginal polyps, and diseases. On the other hand, obstetric physicians are trained to handle pregnancy diseases like preeclampsia, ectopic pregnancy, or placenta issues. Besides, obstetrics care for cases of women after delivering their babies.
Requirements to become a doctor in gynecology in the Philippines
Most healthcare professionals spend nearly 40 hours per week working in hospitals. Thus, doctors need to be ready to handle overloaded duties. To get a doctorate degree, students must complete at least six years of medical training, during which they will have a variety of assignments to meet. Because becoming a physician is time-consuming, one better knows about the medical school curriculum and the career path afterward.
Start with an MD degree
To get Doctor of Medicine degrees, students must complete either a fast or standard track after graduating high school. Students preferring to have a fast track will receive their MD degrees within six years. On the other hand, students taking a standard track need to spend four years to get a baccalaureate degree and four more years for medical training. There are a couple of institutions providing fast tracks, such as:
University of the Philippines’ Intarmed
University of the Philippines’ Intarmed only accepts students in the first 10 percent of students with UPCAT. The university offers students a 7-year medical program which they can take straight from high school.
Bachelor in Human Biology at De La Salle University
De La Salle University’s Bachelor of Science in Human Biology selects qualified and successful students and presents them with the chance to earn their doctorate degree within six years. During the first two years, students need to work on DLSU-Taft. Afterward, for the third year, they must take essential medicine courses at DLSU-Med.
De La Salle University, Dasmarinas
De La Salle University also offers students the chance to complete their medical training in a shorter period, such as a BS in Biochemistry. The university has a BS curriculum in Medical Biology, like the BS in Human Biology, which we previously saw at DLSU-Taft.
The University of Santo Tomas
The University of Santo Tomas also began to present a fast track for medical students in 2019. The program is called “Innovative Doctor of Medicine.” The structure of the track has a challenging collection process. Thus, students who manage to complete the program can have their medical degrees with no need to achieve a bachelor’s degree just after two years of general courses.
Benefits of pre-medical courses
There are beneficial pre-medical courses for prospective physicians to complete before medical college. Pre-medical courses can provide students a pre-knowledge about both contents and challenges of medical residency. Some pre-medical courses are bachelor of science in biology, psychology, pharmacy, public health, and physical therapy.
Moreover, it is also better for students who work for a different major to take at least one of the pre-medicine courses. The reason is that some graduates may change their mindsets about their desired career trajectories and suddenly decide to become a physician. Yet, although completing a few pre-medical courses is ideal, pursuing a medical educational path with a different course is also okay.
The National Medical Admission Test (NMAT)
Each medical student must successfully give the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) before enrolling in medical school. NMAT is presented to measure if the candidate is ready to enter medical school. The Center for Educational Measurement, CEM administers the exam twice per year.
NMAT mainly includes two different parts. The first part aims to measure the verbal skill, inductive interpretation, numerical ability, and perceptual alertness of candidates through practical tests. The second part consists of academic competence tests in some courses such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Social Sciences.
Students will be admitted to medical schools in parallel with their college scores and NMAT results. They can take advantage of Latin honors and high NMAT grades. Required NMAT scores may differ corresponding to the medical school.
Enrollment in the Medical School
After having a proper NMAT score, one must undergo a testing process as an admission assessment to enroll in medical school. The admission test is often structured the same as the NMAT. Consequently, students who had their NMATs before could handle significant challenges.
Besides, students must prove that they do not have any record of moral immorality, such as forgery, robbery, rape, or equivalents by official documents during the enrollment process. Also, students need to present their CEMeds and the certificate of eligibility for admission to medical college. To take CEMed, one needs to provide the birth certificate, proof of ethical persona, the transcript of records (TOR), the original copy or the duplicate of the NMAT, a copy of the Certificate of Graduation verified by the school administrator, and CEMed submission form.
In addition to the official documentaries, students better take a reference letter from a faculty member. A recommendation letter may bring you benefits during the interviews. The panel interviews aim to identify whether the student is shaped to be a physician. Also, it is a chance for administrators to dig into the characteristics of prospective students. Thus, it is essential to show up confidently. It will also be helpful to perform your academic and social achievements during interviews.
Medical College 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, preventive medicine, public health, human anatomy and physiology, psychiatry, and medical practice and begin to attend laboratory work which will continue until the end of the third year.
Second Year
After first-year completion in medical school, students will learn 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
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 Physician Licensure Exam
Each prospective physician in the country must pass the physician licensure exam to receive their doctorate degree. Having the “Doctor of Medicine” certification is not only enough to work in the healthcare system of the Philippines. The Board of Medicine, BOM often conducts the physician licensure exam twice per year. The exam consists of 2 parts such as the basic and clinical sciences. The primary sciences category of the paper includes questions on anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, and pharmacology. The second part, which is on clinical sciences, consists of the following:
- internal medicine,
- pediatrics,
- obstetrics and gynecology,
- surgery,
- legal medicine,
- and preventative medicine.
The candidates must have an overall average of 75%. That provides scores above 50% for each session of the exam. Students passing the exam become general practitioners. Yet, to be a gynecologist, they must undergo four years of OB-GYN residency.
Medical residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology
In the Philippines, residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology are performed in combination. The OB-GYN medical residency aims to characterize physicians with clinical perfection and intellectual curiosity in the female reproductive system.
Completing residency, physicians may prefer to have a fellowship to get a specialization in one of the subfields of OB-GYN which mainly are:
- Breast care,
- Family care,
- Pediatric / adolescent surgery,
- Pelvic medicine,
- Reconstructive surgery.
After completing the medical residency, you can start working as a gynecologist or continue with a fellowship to get a sub-specialty.
Conclusion
Being an internist requires great attention, patience, stability, and effort. To become a physician, you must undergo five years of medical training with several internships and assignments. To feel the great satisfaction of your role, you need to make sure that you are pleased to help others and that you are ready to make sacrifices when needed. Taking a gap and considering the pros and cons of being a doctor would be beneficial to understand whether you want to work in the healthcare system. If you wish to have a pleasant profession that you will probably continue for long periods, it is better to think in control of your academic path.
Are you a gynecologist 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!
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