De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute
The De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute is a medical school and allied health institution established in 1979 and is a constituent of De La Salle Philippines. The institute consists of three service divisions: the academic division - consisting of the colleges and a senior high school, its teaching hospital - De La Salle University Medical Center, and a research facility - Angelo King Medical Research Center. Located in Dasmariñas City, Cavite, it sits only 3 kilometers from De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, a separate De La Salle campus where it is often mistaken as part of due to its proximity.
History
The De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute was started by a group of doctors from the College of Medicine of the University of the Philippines and the Philippine General Hospital who, in 1976, decided to establish a medical school to support the need for a well-trained staff for the newly inaugurated Medical Center Manila. Following the national government's policy of dispersing educational facilities outside the capital city and encouraging the establishment of medical schools in various regions of the country, they decided to establish a medical school in Dasmariñas City, Cavite. Originally named Emilio Aguinaldo College of Medicine, the school opened in 1979 under the management of the University Physician’s Foundation, Inc. with the Jose P. Rizal National Medical Research Center as its initial teaching hospital. Then on July 31, 1982, the Foundation inaugurated a 4-storey 180-bed teaching hospital, the University Medical Center.In June 1987, ownership and management were acquired by the De La Salle University Inc. In 1992, the college was renamed the De La Salle University College of Medicine and the hospital, the De La Salle University Medical Center. In June 1994, the management of the College of Physical Therapy which was then part of DLSU-Aguinaldo was turned over to the De La Salle University College of Medicine. By June 1995, the complex consisting of the College of Medicine, University Medical Center, College of Physical Therapy, and Research Services was named De La Salle University – Health Sciences Campus or DLSU-HSC under the ownership and administration of the St. Bro. Miguel Febres Cordero Medical Education Foundation.
In May 2000, the colleges under the administration of the DLSU-Health Sciences Campus increased with the transfer of the Colleges of Medical Radiation Technology and Nursing & Midwifery. Eventually, the institution’s name became De La Salle Health Sciences Institute upon approval of the Board of Trustees in September 2007.
In January 2018, the term “Medical” was included in the institution's name as granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In October 2019, DLSMHSI became an official member of the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance as confirmed by Banjong Ujjin, the Senior Programme Officer of the AUN Secretariat Team.
On October 25, 2019, the Commission on Higher Education, granted autonomous status to DLSMHSI through the CHED Memorandum Order No. 12, series of 2019. This means that the institution can enjoy a lot of benefits including being allowed to launch new courses/programs in the undergraduate and/or graduate levels including doctoral programs in areas of expertise without securing a permit/authority from CHED; only informing them of the programs to be offered.
Academics
Programs and Accreditations
DLSMHSI offers academic programs through its seven colleges and a special health sciences senior high school. Currently, four of its programs are accredited by PAASCU, a service organization that accredits academic programs which meet commonly accepted standards of quality education.Special Health Sciences Senior High School
- Grade 11
- Grade 12
- Doctor of Medicine - PAASCU Accredited Level III
- Bachelor of Science in Human Biology
- Bachelor of Science in Medical Biology
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing - PAASCU Accredited Level III
- Graduate in Midwifery
- Master of Arts in Nursing
- * Major in Medical-Surgical Nursing
- * Major in Maternal and Child Health Nursing
- Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy - PAASCU Accredited Level II
- Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy
- Bachelor of Science in Speech and Language Pathology
- PT Refresher Course
- Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Technology - PAASCU Accredited Level I
- Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Medicine Technology - first in the Philippines and in Asia to offer this program
- Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences
- Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy
- Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry
- Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology
The Special Health Sciences Senior High School was offered in A.Y. 2016-2017 in which the curriculum focuses on academic STEM Track blended with health-related courses. It is designed to prepare students in the field of health sciences leading to Doctor of Medicine.
The Nuclear Medicine Technology program opened in A.Y. 2019-2020 joining it to the former College of Medical Radiation Technology which was renamed thereafter. The Biotechnology course, on the other hand, was first offered in A.Y. 2020-2021 as the institution’s newest course offering after being granted the autonomous status by CHED.
Admission
DLSMHSI accepts walk-in, online, and foreign applicants for the senior high school, undergraduate, and medicine program. Medicine program applicants, however, should have taken the National Medical Admission Test and have a ranking score of 90th percentile or higher. An acceptance letter or acknowledgment letter from the Lasallian Admission & Scholarship Opportunities office will be received should the applicant pass all the criteria for screening and evaluation.The institution also offers scholarship opportunities to 20% of its student population. Currently, DLSMHSI has at least 10 institutional scholarship programs while also accepting externally funded scholarships.
Campus
DLSMHSI’s academic division has the largest portion in the institution’s 15 hectares of acquired land. It has 6 academic buildings to date.- College of Medicine Building - It houses the facilities of the College of Medicine. The building includes air-conditioned classrooms, auditorium, chapel, gross anatomy laboratory, dry laboratory, biochemistry laboratory, clinical skills simulation laboratory, and health informatics laboratory.
- Lourdes E. Campos, M.D. Building - The facilities of the College of Medical Laboratory Science and the College of Humanities and Sciences are in this building. The building includes air-conditioned classrooms, the Physics laboratory, the Chemistry laboratory, and the Biology laboratory. This is also where the admissions office and guidance counselor’s office can be found.
- Academic Center for Health Sciences - It houses the facilities of the College of Medical Imaging and Therapy, the College of Nursing, and the College of Rehabilitation Sciences. Most administrative offices of DLSMHSI are also here.
- College of Pharmacy Building - It is the newest building in the institution that houses the facilities of the College of Pharmacy. It was inaugurated on September 20, 2016 together with its industry partner, Mercury Drug Corporation.
- Romeo P. Ariniego, M.D., AFSC Library - It is a modern, air-conditioned, six-storey building that houses the extensive print and online book collections and resources of the library as well as the art collections of Dr. Ariniego, a former dean and faculty member of the College of Medicine. The library also features medicine and allied health sections, discussion rooms, lockers, and a learning commons. On December 17, 2019, it was chosen as the first ever recipient of the Innovative Library Design Award by the Philippine Association of Academic and Research Librarians, Inc.. The award “gives recognition to a library that showcases excellence in library design and demonstrates the impact of such innovative library design on learning, teaching and research”. The official awarding ceremony was held on January 31, 2020 during PAARL’s 47th General Assembly.
- De La Salle Animo Center - It serves as the venue for sports, culture, and other social, civic, and cultural endeavors of the DLSMHSI community. Physical Education classes are also held here. It is an enclosed and air-conditioned gymnasium that features a basketball court, volleyball court, badminton court, fitness center, stage, bleachers, and shower rooms.
- Dormbuilt - In-campus dormitory
- Swimming Pool
- Track and Field Oval
- Soccer Field
- Beach Volleyball Court
- Café Verde - Two-storey cafeteria
- Residencia De La Salle - A private residence of the De La Salle Brothers
- Guest Houses
International Partners
Notable People
Over the years, DLSMHSI has produced and recognized remarkable people in their respective fields.Alumni
- Willie Ong - He was a graduate of Doctor of Medicine. He served as a consultant at the Department of Health from 2010 to 2015. He is also the founder and chair of the Society of Philippine Health History. In 2019, he ran for a senatorial seat and finished 18th place with nearly 8 million votes.
- Maria Rosario S. Vergeire - She was a graduate of Doctor of Medicine. She is the current undersecretary for public health services and spokesperson of the Department of Health.
- Raul V. Destura - He was a graduate of Doctor of Medicine. He is currently serving as the deputy executive director of the Philippine Genome Center. In January 2020, he led a team that created the Lab-in-a-Mug device – a faster and cheaper diagnostic kit for dengue disease released by the startup company, Manila HealthTek Inc. In March 2020, he also spearheaded a team of Filipino scientists, from both the Philippine Genome Center and University of the Philippines Manila's National Institutes of Health, that developed a local COVID-19 rapid test kit called the GenAmplify™ COVID-19 rRT-PCR Detection Kit which was later approved by the FDA for commercial use.
- Manuel Francisco T. Roxas - He was a graduate of Doctor of Medicine. He is the former president of Philippine Colorectal Society and former chairman of Philippine College of Surgeons. In 2013, he was selected as an international scholar to the national surgery quality improvement program by the American College of Surgeons.
- Former presidents of the Philippine Pediatric Society - Southern Tagalog Chapter: Evelyn M. Dolor, Vicente M. Caluag III, Madeleine Grace M. Sosa, Regente I. Lapak, Cristina P. Magno, and Bibiano D'B. Reyes Jr..
Others
- Vivian Que-Azcona - She is the current president and chairman of Mercury Drug Foundation, Inc. and president of the Mercury Drug Corporation. On March 05, 2020, she received an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Science from DLSMHSI.
De La Salle University Medical Center
The De La Salle University Medical Center acts as the teaching hospital of DLSMHSI. Owned by the De La Salle Brothers Philippines and administered by the Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres, it offers a tertiary level of medical care. The offices of the clinical departments and the full-time clinical faculty members are in this hospital. Since 1995, the expansion program has increased the hospital's bed capacity to a total of 300 beds. The De La Salle University Medical Center includes many state-of-the-art medical equipment. The hospital also leads other private hospitals in Cavite in setting up medical wards intended for the poor enrolled in the Cavite Governor's health reform program, Dignidad at Kalidad.
In 1990, a 4-storey annex, the Raul Wu Chiu Kuan Building was added. Modern equipment continued to be acquired to make DLSUMC comparable with any of the large hospitals in Metro Manila. A Pulmonary Unit, Hemodialysis Unit, 12-bed Intensive Care Unit, Cardiovascular Laboratory, CT Scan, Echo-Doppler, and Ultrasonography are just some of the services offered by the medical center.
August 28, 1997 marked the inauguration of the 10-storey hospital annex building, the De La Salle University-Doña Teodorica Favis Vda. De Rivera Hall.
In October 1999, the De La Salle University Medical Center became the first hospital in the Philippines to receive an ISO 9001 Certification and in July 2003 it received a Certification by the TUV–Rheinland and Berlin– Brandenburg Group of Companies.
Departments and Services
- Anesthesia
- Emergency Medicine
- Family and Community Medicine
- Internal Medicine
- *Allergy and Immunology, Cardiology, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Hematology, Infectious Diseases, Nephrology, Oncology, Pulmonology, Neurology, and Rheumatology
- Laboratory Medicine
- *Hematology, Serology and Immunology, Clinical Chemistry, Microscopy, Microbiology, Blood Transfusion, Surgical Pathology and Cytology
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- *Perinatology, OB-Gyne Ultrasound, Trophoblastic Disease, Gynecologic Oncology, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Infectious Disease, and Gynecologic Endoscopy
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopedics
- *Trauma Surgery, Sports Medicine and Arthroscopic Surgery, Joint Replacement Surgery, Shoulder Surgery, Spine Surgery, Musculoskeletal Tumor Surgery, Orthopedic Pediatric Surgery, Limb Lengthening and Deformity Correction, Foot and Ankle Surgery
- Otorhinolaryngology
- *Head and Neck Surgery, Audiology, Otology, Rhinopharyngology, Laryngology and Voice Rehabilitation, Bronchoesophagology, Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Facial Aesthetic Surgery, Newborn Hearing Screening, Hearing and Audiometer Evaluator, and Sleep Laboratory
- Pediatrics
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
- *Magnetic Resonance Imaging, CT-Scan, DEXA Bone Densitometry, Nuclear Medicine, Mammography, Ultrasonography, C-Arm Machine Scan and General Radiology
- Surgery
Angelo King Medical Research Center
The De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute-Angelo King Medical Research Center was established on April 7, 1994 to house, in one facility, all research activities of DLSMHSI. It has a Level 3 accreditation from the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board, the highest accreditation level that they grant to Research Ethics Committees in research institutions, which enables it to conduct studies for Food and Drug Administration.
Researches within the institution have been further spurred on by membership in national and international networks such as the International Clinical Epidemiology Network as well as its regional and local affiliates. Other networks include the International Network for the Rational Use of Drugs and the Adverse Drug Reaction Network. The institution is also an active member of non-governmental organizations & academic groups such as the Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis and the National TB Study Group.
In terms of research education, the research center, through the De La Salle Clinical Epidemiology Unit, is the main training center for the Southern Luzon region; hosting annual research workshops and seminars, and providing facilities for the promotion of research. Annually, the research center is responsible for the production of hundreds of researches from the faculty, consultants, medical residents and students of the institution.
Research Centers and Units
- Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine
- * Traditional Indigenous Medicine Unit
- * Mind/Body Intervention Unit
- * Alternative Nutrition Unit
- Center for Tuberculosis Research
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Center for Basic Biomedical Research
- * Interdisciplinary Science and Research Unit
- * Laboratory Testing and Services Unit
- * Animal Research Unit
- Center for Biopharmaceutical Research
- * Drug Surveillance Unit
- * Toxicology Unit
- * Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics Unit
- Center for Academic Health Sciences Research