Doctors for God and country

Spiralling healthcare costs, immigration of skilled health care workers, and expensive education of health care workers contribute to the state of the nation’s health woes. In terms of health problems, the country is still struggling with communicable diseases that commonly afflict susceptible segments of the population. At the same time, a significant number of Filipinos are with lifestyle related diseases. This is further aggravated by the growing economic divide between the urban and rural countryside. It is against this background that the Ateneo de Zamboanga University School of Medicine emerged. This institution of learning is innovative for its curriculum utilized the problem-based approach and focused on three strands namely the professional skill, community strand, and the population strand. While the professional strand allows the cultivation of skills necessary for the practice of medicine, the community strand and population strand dissects the different factors that affect health of the people as a whole. It believes in the process of transformative education and is convinced that its students can enact positive changes in the community they serve even while they are studying medicine. It is fervent in its belief that institutions of learning must also be centers of social accountability. It is in this light that the school of medicine sends its students to the community – not merely as excursion or exposure trip but as an avenue of experiential learning and transformation. The class of 2013 thus was designated to be agents of change in Mutia, Zamboanga del Norte. This would not be the first batch to be sent and definitely not the last. Armed with the desire to be of assistance and fuelled with the passion to serve the community, the class thus stayed with the people. It is arduous and challenging to be away from your family, friends, and comfort zone. Yet for the past years that we have stayed amongst the community people, we have acquired the love of Mutia, the love for Barangay Tinglan, our home away from home. This love is the spark that flames our zeal for excellence and commitment for the empowerment of people. Community organizing, participative assembly, research, formulation and implementation of health plans are some of the activities which the group spearheads. The thirteen assigned, rather fated to live, in Tinglan, Mutia changed their perspectives in life. We thank the school, our preceptors, and more importantly the community people in Tinglan for allowing the paradigm shift in us. We are forever in your debt.