Scholarship Program for Medicine & Midwifery

I will forever be grateful to the Philippine Army Finance Center Producers Integrated Cooperative (PAFCPIC) for their unwavering support back when I was in college. Through their scholarship, I was able to graduate with honors and passed the Nurse Licensure Examination.

After graduation, I spent more than five years as a staff nurse at Fort Bonifacio General Hospital. I took the NCLEX and passed all the requirements required for nurses in the US. You might be wondering why I did not push through with the work waiting for me in New York, it was a personal decision when I got married back in 2013. I'm happy where I am right now. Through blogging, I could share all the things I learned in school and hospital setting. In my own little ways, I am advocating living a healthy lifestyle.

with  Doctor Jeffrey Lappay, a fellow Scholar of PAFCPIC

DOH Medical Scholarship Program for 2018-2019

How about you? Do you see yourself becoming a medical professional? Here's a good news! The Department of Health (DOH) in Central Visayas reopened its scholarship program for medicine and midwifery to help students who dreams of becoming a doctor or midwife. The successful applicants, after graduation must be willing to serve the public health sector especially in disadvantaged areas in the country.

The 'Pinoy MD Program' was stopped in 2013 due to budget constraints but was revived in 2016 when the Senate pushed for the “Medical Scholarship Act of 2016”, an Act Providing Medical Scholarships in State Universities and Colleges to Qualified Students and Other Purposes that Senator Vicente Sotto III introduced.

The DOH Medical Scholarship Program is open to indigenous people (IPs), local health workers, Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) and employees of DOH and their children who want to become doctors and midwives.

Natividad revealed that for Central Visayas there are two slots available at the University of Cebu Medical Center (UCMED) in Mandaue City and four slots at the Southwestern University in Urgello, Cebu City.

“We are still in negotiations with UV-Gullas Medical School in Cebu to become partners with DOH. For the midwifery course, 12 slots will be offered at the University of Bohol in Tagbilaran City starting next year,” Natividad said during an interview with Manila Bulletin.

DOH Medical Scholarship Program is a joint project of the DOH, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), several State Universities/Colleges in the country and some local government units and partner private universities and colleges.

The Medicine scholarship program provides more than P100,000 a year for a five-year scholarship package that includes allowances for National Admission Test, registration fee, tuition, books, uniform allowances, miscellaneous fees, including lodging, transportation, and PhilHealth premiums.

Scholars taking midwifery course are entitled to a book allowance of P10,000 for every semester, uniform allowance at P2,500 every year, tuition and other miscellaneous fees as well, Natividad added.

How to apply for DOH Medical Scholarship Program

Aspiring scholars need to apply directly to the DOH partner schools and submit requirements. After successfully passing the board exam, the scholars are required to serve the provincial hospital for at least five years.

For more information about the DOH Medical and Midwifery Scholarship Program, you may visit the DOH website here.

Good luck to all aspiring scholarship. Kudos to the Department of Health for helping Filipinos achieved their dreams of becoming a medical professional.