DMSF turns 43, with tremendous ‘points of pride’ for Dabawenyos (First of 2 Parts)

By Antonio M. Ajero with Edith T. Isidro, PIA

The monolithic non-profit Davao Medical School Foundation, Inc., or simply DMSF, celebrates its 43^rd founding anniversary this month with numerous achievements to its name.

Officials of DMSF led by Dr. Jonathan A. Alegre, president and Dr. Jose Rene L. Lacuesta, chairman of the board, enumerated the school’s milestones which they called “points of pride,” during a press conference last Friday inside its sprawling campus along Dr. Alberto Gahol Avenue in Bajada, Davao City. Joining Drs. Alegre and  Lacuesta to describe the school’s achievements since its establishment in 1976 by a consortium of local colleges, hospitals and a foundation were Oliver G. Victoriano, chief operations officer; Dr. Erwin Rommel N. Hontiveros, College of Medicine assistant dean; Dr. Gary M. Batiller, College of Dentistry dean;  Dean Armi A. Go of the College of Nursing and Midwifery; Dean Victoria T. Lupase of the Graduate School; IPHC Executive Director Josephine G. Alindajao; Dr. Sheila Marie Q. Hernandez, DMSF Hospital assistant medical director; and Dr.  Fides  Ababon, director of the country’s first and only Center for Health Care Simulation.

The presscon was carried live via Facebook by the Kapihan sa PIA moderated by Rodulph Alama.

Points of pride

Among the points of pride in the College of Medicine alone as enumerated by Drs. Alegre and Lacuesta were:

·     First medical school in Mindanao, which is accredited by PAASCU (Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities)

·     Recognized as one of the six top performing schools among the country’s 52 medical school, DMSF is also recognized internationally

·     Performance of DMSF graduates in the board exams for the past four years is more than 98% passing average and in the recent two years always 100% for the core batches.

·     The faculty is composed of  dedicated, committed and competent as well as internationally-trained professionals. It has more than 500 parttime faculty and 53 fulltime faculty members.

·     A very modern and innovative school in terms of instruction and assessment. It the only medical school with  a worldclass simulation center that teaches clinical competence from second year up to the fourth year.  Because of this, DMSF is often visited for benchmarking by medical schools in Manila such as UST and La Salle.

·     Students choose the school because of the excellent instruction, exposure and numerous affiliated hospitals such as DDH, SPMC, MDMRC, SPH, Brokenshire Hospital and Anda Riverview Medical Center and Davao Regional Hospital in Tagum City.

·     DMSF has  international collaborations with such institutions as Johns Hopkins University, Lee Kong Chan University in Singapore, University of Barcelona-Odissea Project.

·     The school’s research center has been recognized and validated by the European Union Commission as a research institute and has been awarded with a grant named MSCA RISE, thus enabling the staff to be trained internationally.

·     DMSF is a member of Tuklas Lunas Center consortium organized and supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)

·     DMSF has a High Power Liquid Chromatography  capable of determining the phytochemical component of a plant extract.  The school also has a Real Time Polymerace Chain reaction unit for DND Analysis.  Its  animal house has been approved by the Bureau of Animal Industry.

College of Dentistry

The DMSF’s College of Dentistry has the following points of pride:

·      2013 – 1^ST Place – Dr. Edisson Cabillar (now a Public Health Dentist, Carmen, Davao del Norte)

·     6^th place – Dr, Kathleen Mascardo (now taking up Masteral Studies in the USA)

·     2015 – 2^ND place – /dr. Michael Jan Antes (now taking Doctoral in Taiwan)

·     6^th place – Dr. Shahzaadee Imlan (now a Public Health Dentist in Jolo, Sulu)

·     2017 – 8^th place – Dr. Therese Grace Adlawan

·     2018 – 4^th place – Dr. Chistian Nida Lumongsod

·     2019 – 9^th place – Dr. Alyssa Gonzales (now a faculty

1.   Comprehensive Dental treatment although with modern equipment facility at the New Dental Infirmary

65 Dental chairs

Operating Room

Special Treatment for Pedodontic patients

Denture Laboratory

25 simulators

Modern X-ray facility

( To be continued)