This year, twenty-seven students have been given the opportunity to be scholars of the Department of Health. Last August 21, 2019, the scholars together with their legal guardians went to the DOH Regional Office in Mandurriao Iloilo to attend the orientation of the said scholarship program as well as the signing of contracts. Out of the 27 new scholars, 18 are from the freshmen, 1 came from the second year and 8 from the third year.
The orientation program was held in order to inform the scholars and their guardians of the scholarship’s inclusions, goals as well as the return of service policy through the Doctors-to-the-Barrios program.
Also present in the said event was Dr. Suzane Lucero the Chairperson of the Scholarship Committee of the West Visayas State University- College of Medicine.
Questions regarding the scholarship program and the return of service policy were entertained during the open forum. This gave the students and their guardians the opportunity to ask and clarify the terms and agreement of the contract. All the concerns of the future scholars and their guardians were satisfactorily addressed by the representative from the DOH and by Dr. Lucero herself.
The Medical Scholarship program by the DOH covers the full tuition and miscellaneous fees of their scholars and a monthly allowance. They also provide a summer internship program for the incoming second years and third years. As a way of paying back the government, scholars are expected to become part of the DTTB program in order to help the DOH in its goal to provide every Filipino the access to quality healthcare and services, especially the poor and marginalized sectors of our communities.