ADMISSION POLICIES FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026
The UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery prides itself with more than 150 years of academic excellence. It is recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) of the Philippines as a Center of Excellence, where students receive not only quality education but extensive training in research as well. Admission to the medical school is competitive. Since the yearly number of applicants is significantly high, a set of criteria and guidelines are employed to screen and select qualified prospective first year medical students. These guidelines are aligned with the mission and vision of both the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and the University of Santo Tomas.
- About four hundred and eighty (480) candidates are accepted into the First-Year level of the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) program yearly. A percentage of slots is reserved for UST graduates. Foreign students comprise about 5% to 7% of the total first year population.
- Anyone wishing to enter the Doctor of Medicine program must have a strong foundation in the biological sciences during their undergraduate college years. Without such background, it would be difficult to catch up with the intense demands of studying Medicine. Hence, the preferred preparatory programs for entry into medical school are Biological Sciences programs that are primarily structured as pre-medicine courses such as B.S. Biology (and its equivalents in various University systems) and Allied Sciences programs like B.S. Medical Technology, B.S. Pharmacy, B.S. Nursing, B.S. Public Health, and B.S. Physical Therapy. Other bachelor's degree holders may still apply but it is highly recommended that they take supplemental units in the Biological Sciences, Chemistry (including Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry) and Physics.
It is understood that successful applicants should have graduated with their respective bachelor's degree without issue prior to enrollment.
- Freshmen slots are limited and therefore highly competitive. As a rule, scholastic standing and NMAT performance are given the biggest weight when narrowing the probable candidates for admission. Hence, to have a good head start, the applicant must present a scholastic performance recorded average of at least 2.00/B+/86%, WITH NO FAILURES before the period of application; and a National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) score of at least eighty-five percentile (85%ile).
Once the results have been released, no appeal for reconsideration will be entertained for those who failed to submit all the application requirements on time. - In addition to the NMAT, the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery reserves the right to require other forms of diagnostic examination/s deemed necessary to further assess the intellectual, psychological, moral, and physical competencies of the applicants, as a supplementary screening procedure.
- English is the medium of instruction in the Faculty. Non-English-speaking international applicants must present TOEFL/ESL results with a total TOEFL score of 93 (and its equivalent in ESL) with a minimum score of 22 for Writing and Speaking. In addition, international students and/or non-Filipino (non-Tagalog) speaking applicants must learn to speak Filipino as an eventual requirement for second year to fourth year levels as they undergo actual patient encounters in the hospital wards and in the ambulatory clinics.
- All required certificates of good moral character must be submitted on or before the end of the application period. No other written/verbal endorsements from individuals other than those listed below will be accepted. The two (2) Certificates of good moral character should come from the following:
- (1) School Administrator, and
- (1) Professor
- Professional license issued by the Government Licensure Agency (e.g. Professional Regulation Commission for local applicants and its equivalent for international applicants) and certifications of the applicant’s leadership credentials and involvement in socio-civic/religious missions or volunteer work as well as other graduate/post-graduate diplomas will be given appropriate credit during the admission screening process. Likewise, alumni and children of alumni and/or faculty/administrative staff of UST are given appropriate point credits.
- As a rule, the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery does NOT accept transferees from any other medical school nor any applicant who has previously taken units in the Doctor of Medicine Program of another school.
- Applicants with records of being convicted of any crime or felony are not eligible for admission.
- Upon enrollment, a waiver will be signed by the enrollee stating that if any inconsistency in the submitted application requirements is discovered, he/she could be expelled from the medical school at any time, regardless of the year level once the inconsistency is established. Examples of such infractions include, but are not limited to:
- Incorrect entry of grades or units
- Inaccurate entry of personal data
- Falsified certificates, diplomas, and other documents
