The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the entirety of our country; from the approval of the work from home and the schooling – to the heavier weight of thought for our medical and force front liners, it has never been the same. Along with this, the House of Representatives also bid the approval of the Medical Scholarship bill. This bill, in total, got 245 votes – and it has seen approval; now it is on its third (3rd) and final reading.
As per its author, Rufus Rodriguez, Cagayan de Oro City Representative; this will be a good opportunity to all college students who plan on taking up medicine in the future.
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It will open the opportunity for poor but deserving students to pursue a degree in medicine and serve their communities in the countryside. This is the answer to the lack of doctors in rural areas."
Technically speaking, once the Medical Scholarship Bill is approved, it can be the vessel to help out people in the country, especially when a pandemic hits.
Addressing the "lack of physicians"
Other than the foresight of a pandemic, this particular bill is also going to address the fact that the Philippines is lacking the right amount of physicians. By having plentiful of doctors and physicians, our country will be more prepared to combat other viruses, illnesses, and diseases, too.
For this Medical Scholarship Bill, otherwise known as the House Bill 6756; all students who are to be sought as eligible would be given the scholarship. The particular program would be some type of return service program in state universities and colleges – in higher private education institutions, especially in provinces and regions that do not offer a medical scholarship course.
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What Students Need
Akin to how other scholarships are made, there are certain requirements that aspiring scholars need to meet. In order for a particular interested applicant to gain this eligibility, the aspirant must be:
- A Filipino citizen;
- Currently a graduating student of a prerequisite course for a doctor of medicine degree;
- A graduate of a prerequisite course for a doctor of medicine degree;
- Must have passed the entrance examination;
- Must have complied or conformed with other requirements for holding a degree; and
- Should have gotten a national medical admission test score mandated by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
Should you be wondering, all appropriate committees and agencies have approved and endorsed the Medical Scholarship Bill; this makes it a legal and an approved bill, waiting for further signification. All agencies under its involvement have taken the notification about it – and they agreed.
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As per the bill, at least one (1) scholar must come from each town all throughout the country. Should no student qualify in a town, another student needs to become a scholar from the adjacent town, city, or municipality.
The bill, should it be signed into law, would oblige and urge a graduate to serve and to service people from their town, city, or municipality for at least four (4) years up to six (6) years. Should they fail to abide by this, they would need to return the amount that the government spent twice (2).
What the Medical Scholarship Bill Would Cover
Would the scholarship cover only the tuition fee? Would it include other fees as well? According to the proposed bill, the financial assistance would cover:
- Tuition Fee
- Other School Fees
- Books Allowance
- Equipment Allowance
- Supplies Allowance
- Dormitory Allowance
- Clothing and Transportation Allowance
- Fees for Internship
- Medical Board Review
- Other Living and Miscellaneous Expenses
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Who Should Apply for the House Bill 6756
Who are the right people to apply for it? Would it include freshmen and sophomores? Should you be a student aspiring to be a doctor; or if you are already a graduate and you are looking to have a scholarship for your medical school journey, the Medical Scholarship Bill is right for you.
Should it be signified into law, it would help tens of thousands of students who aspire to be doctors; more than the amount that has been forecasted.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine government saw this as an opportunity to help out all students who are in need. In case you know someone, passing this to them can help them in many given ways possible.
What do you think about the submission and the passing of the House Bill 6756 or more commonly known as the Medical Scholarship Bill? Do you think that this is a way on how our country can be more competitive in terms of our overall healthcare? Can this be the assistance that our aspiring doctors need?
Source/s: CNN Philippines | The Philippine Star
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