THE UNIVERSITY of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao will launch its School of Medicine (SoMed) campus at the former Philippine Baking Institute in Ecoland on Sept 4, 2026.
According to Dr. Maria Fatima Quianzon-Manuel, college secretary for the School of Medicine, the current facility will serve as a temporary location for five years. The campus had started its first and pioneering batch of 40 students last Aug 17, where they will graduate in the year 2031.
The majority of the students are from Mindanao, with some from NCR and Visayas.
“The launching will formally introduce what UP Mindanao School of Medicine is. Its vision, direction, curriculum, and the educational approach,” Manuel said during the Wednesdays Media Forum on Sept 2.
She also shared that the permanent building for SoMed will be built at the UP Mindanao main campus in Mintal based on the university’s proposal and timeline.
Presently, the campus has four full-time faculty members and one dean, including lecturers who are working part-time for the entire five years for the pioneering batch.
It has recently acquired a few plastinates, while other medical equipment will arrive soon.
UP Mindanao’s Doctor of Medicine program AY 2026-2027 is a comprehensive five-year MD program adopting the Organ System Integrated (OSI) curriculum from UP Manila School of Health Sciences.
It has a total of 35 available slots and is eligible for baccalaureate degree graduates from courses in the sciences or health sciences with a National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) score not lower than 90.
The application fee will cost P1,500, while the average tuition per year level is around P105K.
Previously, UP Mindanao had signed a memorandum of agreement with hospitals such as the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in 2024 to establish a medical school, serving as a base hospital for clinical training.
