Med Students to Have Face-to-Face Classes This Semester

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(SPOT.ph) Face-to-face classes were suspended in March 2020 following quarantine restrictions amid the pandemic. Students in all levels were forced to do distance learning, whether through modules or online classes. But today, March 26, it was announced that the Commission on Higher Education is allowing 24 higher education institutions to hold "limited face-to-face classes" on the second semester of academic year 2020-2021. For some universities, especially in Metro Manila, this semester already started in January.

Campuses given the go signal have health-related degree programs, including medicine, nursing, medical technology or medical laboratory science, physical therapy, midwifery, and public health. Only subjects or courses that are allowed to have face-to-face classes are "delimited to specialized laboratory courses or hospital-based clinical clerkship/internship/practicum, including clinical rotations for post-graduate medical interns," according to a Joint Memorandum Circular issued by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Health.

"They can now bring their third and fourth year students for hands-on training and laboratory classes in a limited face-to-face system. CHED will continue to monitor these HEIs and I am confident that they will provide safe and healthy spaces for their students in the coming months," said CHED Chairman J. Prospero de Vera III.

The following colleges and universities are now allowed to have face-to-face classes:

1. Mariano Marcos State University - Batac (Region I)
2. St. Louis University (Cordillera Administrative Region)
3. Our Lady of Fatima University - City of San Fernando (Region III)
4. Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (National Capital Region)
5. University of Santo Tomas (National Capital Region - NCR)
6. University of East Ramon Magsaysay (NCR)
7. Our Lady of Fatima University - Quezon City (NCR)
8. Our Lady of Fatima University - Valenzuela City (NCR)
9. Manila Central University (NCR)
10. University of the Philippines-Manila (NCR)
11. Adventist University of the Philippines (Region IV)
12. De La Salle Health and Medical Science Institute (Region IV)
13. University of Perpetual Help - Don Jose (Region IV)
14. Our Lady of Fatima University - Sta. Rosa (Region IV)
15. Naga College Foundation (Region V)
16. West Visayas State University (Region VI)
17. Central Philippine University (Region VI)
18. Cebu Institute of Medicine (Region VII)
19. University of Cebu School of Medicine (Region VII)
20. Iloilo Doctors’ College of Medicine (Region VI)
21. University of Iloilo (Region VI)
22. Blancia Foundation College, Inc. (Region IX)
23. Xavier University (Region X)
24. Liceo de Cagayan University (Region X)

Based on the updated list of priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination released on February 5, students working in health facilities are included in the A1 category or the top tier.

As of March 26, 4 p.m., the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed 9,838 new COVID-19 cases in a single day—a new record since the pandemic started in 2020. Overall, the Philippines has tallied 702,856 COVID-19 infections.

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Source: Spot PH