Our History

The UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery (FMS) is the oldest medical school in the Philippines. The “Facultad de Medicina y Farmacia” – the beginnings of the FMS, was formally opened on May 28, 1871, by decree of the “Superior Gobierno de Filipinas.” At that time, there were only 12 practicing doctors in the Philippines, all trained in Europe. The first group of enrollees was 9 (3 Spaniards, 6 Filipinos), and all graduated on March 10, 1877.

The medical curriculum was patterned after leading European medical schools (6 years: one preparatory, five proper), and the language of instruction was Spanish.

Enrollment gradually increased with classes continuing during the Revolutionary period.

The Faculty was ordered closed by the American Military Government in 1898 but was authorized to reopen by Gen. Arthur McArthur in January 1901, during which time it was separated from Pharmacy and henceforth came to be known as the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.

The medical education system became Americanized, and English became the medium of instruction. In 1932, the first women were admitted to the Faculty by order of the Congregation of Studies of the Holy See.

For the clinical training of its students, the Faculty used the facilities of the Hospital of San Juan de Dios (1875–1941, 1944–45) and St. Paul’s Hospital (1941–44).

Surviving the ravages of World War II, the medical school reopened at the new España Building in 1946 and later transferred to its present building in 1952.

The UST Hospital was established in 1946 and continues to serve as the training hospital of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.

Throughout the Spanish, American, and Japanese regimes and after the Second World War, the Faculty underwent enormous changes to adjust itself to new and changing conditions.

Curricular improvements were started in the 1970s but noteworthy developmental changes marked the 1980s–1990s with the following:

• Establishment of Dr. Hubert Wong Learning Resources Unit (1982)
• Establishment of Health Science Research Management Group (1984)
• Improved faculty development program through international linkages and professorial/research chairs
• Renovation of medical school rooms and facilities through legacies of jubilarian classes
• Improved organizational structure with the creation of new departments: Medical Education (1984) and Bioethics (1992)
• Curricular innovations: horizontal/vertical integration and problem-oriented medical rounds
• Publication of the Handbook of Medical and Surgical Emergencies
• Revival of the Santo Tomas Journal of Medicine

At the turn of the millennium, in 2001, a major curricular change was instituted: the Problem Based Learning (PBL) or Innovative Curriculum.
The Faculty transitioned to small group-based discussions, organ-based design of classroom learning, and self-directed learning.

Two years later, the curriculum was reverted to the integrated approach but with adoption of some learning and evaluation strategies from PBL. Presently, FMS implements a “blended” integrated approach, adopting PBL where appropriate, while employing direct teaching strategies for long-term retention.

In 2010, FMS began exploring ultrasound medicine in the curriculum. By 2012, ultrasound was integrated into both basic and clinical subjects — the first of its kind in Philippine medical education.

In 2013, FMS established the Skills and Simulation Center for the Health Sciences (SSCHS), housing facilities such as the Surgical Skills Facility, Life Support Science Laboratory, Ultrasound Laboratory, and Clinical Skills Facility.

Beginning AY 2014–15, a fully integrated ultrasound syllabus was taught to Thomasian medical learners.

In 2015, the Faculty formally implemented the Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) curriculum.

The Faculty consistently dominated the Physician Licensure Examination. In September 2016, six Thomasians placed in the top ten, the highest in its history. That year, the Life Support Training Center (LSTC) was awarded Platinum Award as the 4th largest AHA International training center in the world.

In 2017, FMS launched the Journal of Medicine, University of Santo Tomas (JMUST).

2018 milestones:

• PAASCU Level 3 accreditation
• Pioneer class of LEAPMed (Learning Enhanced Accelerated Program for Medicine)
• Launch of the Masters in Public Health International Program with the University of Leeds, UK
• Participation in the ODISSeA project on organ donation (University of Barcelona)
• Establishment of the Anargyroi: FMS Foundation, Inc. (AFI) to manage donations and support initiatives

In 2019, FMS educators presented 12 research works at the World Federation of Medical Education in Seoul, South Korea.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges. In 2020, FMS transitioned to online learning via the UST-LMS and adapted the Oral Revalida for safe assessment.

In 2021, FMS was awarded the QS 5-STAR rank for Medicine. The Philippine Senate and Congress commended FMS as the premier medical school in the country.

Infrastructure improvements included renovation of the Medicine building. Onsite classes resumed with strict vaccination and safety protocols, earning the CHED Safety Seal.

The Sesquicentennial Celebration (150 Years) was held in 2021, with a commemorative marker installed at Plaza Santo Tomas, Intramuros.

In 2022, construction of the Henry Sy Sr. Hall began, designed to house the Saints Cosmas and Damian Center for Simulation and Research.
That year, FMS also launched the commemorative book Honora Medicum, which later won a gold and silver Award of Merit at the 2023 IABC Quill Awards.

In 2023, two educators were conferred the Doña Victoria Ty Tan Professorial Chair:

• Prof. Angeles Tan Alora, M.D.
• Prof. María Minerva P. Calimag, M.D., PhD

JMUST continues to thrive, with 12 issues and more than 160 articles published, indexed in major databases, and cited in highly reputed journals.

In 2024, FMS inaugurated the Henry Sy Sr. Hall, a state-of-the-art facility providing cutting-edge simulation and research environments that will shape the future of Philippine healthcare.