WVSU officially opens Doctor of Dental Med program

As a leader in nursing and medical education, West Visayas State University will help the government provide one dentist per barangay.

In keeping with Section 25.3.e and f of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, West Visayas State University opened its Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) program.

This is the University’s answer to the call of the government to make oral care accessible in rural and underserved areas.

The program starts in Academic Year 2021-2022.

The UHC or the Kalusugan Pangkalahatan (KP) is the “provision to every Filipino of the highest possible quality of health care that is accessible, efficient, equitably distributed, adequately funded, fairly financed, and appropriately used by an informed and empowered public.”

The DMD is a 6-year program that aims to “produce graduates for the general practice of the profession who are scientifically knowledgeable, technically capable, and socially sensitive in the maintenance of health,” Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Chairman J. Prospero De Vera III said.

“The curriculum has integrated a community-based clinical internship program that will cater to depressed areas with constituents needed oral health care and who could not afford such. This is part of the national effort of the Commission on Higher Education to augment the number of dental health care workers,” De Vera added.

CHEd has been supportive of the WVSU endeavour since 2020 by providing funds for the procurement of equipment and materials and a proposed three-storey building for the College of Dentistry.

WVSU is the first state university/college (SUC) to offer the Doctor of Dental Medicine in Western Visayas and the second in the country.

University level results will be posted soon.