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

Thus, under Section 25.3.e and f of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act,  West Visayas State University opens the 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 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.” 

Effective this Academic Year 2021-2022, the Doctor of Dental Medicine, under the College of Dentistry, 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”, as stated by Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Chairman J. Prospero De Vera, III.

De Vera added, “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.”

CHEd has been supportive of the WVSU endeavour since 2020—they have provided funds for the procurement of equipment and materials and a three-storey building will be built 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.  # -CILPI