UP Cebu eyes Doctor of Medicine program as public welcomes Visayas expansion, questions requirements

The proposed five-year MD program drew support for expanding affordable medical education in the Visayas, while sparking debate over return service and admissions.

The University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu has announced plans to offer a regional Doctor of Medicine (MD) program. While many praised the move toward making medical education more accessible, some lamented potential issues over admissions fairness and the proposed conditions.

UP Cebu announced plans to launch an MD program beginning in academic year 2026–2027, posting an interest survey on its social media channels on July 12.

The potential Cebu MD program will span five years and adopt the curricula of existing UP medicine schools in UP Manila and UP Mindanao. The latter will welcome its first batch of students this incoming academic year.

UP Cebu is eyeing subsidized tuition rates for the program in exchange for a return service agreement to be completed within five years of graduation. UP’s existing medicine and health programs implement a similar setup, requiring graduates to serve in public health institutions.

Netizens praised UP for expanding accessible medical education to the Visayas following the opening of the UP Mindanao School of Medicine this year. While Cebu has other medical schools, some lamented that these are largely privately owned and charge hundreds of thousands of pesos in tuition fees.

Some members of the UP community expressed disappointment over the inclusion of a return service agreement. The provision remains highly contested among groups in UP’s health and allied programs. Some argue that education should not come with conditions, while others say it is necessary to supply health workers to underserved areas and public hospitals.

Other netizens also called for a fair admissions process that would prioritize underprivileged students, expressing concern about potential nepotism.

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