West Visayas State University (WVSU) is eyeing to offer more health-related courses in the future as it positions to become the center of excellence for health professions program in the Visayas.
Dr. Joselito Villaruz, who took his oath for his second term as president of the university on Thursday, cited among other professions like laboratory science and physical and occupational therapy.
“We are doing it one program at a time. We did preliminary preparations for the possibility of a laboratory science or medtech (medical technology) program. We just need some requirements for us to open. We cannot just open it anytime, it has to get the nod of the Commission on Higher Education,” he said in a follow-up interview on Friday.
The university is also targeting the Accelerated Pathway for Medicine, a shortened program for medicine, similar to the Integrated Liberal Arts and Medicine (INTARMED) Program of the University of the Philippines Manila.
“The technical panel for medicine, (of) which I am currently the chairman of the Commission on Higher Education, formulated this program to be open to selected universities. Universities that have a very commendable performance during the licensure, with enough resources to open the program. Instead of nine years inclusive of internship, it will be seven years inclusive of internship,” he added.
Currently, the university offers a four-year medicine program, which can accommodate up to 160 students per school year from the former 120 because of the support coming from the government.
The university takes pride in its performance in licensure examinations, producing 23 topnotchers in nursing and four in medicine.
Villaruz also worked for the opening of chemistry and dentistry programs during his first term.
Also, the university will have its first batch of graduates for its College Law Juris Doctor Program this year.
“By the end of the second semester, the first batch will be ready to take the bar, perhaps early next year. We have a very stringent program, I think we started at 30, I think less than 20 will be graduating on time,” he said.
The university broke ground for the smart building of the College of Law on Thursday afternoon, attended by First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, who was instrumental in the funding support with the help of House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“We are looking at the possibility of expanding the program to increase the number of Law students that will be entering the university. But since they now already have a home, I expect them to perform really well because they have all the amenities,” he added.
The four-story green building with a PHP400 million appropriation in the 2024 General Appropriations Act will have six theater-type air-conditioned classrooms, two moot courtrooms, a multipurpose room, an arbitration/training room, a library, and a review room, among others, with a key card access system.
The construction is expected to be completed in 458 days. (PNA)
