NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER SCOPE EDITORIAL BOARD FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2015-2016 Denise Nicole Villanueva Editor-in-Chief Mica Araya Managing Editor Lordieliza Melendrez Associate Editor Katrina Caballas Secretary General Nicole Bernadette Terre Finance Officer Leanne Cassandra Chua Daniel Manuel Macrohon Article Editors Kathrinna Feliz Alerta John Kevin Paulo Biadomang Web Editors
[Illustration by Bern Iglesia]
FROM OUT OF POCKET TO WHOM? SCHOLARSHIP SELECTION AND FUNDING UNVEILED words by Ace Alerta and Denise Villanueva
Studying medicine, no matter the cry of activists for people’s right to education, is a privilege. It starts with the NMAT, which allows the government to screen for people who have the ability to study and pursue medical careers. From there, each school has even more standards to ensure that the select few, who quite literally will be saving people’s lives, are capable of actually fulfilling that obligation. Aside from these tight regulations, there is also the pragmatic issue of financial capability. Studying medicine is by no means cheap. Aside from the tuition fee, there are books, medical equipment, dissection kits and laptops; all on top of living expenses such as rent, food allowance, electricity, water, and association dues, that the student and his/her family must shoulder if they ever decide on pursuing this rigorous dream. The Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH) gives some of its students the privilege of waiving a part or all of the tuition fee to decrease these financial strains. It is through this scholarship program that a lot of students, who would not have been able to afford studying medicine, were able to study (and graduate) in ASMPH. The scholarship grants can waive 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% from the students’ tuition fee, depending on the committee’s perception of the student’s financial need. As noble as the objectives of the scholarship program are, a lot of issues that underlie these are typical of a body or an organization that deals primarily with money.
With the aim of dispelling the scholarship issues and rumors once and for all, we interviewed the student body, the school administration, the Scholarship Committee and the Scholars Society to get into the meat of the matter.
WHERE DOES THE FUNDING COME FROM?
Although ASMPH is part of the Ateneo group of schools, it does not receive amounts close to what the Loyola campus receives for scholarships. This is because the ASMPH is a very new institution with not as much experience to boast under its belt as compared to the main campus. Add this to the fact that it takes about twice as much money to put someone through medical school than to put someone through undergraduate studies, it is not surprising that the school is having a hard time looking for donors who would be willing and able to sustain the education of students who lack the financial capacity to do so. Two years ago, however, the school has employed a scheme that would guarantee at least a minimum amount of funding that would be available for the scholarship program yearly. The school reallocated a part of its net income, which primarily consisted of the tuition fee paid for by the students, to cover part of the scholarship fees. This means that the school has to sacrifice a part of the budget they allot for operational expenses, which is about 5%, in order to partially cover for the needs of the scholarship program. This, plus the money that come from the donors, comprises
John Gabriel Hernandez Photography Head Katrina Marie Hernandez Creatives Director Ms. Maria Lourdes Almeda-Benito Adviser two of the three sources of the scholarship funding. The third comes from the money earned through cafeteria concessionaire and catering fees. But even with several sources of funding for the scholarships, the fact that a part of the school income goes into the scholarship fund remains an issue. Because the school’s income primarily consists of the tuition fee, this weighs on the student body, some more than others. This led to a few other concerns regarding those who receive the privilege of a scholarship.
TO WHOM THE FUNDING GOES
The school administration has set up protocols for the selection of scholars, already made more stringent ever since the inception of the program. The application process starts with a 40+ page application form that seeks to know the circumstances as to which the student is asking for assistance. Questions on living conditions, gadgets owned, daily living expenses and the like are asked to paint a picture of the student’s financial needs. An interview then follows for clarification of some of the information inputted in the application form. The application form plus the interview will then be the basis for prioritization of who will be granted scholarships, and how much percentage will be granted. All these are facilitated by the scholarship committee, which is still on its second year. The application process ends with the student signing (Continued in page 2)
SCOPE NEWSLETTER After years of careful planning, ASMPH and Ateneo Law School (ALS) finally had their first acquaintance party in House Manila at the Remington Hotel, Pasay. Entitled “One Ateneo: A Black and White Affair”, students from both schools formed new friendships, caught up with old ones, and fostered the overarching school spirit of the Ateneo. The ASMPH Student Council used the proceeds of the event for their Grant System Fund while their counterpart at the ALS allocated their share to their Bar Operations. (August 1, 2015)
ONE ATENEO A BLACK AND WHITE AFFAIR
[Photos By Event Core Team]
[Photos By Pugad Agila]
[Photos By Zech Enriquez]
BATCH 2015 BOARDS SEND OFF
BATCH 2015 GRADUATION
The Pugad Agila Send-off 2015 was nothing short of an overwhelming expression of support to the board exam takers. Emotions abound as Danica Pasia of Batch 2015 expressed gratitude to people who have supported their batch in their dreams of becoming physicians. Highlights of the event included the following: Pugad Agila gave pins to serve as a reminder of their faith in the board takers, ASMPH VOX performed a moving song and the Blue Babble Battalion led the crowd in the final segment by sounding off the Song for Mary. (August 10, 2015)
The 119 students of Batch 2015 were finally conferred with their degrees in Doctor of Medicine and Master of Business Administration. It was a day full of pabaon, messages, and challenges for the graduates, as they went “down from the hill.” Some of the speakers were mass celebrants Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ and Fr. Tony Moreno, SJ, class valedictorian Aileen Chua and health specialist Dr. Eduardo Banzon. (June 6, 2015)
HEADLINE HITS words by Rafael Mendoza
FROM OUT OF POCKET TO WHOM? SCHOLARSHIP SELECTION AND FUNDING UNVEILED
a contract with the ASMPH to ensure that he/she abides by the different responsibilities tied with being an ASMPH scholar.
ON THE QUEST FOR FACTS
With issues and concerns still brewing, SCOPE ASMPH conducted a survey to get a glimpse of the student body’s thoughts and position on the school’s scholarship process, and to whom these are being granted. This was done through convenience sampling which resulted to 56 student respondents. A great majority, 93%, said that they are supportive of the scholarship program. They think financial status should not dictate whether or not a person goes through medical school, and social responsibility dictates that we help out in fulfilling these medical dreams. The 7% who were “not in favor” weren’t really not in favor, per se. They were, however, concerned that the student body isn’t privy to the selection process and therefore don’t know where the funding is going. When asked about the selection process, the respondents were halved in their opinions on how effective the scholarship selection process is. The issue rests on the fact that they do not know the system well enough to give an accurate assessment of its effectivity. The respondents then admitted that their current perceptions need more factual basis.
So the rest of the student body, not yet privy to the process, are either faithfully trusting that the protocols are implemented properly, or are interested to know how well these are working. The greatest interest lies in this last point, because while the student body is halved on their beliefs, it’s not difficult to assume that they are collectively hoping that the Scholarship Committee and administration are effective in choosing the right students who will be given grants. There were a number of responses from the student body that were heartfelt about how their families, not limited to their parents, are pooling their resources to put them through medical school. Many of the respondents thus expressed that as a portion of their tuition goes into the scholarship fund, they hope to see this appropriated well. Although the expectations are high of the selection process, the respondent’s expectations on the performance of their peers who are scholars are not that different from what one would expect from the entire student body. The respondents only expect their peers to perform within the same level of academic rigor and propriety that befits any other Atenean. In general, students of the ASMPH are positively awaiting for the changes that this school year and new committee will bring. They are hopeful that this new system will provide a more transparent avenue in the applications, selections and handling of scholars.
DISPELLING THE RUMORS
The concerns of the student body are not unbeknownst to the Scholars Society’s central board (CB). According to them, the scholars are aware of their responsibilities, both written and unwritten. The
written contract between the student and the school basically requires that each scholar have passing grades, and fulfill a return service agreement (preand post-graduation) among others. More than these requirements, the Scholars Society of the ASMPH (SSA) takes it upon themselves to uphold the different values that the school holds in reverence, and to be the kind of students in which the ASMPH will be proud to invest in. “SSA also believes that as privileged scholars of ASMPH, we are called to be good model students. As model students, we are not only able to do well in our academics, but [at the same time] able to participate in extracurricular activities as well. Many scholars are also part of the various school organizations and athletic teams. We also have scholars who are part of the top 10 of their class. The SSA is very much proud of all ASMPH scholars who are excelling in their academics and are able to balance it with their various extracurricular activities”, states the CB. They further note that, “While we are not expected to be extremely poor, we are also not expected to be living grand like the other students. Modesty in our lifestyle is not really a strict requirement of a scholar, but rather, SSA believes that it should be an innate characteristic in each of us - because the school has given us the financial aid on the basis that we truly need it.” They also note that each scholar has his or her own stories, and one cannot and should not be judged based on outside appearance alone. “On the scholars’ end, what we’re trying to do right now is to create asocial media page (continued to page 3)
SCOPE NEWSLETTER Only a few activities bring the three resident year levels of ASMPH closer together like the annual ASMPH Acquaintance Party. Inspired by the military, the event created an atmosphere of competition and teamwork as students from different batches worked together as ‘houses’ to save Private Iggy. There were also performances by Ateneo Med Dance Group, ASMPH VOX, Ramon Cajucom and other student groups. The party was completed by the debut of Glitteris, the all-boy dance group of Batch 2020. (August 20, 2015)
SAVING PRIVATE IGGY ACQUAINTANCE PARTY
[Photos By Event Core Team]
[Photos By Zech Enriquez]
[Photos By Pugad Agila]
AY 2015-2016 OPENING CEREMONY
BLUE TOAST
The school community gathered to celebrate the results of the 2015 Physician Licensure Exam. Everyone— from the different batches of students, clerks, interns and alumni, up to the faculty and staff—presented song and dance numbers to show their support to Batch 2015 as they successfully conquered what is considered to be the most difficult exam of their lives. A symbolic turnover of board review materials to Batch 2016 was also done to show the continuity of ASMPH’s culture of support. The night capped off with the newly-minted physicians expressing their gratitude to the community. (September 4, 2015)
With a fresh start comes a classic tradition. The school community welcomed the incoming batch of medical students, Batch 2020, as well as the other batches of the school through the annual ASMPH Opening Ceremony. Father Jose Ramon Villarin SJ, university president, presided over the Mass of the Holy Spirit that served as a reminder for students to become the physician-leaders that the ASMPH envisioned. Finally, the students of Batch 2020 experienced the ceremonial bell ringing that dated back to the first batch of the ASMPH. (August 10, 2015)
AS THE FIRST SEMESTER COMES TO A CLOSE, LET’S BACKTRACK ON SOME OF THE MOST MEMORABLE EVENTS IN THE ASMPH SO FAR. through Facebook… where we can somehow share a glimpse of a scholar’s life so that the rest of the student body are [better] able to understand why a certain scholar deserves to be in school.” In terms of activities and projects of the SSA, they are also veering away from fundraising activities. Their plans and projects this year revolve around guiding and supporting fellow scholars, and sharing their identity with the ASMPH community. “SSA is, indeed, guided by its mission to ‘mold its members to develop a sense of accountability, responsibility, and camaraderie,’ and ‘to provide a nurturing environment for the scholars...and be an avenue for growth and empowerment.’ This is being realized through our projects and individual consultations, the means by which we check up on our fellow scholars and their concerns and remind them about their primary responsibilities toward the scholars’ community, the school, and our fellow classmates. We also make sure that no academic or extracurricular accomplishments go unnoticed as we always recognize these exemplary scholars through congratulatory posts in the official SSA page and a special awarding segment during GAs.” With regard to the scholarship process currently in place, the CB thinks that the system is adequate in terms of monitoring objective measures such as financials and assets of the applicants. Compared to the process of the Loyola schools, the ASMPH scholarship process is lengthier and includes an interview that enables the scholar to better describe the nature of his/her need. With the creation of the Scholarship Committee, the CB believes that the checking and screening process is made even better.
The CB notes that, “ASMPH is a new school and its scholarship screening still has room for improvement. We also agree [that there is a need] to inform the general student body regarding the scholarship process so they too are aware of the process and in effect, can further support the scholars better.”
COMING TOGETHER
The school administration, represented by Ms. Maloy Almeda-Benito, and Scholars Committee head, Dr. Jun Cuenca, are also aware of the questions and concerns of the students. In fact, they themselves recognize how important these must be examined. Dr. Cuenca expressed his dismay that while Batches 2018 and 2019 have a good number of scholars, there are only eight scholars for Batch 2020 . He shared his sentiments on the matter of actually having to screen through, and possibly rejecting the applications of students whose condition for enrollment to the school is whether or not they are granted a scholarship. While the administration wants to accept as many scholars as possible, money will always limit the capabilities of the program. So making sure that the ones who are accepted will be worth those who have not been given the same opportunity truly weighs on the shoulders of the committee. Because of these facts, the administration actually wants the student body to be more proactive about the issue. Ms. Almeda-Benito noted that if there is a problem, the students should voice their concerns so that the school administration and the Scholarship Committee can do something about it. Dr. Cuenca emphasized that while the Committee screens the prospective scholars based on papers submitted and formal interviews,
it is really the student body that gets to know these individuals on a personal level. The responsibility to be transparent about the process, then, does not only lie on the administration and the Scholarship Committee alone. The student body as a whole has a share on this responsibility. It is also the student body’s duty to constantly examine the system and the chosen few who were granted the privilege of a free or partly free education. Further, they must also have the discernment to understand why this privilege has been granted in the first place. Someone who owns a high end laptop could have bought it after five, six, seven months, or even a year’s worth of saving money. What someone has does not dictate their personhood. How they earned it does. At the end of the day, the administration and the Scholarship Committee want to remind the student body that when classes are ongoing and the requirements are assigned, the students who are and who are not granted financial benefits are really just one Ateneo. There is no distinction between them, and no borders that separate them as schoolmates. The school dictum for this year says it all. Be One. Be More. Be ASMPH. ----
This article was written with the objective of sparking a more transparent communication between all parties concerned so that the bridge to better discourse may be initiated. The writers hope that with this article, all stakeholders may start working on bettering the processes and relationships involving this topic so that in the end, a more unified school community may be put in place.
SCOPE NEWSLETTER
[Infographic By Wendy Te]
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CAFETERIA REPORT words by Leanne Chua
The importance of having our own cafeteria service within school grounds is no trivial matter, as many ASMPH students will agree from personal experience. The life of a medical student is hectic on most days, with some terrifyingly frenetic moments scattered in between. To be able to catch breakfast early in the morning before class starts, or to be able to quickly run down between lectures for a bite to eat, or even to spend a few minutes swallowing lunch before going off to cram for an exam -- these are the everyday troubles of a typical medical student. So it comes with no surprise that students are outspokenly grateful and appreciative when food is good and the cafeteria service is smooth. It is also quite understandable that when things do start to get a little less ideal, students begin to grumble. After all, what could be more important to a tired, hungry, and overworked student than food? Not much else, it would seem.
the use of students bringing packed lunches. Though, not all of the feedback were negative, most respondents agreed that they wanted to get ‘value for their money’ and that they would be willing to pay more for good quality of food. Two percent (2%) then noted that the cafeteria personnel were friendly and nice, and their snacks are good.
Thus, when a steady influx of student concerns began to rise last school year about Fresh Selections, our current cafeteria concessionaire, it did not go unnoticed by the school administration. Neither has it been overlooked by SCOPE ASMPH, the official student publication. We had questions, just like everybody else, and we went about finding answers. So here we are to give you the latest scoop on the school cafeteria: the past complaints, present affairs, and the future plans for the next concessionaire.
She agreed how cafeteria cleanliness had not been up to par with the school’s policies and that this is actually part of the concessionaire’s responsibility as stipulated by their contract. Only the venue, tables and chairs are provided by the school. She also shared how the concessionaire had problems with contract compliance, as they had been inconsistent in keeping appointments and meetings for feedback with the school administration. Another issue was compliance with the scheduled payment of concessionaire’s fees, which Ms. Almeda-Benito stressed was an important concern for both her and the school administration.
PAST FEEDBACK
To address the growing student concerns, the Student Council representatives of the Cafeteria Committee conducted a survey last May 2015 to get feedback on last year’s cafeteria services and products. The survey covered a range of topics from food and cleanliness to facilities and cafeteria personnel. As a quick rundown of the results of their survey, 41% of respondents felt that cleanliness was a major area for improvement, while 32% commented on wanting healthier and better food variety. Most cited that the presence of bird droppings and flies around the serving and dining areas, and the dubious state of the utensil rack and water dispensers, must be targeted. Another 24% of the respondents said that the quality and quantity of the food can be improved. Some mentioned how food was oftentimes cold, and how serving sizes were minute and varied. Twelve percent (12%) of the respondents expressed the need to repair the cafeteria tables, chairs, and electrical sockets, and to provide a microwave for
In response to this, SCOPE then interviewed Ms. Maloy Almeda-Benito, the Assistant to the Dean and a Cafeteria Committee member, to learn about the position of the school administration regarding the cafeteria concerns. Student concerns were proven to be valid, with Ms. Almeda-Benito confirming that, “honestly speaking, they [cafeteria concessionaire] did not do well in terms of contract compliance and service execution [in the previous year]”.
As most might be unaware, the concessionaire fees, which includes the newcomer Kape Komunidad, are allotted entirely towards the ASMPH Scholarship Fund. This is the reason why the administration feels unsatisfied when the concessionaires are non-compliant, for it will be the ASMPH scholars who will be shortchanged by their actions.
PRESENT AFFAIRS
Ms. Almeda-Benito assured SCOPE ASMPH, however, that the student body’s concerns are being heard and presently being addressed by the school administration and Fresh Selections. Weekly inspections and meetings with Fresh Selections are conducted to monitor contract compliance, and daily sales receipts are now required by the school administration to oversee concessionaire fees. On the part of Fresh Selections, they have appointed a new team leader with new members on board to overhaul
the food and general service in the school cafeteria this school year. The improvement in cleanliness and service this year have definitely not been overlooked by the students. Most welcoming are the clean tables, warm utensils, and friendly service of the staff. The school administration and Fresh Selections are doing their best, and Ms. Almeda-Benito states that the student body must continue to play an active role in helping them accomplish these improvements. It is important for students to freely and openly voice their concerns with the school administration regarding the cafeteria service such that feedback can be given to the concessionaire, and for necessary changes to be mandated.
FUTURE PLANS
Fresh Selections will continue to be operational until the end of first semester this December 2015, after which an official rebidding for concessionaires will take place for the second semester. In this bidding process, concessionaires will be assessed based on site visits, food quality and fulfillment of the required documentations, among others. Food criteria assessed usually includes serving size, taste, price, nutritional value, menu plans and meal preparations. If Fresh Selections continues to be compliant with the school contract this semester, they will automatically be part of the shortlisted bidders that will compete for the cafeteria spot. The winning concessionaire is then authorized to operate in the school grounds for a maximum of three years. Aside from the continuous improvements on cleanliness, food quality and service, students can also look forward to food booths as part of the new cafeteria set up for the next year. The concept of food booths has long been considered by the school administration. It was actually part of the contract stipulations for the current concessionaire – although it is clear that Fresh Selections will not push through with the concept, at least for this semester. The administration has become more aggressive in carrying out this plan to fruition, however, with the opening of Kape Komunidad this school year. Ms. Almeda-Benito hinted at the possibility of Hong Kong noodles, burritos, and fruit shake stands being assembled, and we at SCOPE are simply drooling at the variety of food that will soon be available for students. SCOPE tried to get the viewpoint of Fresh Selections on the matter. However, no response has been made by their management at the time of this writing.