UP Mindanao to launch Doctor of Medicine program next AY

The University of the Philippines Mindanao is set to launch its Doctor of Medicine (MD) program beginning academic year 2026-2027, as part of a broader push to expand enrollment and strengthen health education in the region.

The program rollout forms part of the university’s “Road to 5,000 Students” (R2-5K) agenda, which aims to increase enrollment to about 5,000 students from the current 1,400 by 2029, all while elevating its academic profile.

The initiative also supports the university’s efforts to expand access to higher education, especially for public school graduates and students from remote and disadvantaged areas in Mindanao.

The MD program, the first of its kind in the campus, will adopt the Organ System Integrated curriculum of the UP Manila School of Health Sciences, focusing on primary healthcare and community-based medical education. 

Meanwhile, UP Mindanao has opened its call for sponsors for the Medical Scholarship Bridge Program, aimed at providing financial support to students in the pioneering MD program.

Health data underscore the need for more medical professionals in the region, with some areas such as Davao City having a low doctor-to-patient ratio with one doctor per every 50,000 patients in 2023.

The program will be under the university’s School of Medicine, following its approval by the Board of Regents last April 30.

UP Mindanao will become the first state university in Davao City to offer the MD program.