Text by: Brian Floyd Andrewmer B. Albitos
Photo by: Angelou C. Mendoza

(Seventh from left, in purple): Dr. Nina T. Castillo-Carandang, Health Social Scientist and Professor of Health Sociology and Global Health at UPCM; Dr. Angela S. Aguilar, MD, MHA, MSc, Assistant to the Dean for External & International Linkages; and medical students from AMSN member universities pose for a group photo following the program. 

The University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM) hosted the 10th ASEAN Medical Schools Network (AMSN) Student Chapter Forum on June 13, 2024, at the Henry Sy Sr. Medical Sciences Building. Themed “Advancing Medical Practice Through Integrated Collaboration and Progressive Learning,” the forum brought together ASEAN medical students from leading medical schools across the region to share their research interests, enrich their knowledge in medical education, and foster cultural exchange among ASEAN countries.  

“I do hope, with interested young people, future leaders in medicine, future leaders in the academe, we would come closer to maybe forging solutions that would make things better for the generations that would come after us,” asserted Dr. Bernadette Heizel Manapat-Reyes, UP Manila Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs in her welcome remarks. 

Dr. Ma. Liza Antoinette M. Gonzales, UPCM Associate Dean for Faculty and Students, underscored the indispensable value of collaboration and teamwork among medical students in her opening remarks. “By fostering a culture of collaboration and support, we not only uplift each other but also reinforce the bonds that unite us as colleagues and future healthcare leaders,” she emphasized.

(From left): Arlyn Jave Adlawon, UPCM Class of 2025 President;  Dr. Iris Thiele Isip-Tan, MD, MSc, Chief of UPCM Medical Informatics Unit and Director of UP Manila Interactive Learning Center; and Dr. Nina T. Castillo-Carandang, MA, MSc, PhD, Health Social Scientist and Professor of Health Sociology and Global Health at UPCM. 

The forum featured three parallel sessions that focused on topics designed to equip students for their medical journey. 

UPCM Class of 2025 President Arlyn Jave Adlawon underscored the importance of breaking down professional silos to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration in medical practice and to explore ways to foster teamwork among healthcare professionals. “Essentially, transcending professional silos requires us to go beyond our comfort zones and accept that what we have now can be better with others,” she emphasized. 

Chief of UPCM Medical Informatics Unit and Director of UP Manila Interactive Learning Center Dr. Iris Thiele Isip-Tan explored the role of digital technology in improving clinical education, particularly the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine.

“You, my dear students, will be the physicians of the future. We need to prepare you adequately for a world with AI where we don’t actually understand it very much ourselves,” she said. 

“We should also not use LMS to make decisions when there are competing ethical or moral considerations,” Dr. Isip-Tan stated, stressing the need for vigilant use of AI and large language models (LLMS), especially when making ethical decisions in the medical profession. 

Dr. Nina T. Castillo-Carandang, a Health Social Scientist and Professor of Health Sociology and Global Health at UPCM, discussed the significance of fostering a collaborative team culture by addressing traditional hierarchical barriers within medical institutions. “We need more inclusive, communicative, and empowered organizational cultures in our medical schools, [and] health and wealth care workplaces—more collaborative patient-centered approaches within our health [and] well-care organizations. Are you ready to take the challenge?” she asked the students. 

Following the sessions, medical students engaged in plenary discussions where they shared their collaborative strategies and proposed solutions to key challenges in medical education and practice.

Rahul Suraj, a 2nd-year medical student at Universiti Malaya, discussed strategies in simulation-based medical education. Other medical students also shared their studies focusing on various topics, such as enhancing medical student training through volunteerism and evaluating the efficacy of blended learning models among medical students.

The forum concluded with participants sharing educational activities and best practices from their respective medical schools, fostering a sense of shared learning and continuous improvement. 

The 10th AMSN Student Chapter Forum is the twin event of the 14th ASEAN Medical Dean’s Summit, held simultaneously at the Diamond Hotel Manila. This is the first time UPCM hosted the forum, which was formerly known as the ASEAN Student Collaborative Project (ASCP) before being transformed into the AMSN Student Chapter Forum during its 6th staging in Cambodia in 2021. 

The following institutions attended the forum: University of the Philippines Manila, Isabella State University, and St. Luke’s College of Medicine (Philippines); Mahidol University and Thammasat University (Thailand); Universitas Gadjah Mada and Universitas Indonesia (Indonesia); University of Medicine & Pharmacy HCMC and Hanoi Medical University (Vietnam); National University of Singapore (Singapore); and Universiti Malaya (Malaysia)