Text and Photos by Charmaine A. Lingdas
The UP Manila College of Medicine (UPCM) has opened its Surgical Knowledge Intensive Learning Laboratory thru Simulation (SKILLS), a state-of-the-art facility designed to address the growing demand for cadaver-based simulation training across medical specialties and strengthen the preparation of health professionals before they perform procedures on actual patients.
Unlike the conventional anatomy laboratory, which primarily uses cadavers to teach human anatomy and dissection, SKILLS uses cadaver-based simulation to allow trainees to practice clinical and surgical procedures in a controlled environment before performing them on patients.
The facility was blessed and soft-launched on Sep. 1, 2026, attended by university officials, faculty members, alumni, and partners. Its establishment marks a major step in UPCM’s continuing efforts to modernize medical education, strengthen clinical skills training, and promote patient safety.
Rising Demand for Cadaver Simulation
The need for a dedicated simulation facility became evident as more departments in the university sought opportunities to practice and teach procedures through simulation. Dr. Rafael Bundoc of UPCM Department of Anatomy, and the project lead, identified 10 departments requesting cadaver simulation: Anesthesiology, Dermatology, Dentistry, Emergency Medicine, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Otorhinolaryngology, Plastic Surgery, Rehabilitation Medicine, and Surgery.
The demand also reflects the range of procedures that require intensive hands-on training. Based on the laboratory’s identified simulation activities, airway endoscopy accounts for 45%, followed by surgical endoscopy at 20%, needling procedures at 20%, diagnostic endoscopy at 10%, and regional dissection at 5%.
He noted that the demand for simulation was not limited to traditionally procedural or “cutting” specialties. The participation of departments such as Dermatology, Emergency Medicine, and Rehabilitation Medicine demonstrated the broader application of simulation in medical education.
This growing demand helped establish the need for investing in a dedicated, modern facility.
State-of-the-Art Facilities Designed for Integrated Simulation and Teaching
The SKILLS Laboratory provides dedicated spaces and equipment for a broad range of simulation activities. Among those cited by Dr. Bundoc were digital anatomy dissection tables and visualizers, surgical and skull-base stations, endoscopic towers, drills, microscopes, and an obstetrics and gynecology station with a hysteroscope.
Its integrated audiovisual and wireless systems allow activities inside the laboratory to be transmitted to other locations, providing additional opportunities for teaching, observation, and demonstration.
The facility was also designed around the actual workflow of its users. The project team worked closely with technical and construction personnel to ensure that the laboratory would be adaptable to the way faculty and technicians conduct simulation activities.
The College is also developing a system through which departments of the Philippine General Hospital can have designated schedules for their residents to conduct simulation activities in the facility.
From LEAP to SKILLS
The SKILLS Laboratory traces its roots to the Learning Enhancement of Anatomy Program (LEAP), established in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. What began as an initiative to digitalize anatomy education eventually developed into a broader platform for modern medical and surgical simulation through the support of alumni, friends, partners, and the University.
“What began as an initiative to digitalize anatomy education has significantly evolved because of extraordinary generosity of our alumni, friends, partners, and the university itself,” Dr. Jose Joven Cruz said in a message delivered on behalf of UPCM Dean Charlotte Chiong.
Dean Chiong credited a combination of innovations developed within the College and support from alumni and organizations for making the SKILLS Laboratory possible.
“We are truly grateful for the innovations that have made this possible,” Chiong said.
Dean Chiong credited a combination of innovations developed within the College and support from alumni and organizations for making the SKILLS Laboratory possible.
Among these was the soft Thiel silent mentor preservation technique, which began during the term of former Chair Dr. Pio Vilacorta and was subsequently developed and patented by the Department of Anatomy. He also cited the innovative dissection table developed and patented by Dr. Rafael Bondoc.
Chiong acknowledged the support of UPMASA Operation SPARKle under then-President Dr. Lou Publico, Monde Nissin, the Mu Sigma Phi Fraternity and Sorority, and the Class of 1966, including their contributions of two C-arm radiology machines to the laboratory.
Equipment donations have further expanded the laboratory’s capabilities. Chiong cited contributions from the Phi Kappa Mu Fraternity and Phi Lambda Delta Sorority, which provided digital anatomy dissection tables and visualizers. The UP College of Medicine Class of 1967, along with Dr. Joseph Soliman and Dr. Ponciano Salud contributed to the Ella Sutton Soliman neurosurgery and skull base stations, including endoscopic towers, drills, and microscopes. The Emmie Canlas Salud obstetrics and gynecology station equipped with a hysteroscope, was also donated for use by the College’s OB-GYN faculty and trainees.
“These contributions have transformed an idea of modern pedagogy in surgical simulation into a functioning platform of learning,” Dean Chiong said.
The facility is expected to be fully completed by the first quarter of 2027, supported by an anticipated US$1 million donation. Chiong also said the laboratory is expected to be named in honor of alumni Drs. Romulo and Ophelia Baltazar by the first quarter of 2027.
She expressed appreciation to the University, under the leadership of Chancellor Michael Tee, for providing funds for the facility, matching the generous commitment of alumni donors.
The facility was made possible through close coordination with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development (OVCPD), led by Dr. Jose Tecson III, and the Campus Planning, Development and Maintenance Office (CPDMO), headed by Chief Architect Rosalie Flores-Bernardo.
integrated simulation ecosystem
The SKILLS Laboratory is envisioned as more than a single training venue. It will form part of an integrated simulation academic ecosystem within UP Manila, connecting the advanced skills laboratory with the clinical simulation laboratory, the UP-PGH Smart Simulation Laboratory, facilities for the development of three-dimensional anatomical models at UP SiBOL, and the planned EDUTECH Hub.
The ecosystem will bring together simulation, educational technology, anatomy, clinical training, and innovation to support learners across health professions.
“The day will come when biomedical instruments and other innovative surgical approaches developed by the university will be first tried in this facility,” Dean Chiong said.
The laboratory is expected to support high-fidelity training for medical students, residents, fellows, faculty, and other health professionals, including opportunities for interprofessional education.
“May this laboratory become more than a place for surgical simulation. May it become a place where all learners acquire the knowledge and skills that build confidence and competence that ultimately allows safer care for our patients and our people,” the speaker said.
Learning with gratitude
The ceremony also honored the laboratory’s “silent mentors,” individuals who donated their bodies to medical science and whose generosity continues to educate generations of health professionals.
The prayer of blessing recognized these donors as the learners’ first teachers and acknowledged that their final act of generosity provides lessons that no textbook can fully offer.
The laboratory carries the motto “Gratitude, reverence for learning,” reflecting the College’s recognition of the responsibility that comes with acquiring and teaching medical knowledge.
With the demand for simulation continuing to grow across disciplines, the SKILLS Laboratory provides UPCM with a dedicated platform to expand hands-on training, foster innovation, and prepare health professionals in a safe learning environment.
For the College, the facility represents an investment in a fundamental goal of medical education: allowing learners to build confidence and competence before that knowledge and skill are brought to the care of patients.
“This is only the beginning,” Dr. Bundoc said as the College moves toward completing the facility and realizing its vision of an integrated simulation ecosystem dedicated to excellence and the reimagining of medical education.
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