Community Health Management Course

 Community Health Management Course: A Design

Reynaldo O. Joson, MD, MHA, MHPEd, MS Surg
1997-2000-

The innovative medical curriculum contains several Community Health Management (CHM) courses that make it truly a community-oriented, if not community-based curriculum.

There are a total of seven CHM courses in the entire 4-year curriculum (see diagram below). In the first three years, there is a one-month CHM course in each semester. On the last year, the CHM course runs for a minimum of 8 months and a maximum of 10 months (see description under Year IV Medicine - CHM VII).

Year Level

I

II

III

IV

1st semester

CHM I

CHM III

CHM V

CHM VII

2nd semester

CHM II

CHM IV

CHM VI

A small group of students (5-10) are assigned to a community for the CHM courses. The community assignment for a particular group is the same all throughout the CHM courses.

For each group, there is a community preceptor. This preceptor is part of the faculty of the medical school.

Each group of students is assigned a barangay (smaller groups are assigned puroks within a barangay) to minister under the guidance of the preceptor.

The general activities consist of a community diagnosis and formulation of a 4-year comprehensive community health plan in CHM I, a design of an action-research proposal on an identified community health problem in CHM II, and implementation in CHM III - VII. The expected output at the end of the CHM courses is a documented solution of a health problem in the community.

Beside the community health management activities, the students are expected to apply the various biomedical and social health sciences they have learned in the school. They practice medicine in the community. They manage a health care unit. They conduct public health education. They continue to learn through problem-based and self-directed approaches.

Click below to get detailed descriptions of the various CHM courses including the Year IV Medicine which is essentially Community Health Management Course VII.

Year Level

I

II

III

IV

1st semester

CHM I

CHM III

CHM V

CHM VII

2nd semester

CHM II

CHM IV

CHM VI