The Faculty of Pharmacy (FoP) on Monday, March 15 released proposed guidelines on face-to-face internships of third-year medical technology students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a Zoom assembly, cycles of internship, leave of absence, quarantine classifications, student requirements and medical insurance have been discussed.
According to Asst. Dean Ma. Freida Hapan, face-to-face internships will be limited to eight days per month in a four to 10-day cycle, in which four days are for face-to-face and 10 days are for quarantine.
Interns have an option to take the limited face-to-face internship or file a leave of absence.
For the leave of absence, the student may return anytime with no prejudice to readmission and can still be qualified for Latin honors.
In the University handbook PPS No. 1024a, only students who have completed all consecutive semesters immediately preceding their graduation without filing a leave of absence can be eligible for honors.
Under quarantine classifications, classes will automatically be suspended if the area is under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) or if Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) revert to flexible learning.
Face-to-face classes shall resume if areas are reclassified back to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) and general community quarantine (GCQ).
Personal protective equipment (PPE), as required by the DOH and CHED, is shouldered by the students.
Last Feb 18, SPARK – Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan’s claims about the collection of 59,000 pesos for the protective equipment were “debunked” in a joint statement from the FoP administration and student council.
However, the COVID swab testing, along with the PPEs will not be part of the tuition and will be shouldered by the interns.
Vaccinations for interns are required but the university is still coordinating with the local government for the procurement of vaccines.
Medical insurance, either from PhilHealth or a private health maintenance organization, is mandatory and may be assumed by the University as warranted by the situation.
The proposed timetable for the clinical internships will run from May 31 this year until May 15, 2022.
Last March 8, the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery indefinitely suspended their internships, as well as clinical rotations, following an advisory from the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges, due to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases.
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