By Alex Lauricio

The Health and Environment District (HED) is a revival of a district lost some time ago in the Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS). With a broad focus on the health and environmental sciences, the district continues to carve out its niche within the school, tailoring itself to the interests of the future doctors of the country.

The Pre-Medical Society of Ateneo (PMSA-SHS) is the only organization under HED, though that is sure to change in the future as more and more students set their sights for more diverse and inclusive organizations for the ASHS student populace.

Pre-Med Crash Course

Pre-medicine or pre-med refers to the health-aligned courses that students take before pursuing medical school. These are usually Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-aligned courses that are designed to test the rigor, discipline, and resilience of students who are eager to expand their knowledge in the medical field.

After garnering a bachelor’s degree in whatever pre-med course they pursue, an additional entrance exam is given to those who are pursuing medical school. In the country, it is the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT), though a different version exists in every country. After passing the NMAT, it’s time to enroll in a medical school, a special kind of college that caters exclusively to medical students, often having a hospital of their own.

The pathway to professional work for doctors and nurses differ slightly—for nurses, they need only a bachelor’s degree in nursing, after which they need to pass the professional nursing board examination. This is also the pathway of most other medical jobs that don’t involve being a doctor.

Doctors on the other hand, have to complete 4 years of medical school to obtain a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree, pass the Physician Licensure Exam, and then obtain residency for specialized medical fields, which can range from anywhere from 3-6 years.

In total, it takes a minimum of at least 9 years (4 years of Pre-Med, 4 years of med school, and 1 year of residency/internship) to become a licensed physician, though the number is usually greater the more specialized a doctor becomes. Some schools are equipped with accelerated medical courses, such as the University of Santo Tomas’ LEAPMed and the University of the Philippines’ INTARMED. Nursing only takes around 4 years.

Pre-Med in the ASHS

Inside the Loyola Schools (LS) campus, the Pre-Medical Society of Ateneo (PMSA) exists primarily as an LS accredited organization that caters to interested college students in the field of medicine or other similar science. Only then have they expanded in the Ateneo Senior High School, forming PMSA-SHS throughout the summer, functioning under the new Health and Environment District (HED).

In the Ateneo college, the organizations are grouped together into “clusters,” synonymous with the district system we have in the ASHS. The Health and Environment Cluster (HEC) is very similar to HED in that regard, though PMSA has cemented itself long into the Ateneo-LS line-up of organizations.

“After the discontinuation of the Health and Environment District years back, we didn’t have a district that focused on health and environment alone. We also didn’t have an organization that mainly focused on the medical field, which was given a solution through the creation of the PMSA-SHS that is under HED,” says district head Yuki Fernandez.

Far from being solely about human health, HED is dedicated to a holistic approach in dealing with health and the human self, understanding that health too is environmental, as our physical surroundings, social environment, and a plethora of other factors can affect our health. Through proper awareness and student engagement, more and more HED-related organizations will be formed.

“Currently, there is only one organization under it, which is the Pre-Medical Organization of the Ateneo Senior High School.” She adds.

One of the recent projects of PMSA-SHS, Reseta, is a series of social media postings and pubmats aimed at raising awareness about the medical field, and gives us critical windows to veer into the medical world. From informative posts about pursuing a medical degree, to updating us on the state of the medical field in the country, Reseta is at the forefront of medical information for the ASHS.

“We hope that we will be able to spark that burning desire in you to be with and for others, enriching your skills and interests for the different aspects of health and environment, while fighting for our advocacies in the Health and Environment District,” Yuki said.

While HED is still trying to find its footing within the Council of Student Organizations (CSO), it continues to carve out its niche within the student population of the Ateneo Senior High School. By catering to an untapped student population who are interested in the medical field, they ensure that those students have an opportunity to learn, grow, develop, and be exposed to all things medical.

The baby steps that the district is taking will ensure the sustainability of HED and will allow room for growth into the future, long after the pioneer batch of students under HED will become doctors and other medical professionals. Like the college cluster, HED and PMSA-SHS will solidify their position for their Atenean community, expanding their impact beyond the district and org.