Return Service Obligation Program

College of Medicine
University of the Philippines Manila

RATIONALE AND CONTEXT:

The UPCM Return Service Obligation Program attempts to respond to the challenges
of health inequities, inaccessible health services and the maldistribution of the health
workforce. The UPCM Mission guides the development, implementation and
assessment of the RSOP.

OBJECTIVES OF THE RETURN SERVICE

OBLIGATION PROGRM:

Effective, empowering, efficient & equitable service with Filipino patients &
communities, especially to the underserved
> Strengthening of the Philippine health system
> Improvement of the Philippine health indicators
Development and inspiration of the UPCM Student and eventually, the UPCM
Graduate

MAIN POINTS OF THE

RETURN SERVICE OBLIGATION PROGRAM:
OBLIGATIONS PRIOR TO GRADUATION:
The UPCM student, while guided by the Vision-Mission of the College, shall fulfil
the following prior to graduation:

Participate in all curricular activities from Learning Unit 1 to 7 or from

Learning Unit 3 to 7
Participate in all Career-Guidance activities under the Mentoring Program
Participate in all other activities that are required for graduation from the
College
The UPCM student is also strongly encouraged to engage in extracurricular
activities that aim to prepare him/her fro return service work. These activities
include: (a) community partnership programs; (b) community immersion
programs; (c) student conferences such as the NMSC, the Medical Students
Summit, the PCCH; and (d) other relevant volunteer programs

OBLIGATIONS AFTER GRADUATION:

Obtain a medical license within 2 years of graduation

Perform return service work within the Philippines as a physician for 3 years
within 5 years of graduation. The six (6) options are: (a) Public
Health/Community Medicine, (b) Primary Care, (c) Research in the field of
health or medicine, (d) Teaching in the field of health or medicine, (e)
Residency Training in any accredited program within the Philippines, and (f)
Masters Degree with a thesis option
Submit a report to the College of her/his return service work for the past 6
months. Return service work reports are due every June 30 & December 31
from the date of graduation until completion of the 3 years of return service
work. The following are the minimum required information: (a) location of
work, (b) name of institution, (c) area or areas served, (d) brief description of
service work being done, (e) good practices done including insights, (f)
problems encountered including proposed interventions and (g) service goals
& plans for the next 6 months

MAJOR REVISIONS TO THE

RETURN SERVICE OBLIGATION PROGRAM:
A. RETURN SERVICE OPTIONS
These changes were approved by the College Council, the University Council, the
UP Manila Chancellor and the Board of Regents. These changes will increase the
number of return service options but are not absolutely necessary in order to
adhere to the Return Service Agreement, thus, the need for the approval process.
2009 Version
Public Health / Community Medicine
Primary Care
Residency in a Government Hospital
anywhere in the Philippines or in a
Private Hospital Outside of Metro Manila
Research
Teaching in an Academic Institution

2013 Changes
(will apply to all UPCM Classes)
Public Health / Community Medicine
Primary Care
Residency in any accredited Government
or Private Hospital in the Philippines
Research
Teaching in an Academic Institution
Masters Degree Program with a Thesis
Option

B. PRE-TERMINATION AND PENALTIES

These changes were approved by the College Council, the University Council, the
UP Manila Chancellor and the Board of Regents. These will change the penalty
for pre-termination but are not absolutely necessary in order to adhere to the
Return Service Agreement, thus, the need for the approval process.

2009 Version

Pre-termination due to physical

incapacity of a permanent nature will
entail no payback
Pre-termination due to mental incapacity
of a permanent nature will entail no
payback
Pre-termination due to physical
incapacity of a temporary nature will
entail payback equivalent to number of
years studied

2016 Version
(will be applied retroactively except
for DECIDED cases)
Pre-termination from this agreement due
to any reason shall entail a payback
equivalent to double the cost of medical
education up to the year level completed
or currently in
Should the student who pre-terminated
have concerns about the payback, the
issues will be settled in the Appeals
Committee

Pre-termination from this by a student

under the MD-PhD program or a student
Pre-termination due to mental incapacity under any other return service program
of a temporary nature will entail payback shall entail a payback TO BOTH the
equivalent to number of years studied
UPCM which will be equivalent to
double the cost of education up to the
Pre-termination due to non-completion
year level completed or currently in, and
because of academic deficiencies will
to the other institution which will be
entail a payback equivalent to the number equivalent to whatever amount is
of years studied
stipulated in her/his return service
contract with the aforementioned
Pre-termination due to dismissal for
institution
disciplinary action will entail a payback
equivalent to five years of medical
education regardless of number of years
completed
Pre-termination due to decision of
student for any reason other than those
mentioned above will entail a payback
equivalent to five years of medical
education regardless of number of years
completed

JUSTIFICATION FOR THE CHANGES ON PRE-TERMINATION

AND PENALTIES:
Discussions with psychiatrists and lawyers revealed that it will not be entirely
possible to label any incapacity as being of a permanent nature because of the
relative context of any incapacity with respect to the illness and the situation.

C. STUDENTS AND GRADUATE RECORDS PRIOR TO COMPLETION

OF THE RETURN SERVICE OBLIGATION
Upon being informed by the ECFMG of the single verification process (please see
details below), these changes were absolutely necessary in order to ensure
adherence to the Return Service Agreement which states that all graduates must
perform 3 years of return service work within 5 years of graduation. Therefore,
the UPCM needed to change the 2012 version of its policy on the US-MLE
without any approval from a higher authority. The higher authorities require
the UPCM to make these absolutely necessary changes in order to ensure the
adherence of the students & graduates to the Return Service Agreement
2012 Version
Students & graduates may take the MLE

2016 Changes
Students & graduates may take the MLE

However, if a graduate wants the stamp

For use only in the Philippines. Subject
to Return Service Agreement removed
from her/his Transcript of Records then
the graduate must open an escrow
account worth PhP 1,800,00.00 or engage
the services of a UPM-accredited surety
agent

However, all UPCM students &

graduates who will request for any form
of document, certification or credentials
verification for purposes of applying for
the US-MLE or any foreign examination
will be required to open an escrow
account or get a surety bond from UPMaccredited financial agencies. An escrow
account or a surety bond is necessary to
ensure adherence to the RSA because the
ECFMG informed the UPCM that a
foreign medical graduate who wishes to
apply for residency training program in
the USA would only be required one
verification. The single verification will
be honoured for Step 1 of the MLE, for
Step 2 of the MLE and for matching to
any residency training program in the
USA.