No NMAT exam for 2020-2021 MD Course in The Philippines
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has recently published an update for all foreign students looking to pursue MBBS (MD) course in the Philippines whereby the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) has been omitted as a requirement for the academic year 2020-2021. This comes much to the relief of the students as they won’t have to appear for the NMAT 2021 exam thereby making the whole admission process smooth, hassle-free and assured.
Dated 27th November 2020, the notice has been signed off by the Executive Director IV Atty. Cinderella Filipina S. Benitez-Jaro and refers to the memorandum from the Chairperson dated 3rd July 2020, and Commission en Banc (CEB) Resolution No. 409-2020 as per which the medical schools and colleges may allow the students to enrol into the academic year for MD course without the NMAT exam although subject to Higher Education Institution’s (HEI) admission requirements.
As far as the HEI’s admission requirements are concerned, the Commission has already requested all the CHED Regional Office Directors and Officers-in-charge to submit their respective region’s admission requirements for all international students who are enrolling for the Medical Program, particularly instead of the NMAT 2021. The Office of Student Development and Services (OSDS) will then compile and consolidate the HEI’s admission requirements for international students intoa more comprehensive format which will be used for further analysis and reporting to CEB.
This initiative has been undertaken exclusively to make education more accessible and approachable to all. In hindsight, the primary consideration for even us at DMSF has been the welfare of the students. Especially, in a time of need and crisis. Easing off from a global pandemic, we understand that international students will face challenges in terms of Foreign Travels and various other restrictions which are pivotal for our safety. Keeping all these in mind, the decision to remove the NMAT exam for the academic year 2020-2021 seemed not only fair but necessary and humane.