Mapúa Launches School of Health Sciences and New Health Sciences Programs in Collaboration with Arizona State University; Announces AC Health Partnership
%20for%20School%20for%20Health%20Sciences.jpg)
Manila, Philippines – Mapúa University partners with Arizona State University (ASU) for School for Health Sciences. This was announced at the official launch event held June 6, 2023 at the Mapúa University Makati Campus. The event also served as an announcement of Mapúa University’s partnership with the Ayala-owned AC Health.
The School for Health Sciences is part of Mapúa’s
commitment to providing a world-class education that helps graduates succeed in
their fields and serve society. “Education is part of nation-building: we
prepare the next generation to do better and bigger things and create impact,”
said Dr. Reynaldo Vea, President of Mapúa University. “By venturing into Health
Sciences, we hope to significantly contribute to the development of the
Philippine health sector, both in clinical practice and research.”
Before joining the university, Dr. Malaya Santos,
Mapúa’s Dean of the School of Health Sciences, dedicated much of her career to
public health and research. "Health has a huge impact on quality of life
and economic growth. Even from the perspective of personal impact on a family,
the average Filipino is just one catastrophic disease away from poverty,” she
said. “Our goal is to make healthcare more accessible and give our graduates
the skills and mindset for a more global and digital healthcare industry.”
Immersive and advanced facilities for practice-ready graduates
Mapúa University has invested in state-of-the-art
simulation tools and integrated training to develop practice-ready healthcare
graduates.
Dr. Francisco Gutierrez, Head of Medicine & Health
of Cintana Education, explains the simulation experiences further. “We have
human structure and functional labs. The professor does an introduction, and
then students go to different stations with different learning scenarios. For
example, the first station may be an anatomical model, the next station is the
first MRI or pet scan, the third will have curated videos from ASU that show
brain dysfunction, and the fourth will have virtual reality goggles that show
the brain in 3D. It is a very immersive experience, and immersion leads to
deeper learning and retention.”
Mapúa will also have clinical simulation laboratories
with hi-fidelity mannequins, robotics, virtual dissection tables, body
projections, and “standardized patients” who are patient-actors.
As for clinical rotations and internships, Mapúa has
partnered with Mandaluyong City Medical Center, Makati Medical Center, East
Avenue Medical Center, Ospital ng Makati, and St. Clare Medical Center. The new
partnership with AC Health will also allow Mapúa's students to train in
Healthway Medical Network - AC Health's clinics and hospitals group consisting
of 12 outpatient centers, 4 general hospitals, and the soon-to-open Healthway
Cancer Care Hospital, the first of its kind in the country.
The
integrated teaching simulation models will recreate authentic hospital,
out-patient, and community scenarios and enable them to gain confidence and
experience even before they meet their first patients. “It trains the graduates
to be ready-to-practice and the first choice for employment while providing a
delightful learning environment,” says Dr. Francisco.
Students from the different courses will share the
multi-functional laboratories and simulation spaces, which encourages
meaningful interaction and collaboration. “This will help build the mindset for
more inter-professional and team-based health service delivery,” said Dr.
Malaya.
AC Health Partnership
At the event, Mapúa University also announced its
partnership with AC Health through its hospitals and clinics group, the Healthway
Medical Network (HMN). Leveraging its integrated network of hospitals and
clinics nationwide, HMN can enable Mapúa School of Health Sciences to provide
enhanced experiential learning opportunities for its students through clinical
rotations, internships, and other immersive strategies for active learning. The
group will also provide scholarships and allow the students to explore career
opportunities in the different Healthway QualiMed hospitals and Healthway
Multispecialty Centers immediately after graduation.
“The pandemic exposed several gaps in our healthcare
system, including the need to build a more resilient and sufficient health
workforce. Addressing this requires strengthening the skills of future
healthcare professionals through education. Today, I laud the collaboration
between Mapúa School of Health Sciences and the Arizona State University,
leaders in quality education, as they launch new Health Sciences programs to
help narrow this gap. We at AC Health, through our Healthway Medical Network
group, are proud partners and look forward to offering training initiatives and
scholarship programs that can further equip the next generation of healthcare
professionals. Together, we can rebuild our healthcare system and make our
vision of improved healthcare for all a reality.” Paolo F. Borromeo, AC Health
President and CEO, added.
Global Education
Through the Global Classroom, students can participate
in classes involving professors from Arizona State University and ASU-Cintana
Alliance’s universities. They can also join internships and participate in
international exchange programs and research projects.
Working with professors and classmates from around the
world also provides them with the soft skills for a global workplace:
communication, collaboration, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to lead and
manage teams worldwide. “These will all be success factors in the 21st
century,” said Dr. Malaya. “Our educational system has reached a point where
technical skills are assured, so the global mindset is what gives that
competitive edge.”
Digital Mastery
“Digital technology has permeated everything, and it
is important for educators to teach digital literacy—how to be comfortable with
the technology and how to curate and evaluate the accuracy of the information
critically,” said Dr. Malaya. She adds that this is one of the strongest suits
of Mapúa because of its long track record in Engineering and IT.
For the Health Sciences students in particular,
digital literacy will also prepare them for specific situations like managing
electronic patient records to communicate and connect with patients while
providing telemedicine—or what Dr. Malaya described as developing “webside
manners” – a virtual equivalent of bedside manner in healthcare in addition to
the traditional bedside manners.
Preparation for a global career
“As we celebrate 100 years of Mapúa, we remain focused
on ensuring that our students have the agency to pursue their careers wherever
they want. This collaboration with ASU is a testament to our commitment to
providing our students with a quality education at par with world standards,”
said Dr. Vea.
The Mapúa Health Sciences degree programs include BS
Biology, BS Psychology, BS Medical Technology, AB Psychology, and BS Nursing
(waiting approval from CHED) in the Mapúa Makati campus. There are also plans
to introduce nursing, medicine, and other health professions in the near
future.
About Mapúa University. Mapúa University is a top-ranked
higher education institution in the world, among the top 6% of all the world’s
higher educational institutions, and one of only four Philippine universities
in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings (WUR) 2023It is
also ranked #2 in research in the Philippines by THE. It is a Quacquarelli
Symonds-rated 4 Star institution and among the top 100 universities in
Southeast Asia. It also won the Gold Award for Digital Readiness from the
prestigious Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards 2022. Mapúa is a
comprehensive university, with almost a century of cutting-edge education,
offering academically excellent programs in Engineering and Sciences,
Architecture and Design, Information Technology, Business and Management,
Communication and Media Studies, Liberal Arts, and Health Sciences. Learn more
about Mapúa University at https://www.Mapúa.edu.ph/.
About Arizona State University. Arizona State University has
developed a new model for the American Research University, creating an
institution that is committed to access, excellence, and impact. ASU has been
ranked as #1 in the US for innovation for 8 consecutive years by US News and
Report, the leading U.S. universities ranking system. ASU is also ranked in the
Top 100 in the world for academic reputation by Times Higher Education World
Reputation Rankings 2021, and #1 Public University in the U.S. chosen by
international students, according to the Institute of International Education
Open Doors Report 2022. Learn more about Arizona State University at https://www.asu.edu/.
Comments
Post a Comment