Off&On Campus

‘Bagong Doktor’ scholarship selection process starts

The selection process for Batch No. 4 of the Bagong Doktor Para sa Bayan scholarship program of the First Gentleman Foundation Inc. (FGFI) has started. Medical students in their 4th and 5th year of medicine proper at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) and the University of the Philippines-Manila (UP) attended an orientation program recently by the FGFI’s medical board at the PGH auditorium at the Philippine General Hospital along Taft Ave., Manila. A total of 38 scholars will be chosen to achieve the FG’s goal of 100 doctors by 2010. The Bagong Doktor scholarship program is limited to the poorest but most deserving medical students of PLM and UP Manila. Foundation president Juris Soliman said like their predecessors, the scholars will receive free tuition, allowances, uniforms, medical kits and other needs in their clerkship and  internship. First Gentleman Mike Arroyo said all that he asks from scholars is to serve the poor in barrios for two years after they pass the medical licensure exams. To date, a total of 62 scholars have benefited from the program.

Novartis BioCamp helps build pool of competent scientists

Novartis, the Swiss research-based healthcare company has partnered with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to hold the 2009 Novartis Biotechnology Leadership Camp (BioCamp) for Filipino students. Dr. Jaime Montoya, director of the DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), and Peter Goldschmidt, president and CEO of Novartis Healthcare Philippines, recently signed a memorandum of agreement at the Shangri-La Makati to formalize their partnership. DOST Secretary Dr. Estrella Alabastro and Alexandre Jetzer, member of the Novartis board of directors, were on hand to witness the MOA signing. As part of the agreement, DOST will provide Novartis with a database of scholars who fit Biocamp criteria as well as recommend and invite qualified students to participate in the workshop. “I would like to commend Novartis for implementing a program such as BioCamp which supports and complements the DOST’s programs aimed at building a pool of competent and skilled scientists, especially in a rapidly advancing and increasingly complex field of biotechnology. With projects like Biocamp, we hope to reach the UNESCO target of 380 R&D personnel for every one million population in developing countries,” said Secretary Alabastro. “Novartis is privileged to partner with DOST in holding the annual BioCamp workshop in our common goal of enhancing the global competitiveness of future Filipino scientists and managers and helping them contribute to nation building. Biotechnology has been pivotal in advances made in the life sciences, medicine, agriculture and food manufacturing. Novartis believes biotechnology will likewise play an important role in promoting the growth of the national economy,” according to Goldschmidt. BioCamp provides deserving participants with the opportunity to train and teach in Novartis research centers. Participants of the International BioCamp will acquire in-depth knowledge of the latest developments in the global biotech industry, cross-culture and disciplinary experience, as well as cutting-edge expertise and management skills essential for success in the biotechnology business.