Philippine Physician Licensure Examination

The Philippine Physician Licensure Examination, also called Philippine Medical Boards is the professional licensure examination for physicians in the Philippines. It is exclusively administered twice a year by the Professional Regulation Commission.^[1]

Admission requirements

According to Section 9 of Republic Act 2382, also known as the Medical Act of 1959, a board examinee must meet the following qualifications:

• a holder of the degree of Doctor of Medicine or its equivalent.
• a holder of a valid Certificate of Registration duly issued to him by the Board of Medical Examiners
• a citizen of the Philippines or a citizen of any foreign country who has submitted competent and conclusive documentary evidence, confirmed by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
• At least twenty-one (21) years of age.
• of good moral character (usually with a certificate from the dean of medical school or an immediate superior at work).
• No charges involving moral turpitude have been filed against the candidate or are pending in any court in the Philippines.

Boards review programs

After graduating from medical school, candidates who meet all the admission requirements usually enroll in special review classes held from May to July in medical schools, colleges, universities, and review centers.

Program schedule, content, and delivery differs from one review program to another. In these programs, lecturers, called medical board reviewers, are usually full-time professors and part-time professorial lecturers in medical schools and universities.

The review center with the highest number of enrollees is Topnotch Medical Board Prep. Other review centers in the country include Cracking D' Boards, and Brains Medical Boards Review Center. Only Cracking D' Boards that holds review classes both in Cebu and Manila, while Topnotch Medical Board Prep has the highest passing rate.

The Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, Ateneo de Zamboanga University, De La Salle University College of Medicine, Fatima College of Medicine, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, University of Santo Tomas, University of the East RMMC, and University of the Philippines each offer review classes for their respective graduates.

Coverage

During the entirety of the examination, the following topics are included, pursuant to Section 6:

• First Day
  • Biochemistry (8:00 AM–10:00 AM)
  • Anatomy and Histology (11:00 AM–2:00 PM)
  • Microbiology (2:00 PM–4:00 PM)
• Second Day
  • Physiology(8:00 AM–10:00 AM)
  • Legal Medicine, Ethics, and Medical Jurisprudence (11:00 AM–2:00 PM)
  • Pathology (2:00 PM–4:00 PM)
• Third Day
  • Pharmacology and Therapeutics (8:00 AM–10:00 AM)
  • Surgery, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, and Rhinology (11:00 AM–2:00 PM)
  • Internal Medicine (2:00 PM–4:00 PM)
• Fourth Day
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology (8:00 AM–10:00 AM)
  • Pediatrics and Nutrition (11:00 AM–2:00 PM)
  • Preventive Medicine (2:00 PM–4:00 PM)

Grading System

The twelve subjects are separately graded, with each subject contributing 8.3% to the overall grade. The passing average is 75%, with no grade falling below 50% in any subject. The passing average is obtained using the Mean Passing Level of the entire batch of examinees, which is done using the Nedelsky Method, wherein an examinee's raw scores are transmuted based on the current Mean Passing Level.

References