MINDANAO is set to welcome a future of digitally equipped and AI (artificial intelligence)-proficient healthcare practitioners.
Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao (Mapúa MCM) continues to empower its College of Health Sciences, in collaboration with Arizona State University (ASU), with digital mastery and AI-integrated curriculum, equipping future healthcare professionals in Mindanao with globally competitive and future-ready skills.
Aiming to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, Mapúa MCM College of Health Sciences collaborates with ASU to provide key offerings like AI microcredentials as well as courses and certifications focused on practical applications of AI in the field of health sciences. This includes programs such as AI Foundations: Prompt Engineering with ChatGPT, AI Foundations: Scripting ChatGPT with Python, and AI for Higher Education, which provide foundational knowledge and hands-on experience with generative AI, Python scripting, and AI integration.
The collaboration offers global readiness, advanced and immersive facilities, and digital mastery through the following College of Health Sciences programs: B.S. Biology (Major in Medical Biology), B.S. in Psychology, B.S. in Pharmacy, B.S. in Physical Therapy and B.S. in Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Science, an undergraduate program in Mapúa MCM recently approved by CHED (Commission on Higher Education), which equips students with international standards of essentials skills in medical and laboratory technology—including AI—to diagnose, treat and improve a patient’s health.
AI in healthcare is widely seen to benefit the industry as it is utilized to analyze complex medical and health data impacting diagnosis, treatment planning, clinical trials ,and drug discovery, patient monitoring and care, as well as giving room for enhanced efficiency and resource management.
Dr. Adorico M. Aya-ay, dean of Mapúa MCM College of Health Sciences, discussed how the institution incorporated AI programs in the curriculum.
“AI is integrated not only across all disciplines in the College of Health Sciences but also in all of the programs offered at Mapúa MCM. In our healthcare education programs, AI integration is thoughtfully designed and tailored to meet the specific needs of each curriculum. For example, in a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) program in Pharmacy, there will be a course on the introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) that is relevant to the work of pharmacists and how AI can assist them. Similarly, in a B.S. program in Physical Therapy, the AI course will focus on its applications in the practice of physical therapists. This approach also applies to the B.S. program in Psychology, where the AI course will be tailored to the field’s specific needs,” Dr. Aya-ay explained. He added that through the collaboration of Mapúa MCM College of Health Sciences and ASU, both faculty members and students can upskill through access to masterclasses and microcredentials of ASU and other partner universities across the globe.
As an educational institution, Mapúa MCM deems it important for students to have the knowledge and skills to work with AI and technology to be ahead of the curve and to meet the requirements of the labor market.
“The school recognizes that there is an immediate and pressing requirement to modernize health education and for us to accommodate quickly the expanding medical technologies. We know very well that professionals who are prepared for the future and are able to thrive in data-rich, AI-related, AI-enabled healthcare ecosystem should be [trained and equipped.] Those equipped with AI and digital skills will thrive in today’s competitive healthcare landscape. Once students graduate, what employers would look for is how we know technology, so Mapúa being Mapúa, we are into technology and we are in partnership with different universities abroad. As to [AI] application, as to how it is really embedded in the curriculum and as to how the school practices it, we are ahead,” the dean explained.
Considering that a recent PIDS (Philippine Institute for Development Studies) study noted a healthcare disparity in Mindanao, the AI-integration and digitalization of health education at Mapúa MCM is especially relevant for the region.
“I would say that the integration of AI in healthcare education in Mindanao, in general, is a game-changer. It means we are developing our students to be proficient and well-adapted to digital advances. It also means that there would be better training, improved program outcomes, and can result to efficient provision of healthcare services in general through our trained students,” Dr. Aya-Ay declared.
“Mapúa is proud to be present in Mindanao, where we are dedicated to equipping our students with advanced training to become exceptional healthcare providers in the future. We are committed to demonstrating that we can achieve the same levels of innovation and excellence in digital and AI technologies as our counterparts in Manila. Sharing a strong connection with our mother institution, Mapúa University, allows us to harness the same cutting-edge resources and methodologies. With unified leadership and a shared vision, we believe that Mindanao students can access this high-quality education. Our focus on incorporating AI into healthcare education positions us on par not only with institutions outside of Mindanao but also, through our collaboration with the College of Health Sciences and ASU, with schools internationally,” he said.
The dean also noted how digital mastery and AI skills bridge the gap between what students learn in school and the evolving expectations of recruiting companies, which require students to have a know-how of technology.
“The problem in the past was the disparity in terms of what the students are learning in school and what their actual work [requires]. They are trained to learn the basics and to do things manually, but at the hospital, things are modern and different. They needed to be trained one month prior to their deployment for work. That’s why we are preparing and training our students to work with advanced equipment and digital skills. It gives Mapúa graduates an edge,” he noted.
With the rising demands of the advancing healthcare landscape and the technological shift happening worldwide, Dr. Aya-ay sees a clear and important role for Mapúa MCM in the future of both local and global healthcare.
“The number one goal here is to produce globally competitive healthcare professionals—the ones who can adapt well in the ever-evolving healthcare systems. We need to evolve and be dynamic. Our graduates could lead initiatives in many ways, reach rural areas, and improve the healthcare systems in remote areas. We may be in Davao City, a highly urbanized city in Mindanao, but surrounding us are provinces that need improved healthcare facilities. By training our students here to be globally competitive, they should also be locally relevant at the same time. Wherever they go—be it for work abroad, in Manila or in remote places in the Philippines—our graduates will adapt and will know what to do. They are well-positioned because we are preparing them in a holistic way,” Dr. Aya-ay meaningfully concluded.
