PLM Series: Applying to PLM College of Medicine

There is no doubt, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) College of Medicine is one of the medical schools which get a lot of applicants every year not only because of its quality education but of course for its lower tuition fees compared to other medical schools here in the Philippines. Admit it and we all know how expensive medical education can get. At PLM, students are 'categorized' or 'bracketed' based on criteria set by the medical school - read it here.  

For me, PLM CM has the most tedious process in all of medical school applications, they have a lot of requirements, an entrance exam and an interview which I will write about on the coming weeks (so make sure to follow my blog so you won't miss out). A sad, unique rule in PLM med is that you are NOT allowed to re-apply if you didn't get in the first time. So you might want to step up your game when you are planning to apply here and make every requirement a strong point so you're chance of getting accepted increases. It is really competitive to get a slot here.

PLM Med is NOT limited to Manila residents however, based on my observation Manila residents get prioritized but as long as you comply to the requirements, I don't see any reason why you don't get the chance to get in.

Below is their criteria for admission from their website:
1. Must be a natural Filipino citizen
2. Must have complied with all academic preparations
3. General Weighted Average of 2.50 or its equivalent or better
4. Must have an NMAT of 45 or above
5. Must have no failure in any subject in the undergraduate course
6. Must have no record of having been dropped from any medical school
7. Must have no record of having been denied admission in the PLM-CM
8. Must have no record of conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude
9. Must pass the MCAT
10. Must have passed a panel of interview
11. Willing to sign a memorandum of agreement to serve in the community designated by the College

To tell you frankly, an NMAT of 45 does not guarantee you a slot. NMAT scores of your fellow applicants are way higher, 90 and above, trust me. From what I heard, 70 and below NMAT percentile is still not good to get you in and there are only rare cases where an applicant gets in with this NMAT percentile. However, NMAT is not the only basis for admission, all I'm saying is a high NMAT score can give you a good head start.

If you qualified on their basic criteria, the next thing you need to do is to get your transcript of record (TOR) evaluated by the dean's office as soon as possible, feel free to go to their office and they'll be more than happy to check your TOR. This is to check if you have the complete units for their medical school, see below:

Sciences: 35 units

Chemistry: 10 units
Inorganic Chemistry: 5 units
Organic Chemistry/Biochemistry: 5 units

Natural Sciences: 15 units (5 units should at least be Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy or Human Anatomy and Physiology
 

Physics: 5 units

Microbiology or Elem. Genetics: 5 units

Mathematics: 6 units
Algebra: 3 units
Elementary Statistics/Biostatistics: 3 units
   
Language and Communication: 9 units
Social Sciences: 9 units (Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, History, Anthropology)
Humanities: 3 units (Art Appreciation, Logic, Philosophy)

If you have the complete units, then you are good to go but if not, you need to complete the units first before you can apply. Yes, they are strict with this. It is best to get this step done as soon as you can so you'll have ample time to take the supplemental subjects needed (I made a post where to take these - here). PLM allows 'to-follow' of the completion of units as long as you sign a waiver that they'll be completed before the confirmation of slots (usually around June). I advise that you do this before the second semester starts so you can still enroll your supplemental subjects on the second semester and get it done before the PLM College of Medicine school starts.

To apply, see below steps from the school website:

1. Submit original and duplicate copies of the following for initial screening:
    » Birth Certificate (NSO copy)
    » Official Transcript of Record/Special Order No.
    » 2 Letters of certification of Good Moral Character
    » Certificate of General Weighted Average from the Registrar/College
    » Diploma/Certificate of Graduation
    » NMAT Result
   » Manila Voter's ID/Voter's Certification issued by the COMELEC (for applicants who are residents of Manila only)
    » Student's residence certificate (cedula)
    » Baranggay Clearance in the place of residence
    » NBI Clearance
    » Any other document to prove Manila residency
    » Parent's latest Income Tax Return (ITR) and/or Affidavit of Support and ITR of benefactor
    » Enrollment form for supplemental subjects required
    » Self-addressed stamped envelope
    » Long brown envelope and long file folder
2. If qualified to take MCAT, get certification from the college and pay MCAT fee at the Cashier's Office.
3. Get application form and MCAT permit at the College of Medicine office.
4. Take the MCAT exam as scheduled and present yourself for interview. Interview schedule will be given after the MCAT exam.
Note: Application will not be processed unless documents are completed.

The MCAT fee (2017) is P3,500 pesos - the most expensive medical school application fee I heard of (so far) and also, bring two (2) 1x1 photo with white background to be pasted on your MCAT permit and application form.

As I've mentioned above, I'll write a separate post for the MCAT and the interview process. I hope this helps and feel free to comment any questions you have and I'll try my best to answer your queries. Thank you and good luck!

PLM website

Disclaimer: The author is not in any way related/connected to the admissions office of PLM CM. This post is only based on personal experience of the author.