Medical school aims to get 3,000 students

The proponent for the setting up of a medical school on Saipan projects to enroll a total of 3,000 students over five years of operation.

In a concept paper, businessman Dr. Johnny Fong—who plans to set up the Loyola Health Science College on Saipan, with the La Fiesta mall as its venue—hopes to get 500 initial enrollees from the CNMI and Southeast Asia.

On the third year, he hopes to receive 1,000 students, 2,000 students in the fourth year, and 3,000 in the fifth year.

Under the proposal, the school shall offer two-year Associate of Arts degree in Nursing, a four-year Doctor of Medicine degree, a four-year Pharmacy degree, and a four-year dentistry degree.

These courses, Fong said, are in great demand today in the U.S. mainland.

Fong, a U.S. trained pediatrician, said a portion of the curriculum consisting of general education and various other courses that do not need clinical training, may be offered online.

“Courses that require clinical training will be offered on-site on Saipan,” he said.

Fong, board chair of the Loyola Medical College Foundation, said “there is a great need to upgrade the quality of medical education in the Pacific region.”

He said the college shall be highly computerized, with most of the lectures stored in the school’s computers to enhance the students’ learning process.

The curriculum, he said, shall comply with all the standards of the various accrediting bodies of the different professions.

“The college shall be subscribing to all major medical, nursing, pharmaceutical and dental journals. All shall be available online,” he said.

He said the college shall operate a library, with copies of all prescribed textbooks, which shall be shared with students from the Northern Marianas College.

Fong, who submitted a licensure application with the Board of Regents last week, said the school shall operate on a quarterly system, meaning there will be enrolment every quarter “on a rolling open entry, open exit system.”

The school shall work with the Commonwealth Health Center for training and personnel needs.

Fong, together with her doctor wife, Grace Fong, and business partner Gerardo Borromeo, visited Saipan last week.

The group was introduced by retired Philippine ambassador and former Consul General to the CNMI Julia Heidemann to local government executives headed by Gov. Juan N. Babauta. The group also paid a visit to the Legislature.

Fong, based on his profile, is a graduate of the University of the Philippines’ College of Medicine. He attended the Ateneo de Manila University for high school, and took up B.S. Pre-Medicine program at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

After graduation, he left for the U.S. where he specialized in pediatrics at the University of Illinois Medical Center.

He has been in the private practice of medicine since 1976 in Fresno, California.

Since 2001, the foundation has established a medical school and a nursing school in consortium with the San Beda College in Manila.

At present, the two schools have a combined 1,000 student enrolment.