UST Medicine students placed third in the 2021 Interscholastic Medical Debate Competition of the 15th Association of Philippine Medical Colleges Student Network’s National Capital Region-South Luzon (NCR-SL) Convention held last Feb. 14 via Zoom.
The team was composed of Seungye Lee, Albert Cruz and Mico Baviera, who were also among the competition’s nine best speakers.
Eight teams participated in the competition. They were tasked to “stimulate effective critical thinking regarding health issues in the society, compare and discriminate healthcare dilemmas and create learning situations where future physicians may develop the habit of making decisions based on evidence-based research, sound judgment and proficient communication.”
Lee, the team leader, told the Varsitarian that juggling debate training and medical school was difficult, but it was important for future physicians to join such competitions to become effective communicators.
“Doctors should be able to promote healthy lifestyles by emphatic explanation, thereby empowering individuals and groups to enhance and protect their health. That’s why being able to convey words fluently and accurately is a trait that needs to be possessed by doctors,” she said.
Baviera, a freshman, also said that the debate contest was relevant to their roles as future doctors because they were able to tackle pressing issues in their field.
“We were able to broaden our perspectives and at the same time learn more,” Baviera said.
Cruz said that in joining debates, “Not only are we training ourselves to think critically, but we are also still training to think like a human with compassion.”
UST was represented by another team, composed of Marcy Grageda, Stephanie Tan and Carlos Pardiñas.
The regional convention also had an Interscholastic Clinicopathologic Case Competition, where UST students Eryll Alea, Ramoncito Paragas, Noe Tarrosa and Kyle Magistrado placed fourth.
All competing teams of the University were guided by Artlets alumna Elizabeth Cortez.
The Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health was named champion school, with Far Eastern University Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation as the first runner-up. Both schools will represent NCR-SL at the national level.
