Dra Chato and I would like to share some good news. 

The other day, we welcomed 120 post-graduate interns into our program. This is a milestone worth celebrating. Since we assumed office, attracting interns and residents had been a challenge—brought about by a low patient census, limited working equipment, and perhaps some less-than-favorable reviews about the hospital in the past. 

This year, however, we not only met our target—we exceeded it. In fact, we had a surplus of qualified applicants, meaning some could no longer be accommodated in our program. For the first time in a long while, we have the privilege of selecting only the best among the best. 

To put things into perspective, we’ve received confirmed news that other private hospitals in the metro which have 150 internship slots, had only 76 applicants this year, with 20 backing out—leaving them with barely 50 interns. They have even reached out to us to see if we could refer some of our surplus to them. 

This positive turn of events reflects a deeper reality: trainees are coming back, and UST Hospital is regaining its place as the number one choice for post-graduate interns. Many factors have contributed to this. While we, as administrators, cannot claim sole credit, it is the fruit of conscious, day-to-day decisions and hard work. A huge part of this success comes from the unwavering support of the USTMAAA/F, which has funded our indigency programs and upgraded our equipment. Positive feedback from our medical staff has also helped strengthen our reputation. Our steady complement of nurses prevents burnout among our interns and residents. And of course, our flagship remains our training program—anchored on the commitment, expertise, and patience of our medical staff who dedicate themselves to teaching and mentoring the next generation. 

Thank you for your continued support! 

And as an added good news: starting this year, our post-graduate interns will receive a Php 3,000 monthly honorarium. This newly introduced honorarium had no bearing on this year’s high application rate, as the honorarium was implemented only after the selection process. 

Thanks once again, and God bless. 

Fr. Julius Paul, OP CEO, UST Hospital

NEWS

USTMAAAmerica congratulates our St. Dominic Scholar, DR. KHARAM MOLBOG, for having topped the recent Physicians Licensure Exams!!!

We are very proud of you!!!

A dual fete of topping the Med Tech Licensure in 2022 and the PHYSICIANS LICENSURE IN 2025!!!

Sharing Dr. Molbog’s very inspiring Valedictory Address as Summa Cum Laude from the UST Faculty of Medicine & Surgery.

Thank you to those of you donating to our USTMAAA Foundation that supports various funds for USTFMS & USTH! www.ustmaaamerica.org/donate

Congratulations Dr. Zaida Noblejas Gamilla of Class 1973!

She has been named one of the recipients of the 2025 FIGO Women’s Awards, presented during the XXV FIGO World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics, held from October 5–9, 2025, in Cape Town, South Africa.

Kharam B. Molbog, MD, RMT

Dr. Gamilla receives her FIGO Award

This prestigious award recognizes nineteen exceptional women from around the world for their pioneering contributions to women’s health, research, and leadership in the field of obstetrics and gynecology.

Congratulations, Dr. Gamilla, on this well-deserved recognition! You’re the pride of the Philippines, pride of UST FMS, pride of UST Hospital, pride of USTMD73, pride of the USTMAAA IHMMv4 as its co-coordinator for 2026.

OBITUARY