Recognition of Specialty Societies and Specialty Boards, and Certification of Specialists

March 9, 2015

PRC BOARD OF MEDICINE RESOLUTION NO. 025-15

RECOGNITION OF SPECIALTY SOCIETIES AND SPECIALTY BOARDS, AND CERTIFICATION OF SPECIALISTS

WHEREAS, Republic Act 2382, otherwise known as the Medical Act of 1959, contains Article I, Section 1. Objectives — This Act provides for and shall govern (a) the standardization and regulation of medical education; (b) the examination for registration of physicians; and (c) the supervision, control and regulation of the practice of medicine in the Philippines;

WHEREAS, Republic Act 8981, otherwise known as the "The PRC Modernization Act of 2000" Section 9, entitled "Powers, Functions and Responsibilities of the Various Professional Regulatory Boards" specified the following: (a) To regulate the practice of the professions, in accordance with the provisions of their respective professional regulatory laws; (b) To monitor the conditions affecting the practice of the profession or occupation under their respective jurisdictions and whenever necessary, adopt such measures, as may be deemed proper, for the enhancement of the profession or occupation and/or the maintenance of high professional, ethical and technical standards." For the profession of medicine, the Professional Regulatory Authority is the Professional Regulatory Board of Medicine (Board);

WHEREAS, duly registered and licensed physicians desiring to earn specialist status need to undergo the corresponding medical residency/specialty or fellowship training in order to be bestowed with a Diplomate or Fellow title;

WHEREAS, there have been identified problems besetting residency/specialty and fellowship trainings which may be attributed to the absence of a government regulatory agency/body that will supervise and monitor the conduct of medical residency/specialty or fellowship trainings in the Philippines;

WHEREAS, by virtue of PRC Resolution No. 2013-02, the Commission and the Board have declared that residency training constitute the practice of the medical profession and thus, within the ambit of their regulatory authority;

WHEREAS, the ASEAN MRA on Medical Practitioners, to which the Philippines is a signatory, requires the submission to the ASEAN Joint Coordinating Committee on Medical Practitioners (AJCCM) of data on post-graduate qualifications/specializations as well as the list of government-recognized or accredited training institutions in the Philippines; EcaDCI

WHEREAS, the Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF), which was institutionalized by Executive Order No. 83, provides for the (1) eight (8) levels of qualifications, including doctoral and post-doctoral qualifications; (2) trainings, specializations, skills and competencies acquired through professional experience or lifelong learning; (3) national standards and levels of outcomes of education and training, specializations, skills and competencies; and (4) national regulatory and quality assurance arrangements for education and training;

WHEREAS, in the operationalization of the PQF and the ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework (AQRF), the educational and skills qualifications must be certified by training institutions duly recognized or accredited by the government;

WHEREAS, consultations have already been undertaken by the Board, specialty societies and specialty boards for the development of a regulatory system that will govern the conduct of residency/specialty and fellowship training, recognition of the specialty societies and specialty boards, and the recognition of certificates and titles conferred to specialists;

NOW THEREFORE, in view of the foregoing considerations, the Board RESOLVES, as it is hereby RESOLVED, to confer recognition to specialty societies and specialty boards, and to issue certifications to specialists, with the approval of the Commission, subject to the following conditions:

1. To maintain high competency and professional standards in the practice of the specialty, only one (1) specialty society in an area or field of practice will be conferred recognition. Initially, the following specialty societies shall be recognized by the Commission and the Board:

1.1 Philippine Society of Anesthesiologists;

1.2 Philippine Academy of Family Physicians;

1.3 Philippine College of Physicians;

1.4 Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society;

1.5 Philippine Society of Pathologists;

1.6 Philippine Pediatric Society;

1.7 Philippine College of Radiology; and

1.8 Philippine College of Surgeons.

 There shall be sub-specialties under each of the abovelisted specially societies.

 There shall be another list that will cover the specialty boards.

 Any group of physicians who intends to apply for recognition, either as a specialty society or specialty board, shall submit such documentary requirements, as may be prescribed by the Board.

2. In the exercise of its oversight function, the Board, in consultation with the specialty societies and specialty boards, shall issue and promulgate guidelines on the following:

2.1 Recognition of specialty societies and specialty boards;

2.2 Assessment of the training programs, including actions and sanctions that may be imposed on poorly performing training institutions;

2.3 Accreditation of training institutions by specialty societies;

2.4 Submission of annual reports of the specialty boards, detailing the performance in the examinations, whether written, oral and/or practical examination, based on the passing percentages of graduates of the accredited training programs; and HcSDIE

2.6 * Administration of the qualifying examination/assessment procedure by the Board and the specialty certifying examinations, whether written, oral or practical examinations, by the specialty boards.

3. The Certificates of Diplomates and Fellows shall bear the signatures of the Chairperson of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), President of the Specialty Society and Chairman of the Specialty Board. The Certificates shall also contain the PRC logo and the words:

"Specialty Society authorized by the Professional Regulation Commission to conduct residency/subspecialty training in the field of _________".

or

"Specialty Board authorized by the Professional Regulation Commission to administer certifying examinations in the field of ___________".

or

"Specialty Society authorized by the Professional Regulation Commission to confer the title "Fellow" to specialists in the field of ________".

4. The Professional Regulatory Board of Medicine shall maintain a roster of the recognized specialty societies, specialty boards, accredited training institutions in the different specialties and recognized Diplomates and Fellows of the different specialty societies and specialty boards.

This Resolution shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its full and complete publication in any newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines, and which shall likewise be disseminated to the U.P. Law Center, Philippine Medical Association (PMA) and all existing specialty societies and specialty boards for information and guidance.

Done in the City of Manila, this 9th of March, 2015.

(SGD.) MIGUEL L. NOCHE, JR., M.D.Chairman

(SGD.) EDGARDO T. FERNANDO, M.D.Member

(SGD.) RESTITUTO C. DE OCAMPO, M.D.Member

(SGD.) JOSE Y. CUETO, JR., M.D.Member

(SGD.) MILDRED N. PAREJA, M.D.Member

VACANTMember

Attested by:

(SGD.) LOVELIKA T. BAUTISTAOfficer-in-Charge

APPROVED:

(SGD.) FLORENTINO C. DOBLE, M.D.Chairman

(SGD.) ANGELINE T. CHUA CHIACOCommissioner

(SGD.) YOLANDA D. REYESCommissioner

Published in The Philippine Star on March 19, 2015.