Philippines | Est. 1956Philippines | CHED-recognized; PAASCU Level IV (first private medical school in the Philippines to attain this) | English medium
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Ask a Filipino doctor which private medical school carries the most weight domestically, and UERM comes up constantly. It isn't flashy marketing that built that reputation. It's decades of licensure exam results that keep landing above the national average.
1956 is when it all started, when the University of the East's medical department was reorganized as a separate, non-stock, non-profit foundation and renamed a year later in memory of President Ramon Magsaysay, who died in a plane crash in March 1957. That structure made it the first philanthropic institution of its kind in the country, and the campus has stayed in Quezon City, part of Metro Manila, ever since.
UERM is fully recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and holds Level IV accreditation from PAASCU, the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities. It was the first private medical school in the Philippines to reach that level, which is the accrediting body's highest tier. The Department of Science and Technology has also named it a Center of Excellence in Research.
UERM Memorial Medical Center handles the clinical rotations, sitting on the same campus grounds rather than at a separate partner hospital across town. That matters logistically: students walk to their wards instead of commuting. The hospital carries a DOH Level III general hospital classification and runs departments spanning psychiatry, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, ENT, and rehabilitation medicine.
The trip from India isn't small, but it's manageable. Air India runs non-stop flights between Delhi and Manila, roughly seven hours in the air, and Quezon City sits about 30-45 minutes from Ninoy Aquino International Airport depending on traffic. No layovers through the Middle East or Southeast Asian hubs are required, which shaves real time off a trip home during breaks.
One detail worth knowing: UERM recently launched ACCEL Med, a six-year integrated pathway that takes students straight from senior high school into a two-year BS Medical Sciences program and then into the four-year MD proper, skipping a separate undergraduate degree elsewhere. For Indian applicants who already hold a qualifying bachelor's degree, the standard route remains the direct four-year MD track.
The figures below combine UERM's own published College of Medicine fee schedule with living-cost estimates commonly cited by Philippine study-abroad consultancies, since the university does not publish a separate international-student cost sheet.
Cost Item | Per Year (USD / local currency) | Total Programme Cost (approx.) |
Tuition & Laboratory Fees (Year 1) | approx. PHP 170,000 (~USD 3,000) | approx. PHP 680,000 across 4 years |
Other Institutional Fees | approx. PHP 18,000-22,000 | approx. PHP 75,000-90,000 |
Hostel / Shared Accommodation | approx. USD 1,800-2,400 | approx. USD 7,200-9,600 |
Food & Daily Living | approx. USD 2,000-3,600 | approx. USD 8,000-14,400 |
Application/NMAT & Admission Processing | one-time, varies by intake | consult admissions office directly |
Donation / Capitation Fee | None reported | None reported |
Total Estimated Cost (4-year MD) | - | approx. USD 20,000-30,000 (tuition + living, excludes flights) |
UERM's tuition figures above come from the college's own official fee schedule for the 2024-2025 school year; hostel and living estimates are drawn from Philippine study-abroad consultancy sources and can shift with the peso-rupee exchange rate, so treat the total as a planning range rather than a quote.
Why UERM College of Medicine Deserves a Harder Look Than You've Given It
The strongest argument for UERM isn't a ranking number, it's the licensure data. In one recent physician licensure exam cycle, UERM graduates posted a 98.65% passing rate against a national average of 84.94%, placing the school third among all medical colleges in the country that year. For a private, foundation-run institution competing against government-subsidized universities, that's a genuinely hard result to fake or coast on.
Communication with prospective foreign students is the weak link, though. UERM's tuition and fee schedules are posted online, but almost entirely as scanned images or PDFs rather than a searchable international-student fee page, and there's no dedicated portal spelling out costs specifically for Indian or other foreign applicants. Anyone applying should budget time to email the admissions office directly and get written confirmation before committing to a consultancy's quoted number.
The teaching hospital being on-campus is a bigger deal than it sounds. A lot of Philippine medical schools send clinical-year students to affiliated hospitals across the city, which adds commute time and sometimes housing complications during clerkship years. UERM students walk from lecture hall to ward, which simplifies scheduling and keeps the clinical experience under one institutional roof.
The bed count for the hospital circulates as roughly 307 in secondary sources, but that figure isn't confirmed on UERM's own site, so it should be treated as an estimate rather than a hard number until verified directly with the hospital.
Weigh this against schools that are cheaper or faster to enter, and UERM still holds its own on the metric that actually determines whether a degree is useful back home: whether graduates pass licensure exams at a rate that suggests real teaching quality, not just a diploma mill churning out paperwork.
No hidden charges, no donation. The full picture of costs at MBBS in University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center.
Tuition Fee
Approx. PHP 170,000-190,000 total per year
approx. PHP 170,000 (~USD 3,000)/year
Hostel Fee
Approx. USD 150-200 per month
Approx. USD 150-200 per month
Food & Meals
approx. USD 170-300
per month
Insurance
approx. PHP 18,000-22,000
per year
Donation
No donation fee
No hidden fee
Total Estimated Cost
approx. USD 20,000-30,000, excluding flights
4 year plus intership
25–35%
Average FMGE first-attempt pass rates for students from many overseas medical universities. Students from structured programs consistently score higher.
Students returning to India need to clear the FMGE/NExT exam. MBBS in University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center integrates exam-oriented coaching into the regular curriculum so students are prepared from day one.
A structured program that takes you from foundational sciences to clinical mastery.
Early exposure to problem-based learning strategies UERM has built into its curriculum design
Human anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology form the core coursework
Continued integration of clinical correlation exercises alongside lecture-based instruction
Organ-system based study of pathology, microbiology, and pharmacology
Structured exposure to problem-oriented medical records and primary health care integration
Hospital-based rotations across major specialties at UERM Memorial Medical Center on the same campus
Preparation for the Philippine Physician Licensure Examination and the post-graduate internship year
Sub-specialty rotations and case management responsibilities under close faculty supervision
Indian graduates additionally sit the NMC's NExT exam back home before practicing in India
A one-year rotating internship required before sitting the Philippine licensure exam, standard across Philippine medical schools
Furnished hostel rooms with Wi-Fi, laundry, 24/7 security, and Indian mess on or near campus.
Indian restaurants and mess facilities serving vegetarian and non-vegetarian home-style food daily.
Strong Indian community with cultural events, festival celebrations, and peer support groups.
Students get hands-on clinical training in government and private hospitals affiliated with the university.
Practical information for students planning to study at MBBS in University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center.
Prepare for all seasons. Thermal wear for winters, light clothing for summers. University provides heating in hostels.
Student visa processed with university invitation letter. Direct and connecting flights from major Indian cities.
Health insurance included in fees. Medical facility on campus plus city hospitals easily accessible.
Local SIM cards available. WhatsApp and video calls keep you connected with family back home.
Average monthly expenses of $150–$250 covering food, transport, and personal needs.
University library, online databases, and study groups. Seniors mentor juniors through academic challenges.
Our team guides you through every step — from application to arriving on campus.
The first step is to have a free phone counselling session. This is not a sales promotion or sales pitch. Here, we analyse all the universities mentioned side by side. We go through FMGE rates, total fees, city life, and whether the USMLE or NExT path better suits your goals. Most students walk out of this call with a clear first choice and a backup.
Once you pick a university, we will hand you a Philippines-specific document checklist. It is not a generic list. Every item on it is there for a reason, either for the university application, the 9(f) visa conversion, or the ACR I-Card registration. We check everything before a single paper goes anywhere.
Your application goes directly to the university through our partner channel. Most students get an acceptance letter within 10 to 21 days. However, December intake applications move faster than June ones, so timing matters. We follow up on all applications and will be in touch if there is any delay.
Once you receive your offer letter, we will have an in-depth discussion with you on the fees charged. The first instalment of fees will be deposited without any ambiguity. What you pay, when you pay, and what it covers, all of it is clear before any money moves.
Indian students do not need a pre-departure visa for the Philippines. You enter visa-free for 30 days. However, the 9(f) Student Visa conversion must start within the first week of arrival; it is time-sensitive. We also advise on the best flight route, whether Cebu or Manila, depending on your university.
About a week before you fly, we do a full pre-departure briefing. We cover accommodation options, campus location, Indian food sources near your university, how to transfer money from India, which SIM card to buy, and what the first week on campus actually looks like—students who attend this briefing land in the Philippines significantly less stressed than those who skip it.
On arrival day, our local team in the Philippines meets you at the airport, whether in Cebu or Manila. You are not landing in a new country alone. Someone who knows the ground is there from the first minute.
Within the first week, the 9(f) visa conversion process starts. Our team submits your documents to the Bureau of Immigration and closely tracks your application. The ACR I-Card, your official alien registration card, is processed at the same time. This step is strictly managed because delays here cause real problems later.
By the end of Week 2, your university enrollment is complete, your hostel room is confirmed, and your BS pre-medical orientation is done. You know your timetable, your faculty, and where everything is. Furthermore, our team has already flagged your NMAT preparation schedule, so there will be no surprises at the bridge stage.
After enrollment, our on-the-ground team in the Philippines stays in contact throughout all six years. If there is a university issue, a hostel problem, a visa renewal, or a health concern, there is a local contact to call. Moreover, from Year 3 onward, our FMGE and USMLE coaching track begins, because academic support does not stop at the airport.
Admission Helpline — Contact our counsellors for step-by-step assistance.
“The faculty here is incredibly supportive. The clinical training during hospital rotations has given me real confidence in patient care.”
“Affordable fees without compromising on quality. The campus facilities and hostel life made my transition abroad very smooth.”
“English medium instruction and WHO-recognized curriculum were the deciding factors for me. No regrets so far — excellent experience overall.”
“The university helped with everything from visa to accommodation. Hospital exposure from year three has been invaluable for my FMGE prep.”
“Just cleared my licensing exam on the first attempt. The structured coaching and mock exams during final year were a game-changer.”
“Safe campus, good food options, and a strong Indian student community. The teaching methodology is very practical and hands-on.”
It's CHED-recognized and PAASCU Level IV accredited within the Philippines. Whether a graduate can practice in India comes down to a separate step: clearing the NMC's NExT screening exam, and that in turn requires having qualified NEET-UG before ever enrolling.
Yes. This isn't a UERM-specific rule, it's an Indian government requirement under NMC's Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations. Without a qualifying NEET-UG score, the NMC won't issue the Eligibility Certificate Indian students need to study medicine abroad and later sit NExT.
Four years for the MD itself, structured as two years of basic sciences followed by two years of clinical clerkship, plus a mandatory one-year rotating internship in the Philippines afterward before the licensure exam. Total time commitment from enrollment to being fully licensed locally runs about five years.
UERM Memorial Medical Center sits on the same campus as the college, so clinical students aren't shuttling across the city for rotations. It's classified as a DOH Level III general hospital with departments covering neurosurgery, psychiatry, ophthalmology, ENT and more.
Official tuition and fees run around PHP 170,000-190,000 per year based on UERM's own published SY 2024-2025 schedule. Add living costs, and consultancies estimate the full four-year program at roughly USD 20,000-30,000, though that range should be confirmed against current admissions office quotes.
No evidence of one turned up in UERM's published fee documents or admissions materials. If a consultancy quotes you a mandatory donation on top of tuition, that's worth double-checking directly with the college before paying anything.
Air India flies non-stop from Delhi to Manila in roughly seven hours. From Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Quezon City is typically a 30-45 minute drive depending on Manila traffic, which can be unpredictable during peak hours.
Foreign applicants, Indian students included, generally need to submit an NMAT (National Medical Admission Test) percentile score as part of the local admissions process. This runs alongside, not instead of, the NEET qualification India requires separately.
It's a genuine distinction. UERM was the first private medical school in the Philippines to reach PAASCU Level IV, the association's top accreditation tier, and it holds a Center of Excellence in Research designation from the government's Department of Science and Technology. Neither is automatic or purely ceremonial.
Our expert counsellors will guide you through the complete admission process — from documents to airport pickup.
