The Ateneo de Zamboanga University School of Medicine (SOM) and the College of Nursing (CON) have established a collaboration with the Philippine Medical Society of Northeast Florida, Inc., led by Dr Francis Ong, and Care Beyond Our Walls–California, led by Dr Charito Sico, to conduct a large-scale Medical Mission targeting an estimated 5,000 patients in Zamboanga City. Projected to be set into motion this coming January 2026, this mission will offer a large breadth of medical services to Zamboangueños, especially those who lack the means to avail or access them. Among the medical services to be made available are outpatient care for adults and children, major and minor surgical procedures, dental procedures, obstetrics and gynecology, reconstructive plastic surgery, and several others.
In a meeting held on February 6, 2025, at the President’s Office Conference Room, Ground Floor of the BC Building, Salvador Campus, La Purisima, the Metro Stonerich Corporation (MSC), with the help of Board of Trustee Engr Engineer Ibrahim “Bong” Nuño, sat together with the University President Fr Ernald M Andal, SJ, admin heads, and stakeholders to plan out the details of this grand effort. Fr Ernald expressed how the medical society’s thrust of caring for people in communities greatly resonates with AdZU’s Vision and Mission. He also expressed that the engagement would be a very good learning experience for students to learn first-hand from the doctors to be deployed by a US-based medical society.
SOM Dean Dr Jaybee Bazan and CON Dean Lorna Paber expressed full support for the joint endeavor and expressed the readiness of AdZU’s medical and nursing students since the medical mission complements very well with SOM’s and CON’s community-engaged approach to medical and nursing education. The deans promised to integrate the schedule into their respective curricula for the upcoming school year to maximize this transformative learning opportunity.
The Philippine Medical Society of Northeast Florida commended AdZU’s medical and nursing programs and expressed their utmost gratitude to AdZU for being open to the partnership. All this in the spirit of AdZU’s continuing mission of extending service beyond its walls, bridging lives, and creating a positive impact on society, especially for the underserved and underrepresented.
More photos here – https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KMPsxFnsJq1IA0UAipbfn_Bv_nodcCEa
