Greetings, friends.  I am Dr. Jose Juan Rafael G. Laico, Dean of the Gullas College of Medicine. Let me say a few things about GCM.  It opened its doors in 1977 to heed the country’s call and need for more physicians.  It has been achieving that purpose well in producing excellent, competent, and caring physicians in the decades since it started.  Some of our graduates are at the top of their respective fields in the Philippines and in numerous countries around the globe.  We have a topnotch faculty dedicated not just to our grand old institution of GCM, but they are also devoted to teaching our students, future medical practitioners eager to make their mark in service to the world.  Our faculty eases our students into the world of medicine while ensuring that they acquire mastery of the medical skills and the knowledge necessary to heal and care for the sick.  Our curriculum is constantly reviewed and upgraded to meet the ever-changing demands on the global medical community and to keep pace with the continuously expanding frontiers of medical science.  My personal goal is to ensure that all GCM-trained physicians are, at a minimum, extremely competent.  And as an ideal, all our physicians will be excellent.  It sounds impossible, but it’s a goal we are striving for.  It would be glorious once we achieve it.

GCM’s entire campus has recently been extensively renovated to include the latest teaching equipment and specialized lab facilities.  It was redesigned not just to provide the ideal academic setting for learning, but it was also intended to be aesthetically pleasing for our students to have a comfortable atmosphere during and outside of the study grind.  Our classrooms have upgraded audio and video equipment and seating to make the whole classroom experience both effective and as pleasant as possible.  Our laboratories have the latest facilities, including microscopes with video link capabilities.  We have a brand-new stylish library that can comfortable accommodate up to 600 people and is equipped with over 150 computer terminals.

The renovations also include a near total rebuild of a 220-bed state-of-the-art multispecialty hospital set to reopen soon, also within the campus.  We took advantage of the pause provided by the Covid pandemic.  Now that pandemic restrictions are easing, we are positioned to come back stronger with the innovations and the lessons learned from those recent challenging times.  We are building something special.  Everyone here can feel it. 

Our worldwide reach is partly due to our large population of international students, from more than 8 countries from different continents.  Our foreign graduates are considered some of the best in their home countries.  They also excel when they move on to countries far from their own.  Of course, most of our international students are from South and Southeast Asia but many also come from Africa, the United States, Europe and the Middle East.  They don’t just come from various countries but also different backgrounds with different cultures and religions.  We understand and respect the values and beliefs of all people.  We even consider their food preferences and restrictions, and a great variety of international cuisine can be found inside the school cafeteria, campus eateries, and restaurants in the surrounding environs.  We have left no stone unturned to achieve the best medical education and the best school experience for all our students.  We do it for the benefit of the students.  We do it for our own sense of accomplishment.  We do it for our community, which now includes the entire world.  I hope that you come to see us.  I promise that you will not be disappointed and you will also be impressed.