The MMSU Department of Pharmacy has a unique reason to celebrate these days.

The recent result of the 2016 Pharmacy Licensure Examination showed that it captured a back-to-back performance as the number two top performing pharmacy schools in the country, the same reputation it held last year.

Based on the result of the licensure examination administered by the PRC last January 24 and 25 in the cities of Manila, Cebu, and Davao, the university examinees showed a remarkable performance when 66 of its 76 takers passed the test, garnering an 86.84 percent passing rate as against the 54.87 percent national passing rate.  

Also, performance of the first timers was too high at 93.94 percent. This means that of the 66 who took the test, 62 passed.

“We are satisfied with the remarkable result. This the proof that we are at par with the best schools in the country that offer BS Pharmacy program,” said Prof. Aileen T. Camangeg.

Last year, the MMSU Department of Pharmacy (DP) was first put into limelight when out of the 88 graduates to took the examination, 71 passed garnering an 80.68 percentage passing rate — a record too high compared with the 56.29 percent national passing rate.

The remarkable result came as a vengeance after the department suffered a major setback from the dismal result of the previous board examinations.

Earlier, Prof. Camangeg said that the success of the examinees was attributed to the improved monitoring method that the DP employed to the  students when they were having their review classes in Laoag City. This refers to the close monitoring activities and the mock board examinations that the PD employed.

In the first phase of the review, for instance, the reviewees were only given short break and rest periods, while in the second phase, there was an intensive monitoring of the students’ activities. The reviewees were strictly visited once a week and were asked of their problems concerning the review.

Not only that, the review coordinators from the PD provided the reviewees’ needs especially in the psychological aspect of the review. Also, those who were screened to review and passed the mock board exams were the ones allowed to take the board examinations. (By Reynaldo E. Andres)