CURRENT CHAIR & FACULTY STAFF

CURRENT CHAIR Dr. Catherine G. Gironella FACULTY STAFF Dr. Mary Ann C. Bunyi Dr. Julieta V. Dizon Dr. Ma. Luisa L. Malabanan Dr. Hazel Villaluz-Martinez

HISTORY

When the MCU College of Medicine was born in 1947, this department was known as the Department of Bacteriology and Clinical Laboratory under Dr. Alfredo Pio de Roda. The second dean of the college, Dr. Ramon Macasaet, reorganized the nine original departments and renamed the department - Department of Bacteriology and Preventive Medicine. The department was again rechristened the Department of Micro-biology, Hygiene and Laboratory Diagnosis in 1954 under Dr. Eusebio Y. Garcia. In1955 the Department of Microbiology was separated from the Department of Preventive Medicine. Dr. Eusebio Garcia remained as chair and upon his retirement, Dr. Bayani Garcia took over. Dr. Remedios Mateo was appointed acting chairperson in 1972. She was subsequently appointed as chair until 1987. During her term Laboratory Diagnosis was relinquished to the Department of Pathology under Dr. Antonia Basa. Upon the retirement of Dr. Mateo, Dr. Antonia Basa took over as chair of the Department for three and one half years.

On the first year of the College of Medicine , Parasitology was included in the curriculum. However, the following year, Parasitology was shifted to the second year level until 1986. From 1949 until 1986 Microbiology and Parasitology were offered as semestral subjects. In 1986-1987 Parasitology was included in the first year curriculum to lessen the load of second year. In 1987 when Dr. Basa assumed office, it again became part of the second year curriculum. This time Microbiology and Parasitology were offered as yearly subjects to synchronize all the subjects in the basic sciences.

When Dr. Nelson Geraldino was appointed the acting chairperson of the department, Dr. Basa vacated the chair of the Micro-Para Department. In 1992 Dr. Geraldino assumed full chairmanship of the department. Through his initiative the department acquired a microbiologic hood from the PCHRD and a refrigerated centrifuge from MCU-FDTMF. These equipment were to be used specifically for the department's research laboratory activities. In May of 1993, Dr. Geraldino left for the USA on a sabbatical leave to pursue further studies on molecular biologic techniques. In his absence Dr. Julieta V Dizon took over initially in an acting capacity and was eventually appointed to full chairmanship in 1996 and holds the position until the present.

Since 1993 the department has been actively involved in research. Since then, two of its research papers had been completed. One, entitled "Reactivity to Recall Antigen Among Young Filipino Adults," was presented during the second Annual Consultant' s Research Paper Contest in 1993. Its senior author was Dr. Florecita Padua and all co-authors were faculty members of the department. The research project of Dr. Dizon on the "Pattern of Initial Resistance of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Among Patients with pulmonary Tuberculosis" had also been completed. The research project of Dr. Gironella entitled " Comparison of Ipil-Ipil (Leucena leucocephala) Seed Suspension, Papaya (Carica Papaya) Seed Suspension, Papaya (Carica Papaya) Seed Suspension and Pyrantel Pamoate Suspension as Anti-helminthics Among the MCU Grade School Students with Ascariasis" is currently being implemented. The papers of Dr. Dizon and Dr. Gironella were jointly funded by PCHRD and the MCU Research Fund.

Last November 19, 2002, Dr. Leo Paul Balmeo finished his research entitled “Parasites Among Chronically ill Hospitalized Patient of MCU-FDTMF Hospital” before finishing his Masters in Public Health specializing in Parasitology at UP-PGH. He presented his paper at the Consultant Research Paper Reading in our hospital. It was later published in the July – December Issue 2002 of the MCU Philippine Scientific Journal.

In 1996, the College of Medicine, under Dean Jesus Fojas, has adapted an innovative teaching strategy called “Problem-Based Learning”. The Department of Micro- Para was given the task to handle Integumentary Block (Block I). There were lots of workshops done for the faculty members to be able to conduct this modular strategy.

Later in 2005, the Modified Innovative Curriculum was implemented to further improve the learning strategy of the students. Six departments, such as Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry , Microbiology, Pathology and Pharmacology, were merged together to make up the Basic Department. The Basic department is now occupying one big room in the second floor of the Anatomy Building . Microbiology and Parasitology , this time headed by became a first year level subject under this new curriculum. Dr. Catherine Gironella became the head of the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology.

Our department is very much involved in advising and conducting the researches of the undergraduates, junior interns, senior interns and residents. In fact, most of them won in research contests within and outside the college. The department plans to continue to be actively involved in research and undergraduate student education.