The JMUST editorial board, authors and peer reviewers celebrate the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, USTFMS’s 150th anniversary and numerous achievements,
particularly its commitment to public health. With the covid pandemic, the USTFMS faculty and alumni were and continue to be in the frontlines, treating patients and developing clinical studies. Even with the citywide lockdowns, USTFMS never wavered
in delivering high quality education and research.

The year 2021 marks a pivotal time in the history of the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, a time envisioned to be the beginning of a new chapter in the illustrious history of the oldest existing Catholic University in the Philippines.

The ‘first generation’ physician gathers a lot of strength to venture into a world unknown to him. Unlike a physician born to a family of physicians who has a family to guide him, the ‘first generation’ physician only has himself to survive this endeavor. Through the life worlds of a select group of ‘first generation’ physician-in-training, this study seeks to answer the following central question: How do ‘first generation’ Filipino physicians collectively characterize their liminal spaces in transition from medical school to clinical practice?

Self-evaluation can augment the facilitation of acquiring knowledge, skills and attitude through a reflective method. Self-assessment video (SAV) can be a very useful reflective method tool that is student-centered and self-directed.

This study aimed to identify if SAV is an effective supplementary learning tool in improving cardiovascular examination knowledge, skills and attitude of second year medical students.

The success rate for smoking cessation in the country remain low despite the intensified efforts of the government to curb smoking. There is a need to support tobacco control policies with clinical interventions for smoking cessation.

Antenatal steroids have shown to decrease the rate of neonatal complications and morbidity; however, neonates are predisposed to significant hypoglycemia resulting in invasive interventions and prolonged nursery admissions. The risk of hypoglycemia in the preterm has been well studied, but the association of antenatal steroids and hypoglycemia in preterm neonates has not been well explored. Thus, we sought to determine the association of antenatal steroids given to mothers who delivered prematurely and the development of neonatal hypoglycemia

To determine the discriminatory ability of kinetic glomerular filtration rate (kGFR) to detect acute kidney injury (AKI) when compared with established GFR equations and criteria and relating it to mortality, renal replacement therapy initiation and renal recovery.

Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) is one of the most common subtypes of arthritis among children in southeast Asia with higher progression of disease activity. Unsuccessful control of the disease may lead to long-term disability resulting in functional limitations that would affect productivity of the individual.

The study determined the risk factors for persistently active disease among Filipino children aged 2 weeks to 18 years diagnosed with SJIA seen in the Section of Pediatric Rheumatology of the University of Santo Tomas Hospital (USTH) from June 2009 to June 2019.

Over the last decades, the hypothesis that an allergic response could lead to the development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was raised and clinical studies investigated the co-existence of both. These studies had shown that allergic diseases and neurobehavioral disorders were concurrent and could be associated with genetic factors, neuroimmunity and microbial dysbiosis. To date, this was the first study in the Philippines to evaluate the prevalence and association of allergic diseases, its severity and ADHD symptoms.

The objective of this study was to determine the association of allergic diseases and ADHD symptoms among children aged 6–12 years based on parental report using the Filipino version of the Vanderbilt ADHD Parent Rating Scale.

Multiple myeloma remains to be an incurable hematologic entity, but with the advent of novel agents more patients experience significantly longer survival. In a third world country like the Philippines, autologous bone marrow transplant after chemotherapy for newly diagnosed cases which is the standard of care is difficult to comply. The management paradigm for myeloma has shifted over the years, hence this study.

Leukoencephalopathy, a complication associated with chemotherapy has been reported after giving high doses of methotrexate and cytarabine with no specific risk factors to date. 

Objectives:

1. To review the prevalence of chemotherapy-induced leukoencephalopathy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
2. To present the clinical course, pathogenesis and neuro-imaging findings of chemotherapy-induced leukoencephalopathy in children with ALL.

Thyroglossal duct cyst is the most commonly encountered midline and upper cervical mass that can also be a rare form of malignancy of about <1%. This is a rare case without well-defined management and staging criteria and as such, it has been a cause of debates regarding optimal management as well as the extent of completeness of surgery from Sistrunk procedure only to Sistrunk procedure with total thyroidectomy.