Full Professor Maria Minerva Patawaran-Calimag, MD, PhD is one of the recipients of the 2021 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipino award, in recognition of her excellence and service as an educator. Calimag received the Metrobank Outstanding Teacher award for Higher Education.
“My mission as a leader, educator, and researcher is actually to champion the 5Ps: the medical profession, the Philippine Medical Association, my fellow physicians and peers, my patients, and the planet,” Calimag said during the awarding ceremonies aired via Facebook Live.
The two-time former President of the Philippine Medical Association is not just a leader in the academe and medical practice, but also some who successfully navigated the shift to remote learning due to the pandemic. Part of her expertise includes capacity-building of healthcare professionals in research through digital workflows in research management. As early as 2014, Calimag conceptualized and co-developed a cloud-based online program for the continuing professional development of health professionals.
Highlighting her role as a recognized Thomasian e-learning specialist, Calimag joins the Commission on Higher Education-UP Open University (UPOU-CHeD), whose initiative is to hold training programs on Flexible Teaching and Learning. Moreover, Calimag also joins the Association of Philippine-Medical Colleges – Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and University (APMC-PAASCU) to guide the fellow medical educators on Hyflex Teaching.
The Thomasian e-learning specialist has also utilized the digital media in engaging and influencing communities, patients, and physician-peers to embrace her pharmacovigilance advocacy on promotion of drug safety and drug anti-counterfeiting initiatives.
“I engage legislators, policy-makers, barangay health workers, physicians, nurses, and pharmacists about the dangers of substandard drugs,” she said. “Itinataguyod ko ang kahalagahan kung bakit dapat ang bawat isa sa atin ay dapat maging mapanuri sa mga gamot na ating iniinom,” Calimag said. Lastly, Calimag integrates her environmental conservation advocacy in various engagements, both online and offline.
The prestigious recognition, previously conferred upon Thomasian educators like former Medicine and Surgery Dean Angeles Tan-Alora, MD, retired Chemistry Professor Emerita Assistant Dean Beatrice Q. Guevara, PhD, former Education Dean Allan B. de Guzman, PhD, and Microbiology expert Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz, Dr. rer. nat., fittingly comes on the occasion of the 150th founding anniversary of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.
