BATAAN PENINSULA STATE UNIVERSITY

Main Campus, College of Engineering and Architecture

Capitol Drive, Capitol Compound, Balanga City 2100, Bataan

A Feasibility/ Project Study on

BPSU SCHOOL OF
MEDICINE (SoM):
A PROPOSED MEDICAL SCHOOL ENVISIONING AN ARCHITECTURE THAT HEALS
THROUGH NEUROARCHITECTURE

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in

Architecture for the Course Research Methods for Architecture, AY 2021 - 2022

Student:
AMBITA, JEFFREY J.

Program, Year and Section:

BS ARCHITECTURE, 4TH YEAR SECTION A

Date:
(MONTH, DATE, YEAR)
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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 ABSTRACT

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

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 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In the year 2019, people started to realize the importance of both physical
and mental health. In the Philippines, the eyes of the government were opened to
the infamous issues regarding the health care system. The insufficiency and
inefficiency of health care facilities across the country appear more visible when
the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began. Thus, the government started to
build more hospitals and redeveloped the existing ones.

However, another major problem that the country's health care is facing is
the insufficiency of healthcare professionals. According to the analysis made by
UP Covid-19 Response Team, there are, on average, 3.7 doctors per 10,000
population in the Philippines. This is below the World Health Organization's
prescribed ratio of 1 doctor for 1,000 persons (or 10 per 10,000). Moreover, there
is a wide discrepancy across regions of the country. For instance, the ratio is 10
per 10,000 in NCR while it is 0.8 per 10,000 in BARMM.

The country is dedicated to improving the number of medical professionals

in the Philippines. Republic Act 11509 also known as "Doktor Para sa Bayan Act"
was authored. It is an act establishing a medical scholarship and return service
program for deserving students, and appropriating funds therefor. This piece of
legislation is expected to solve this national issue and foreshadow the
establishment of medical schools in different parts of the country.

In the developing province of Bataan, the provincial government is aiming

to produce its own professionals in the field of medicine and contribute to lifting
the country's burden on the number of health professionals. The rapid
urbanization of the province constitutes the growth of the population. As of now,
the doctor to patient ratio in the region is 3.4 per 10,000 which is a far cry from
WHO recommendation and contradictory to the vision of the provincial
government to achieve the highest human development index through the
prioritization of public health and life. The provincial government is eyeing
establishing a medical school in the province's very own state university—Bataan
Peninsula State University (BPSU). Currently, BPSU is offering degrees in
Nursing and Midwifery on its Main Campus. The extension of other medical
programs is a big footstep for the university.

However, it is inadmissible to just build an educational institution with

scant attention to the cognitive effect of its architecture on the users. According to
Fred Gage, a neuroscientist with Salk Institute, when designing buildings for
inhabitation, the resulting environment changes the behavior and alters the
brains of the inhabitant. In the country, the architecture of educational institutions
was solely designed to meet the standards of the building codes. The existing
architecture which was defined by exorbitant use of concrete that blocks natural
light, lack of open spaces, and the absence of elements that stimulates the
senses contribute a lot to the mental health of the users.

With this, the study aims to utilize architecture to address this problem.
The architecture will play a big role in transforming the accustomed stressful
environment of a medical school into a better milieu. The principles established
by the neuroarchitecture concept will direct the study into an architecture that
heals. The application of the scientific approach through neuroscience to a
science-based institution was believed by the study to be more efficient and
methodical.

Generally, the study focuses on the proposal of the first School of

Medicine in Bataan that was designed to efficiently produce professionals in the
field of medicine and seeks a solution to the problem of the provincial and
national governments regarding the insufficiency of health professionals.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The conduct of this study comes to light due to the general problem
regarding poor health care services acquired by the residents of Bataan. This
problem was escalated by scanty health professionals in the region. This
problem is not just experienced by the region but a fabled national issue. This
predicament was worsened by the Corona Virus pandemic which evinces the
relevance of the conduct of this study.

The emergence of the pandemic incapacitated the health care system of

the country. The country's healthcare situation shows its vulnerability which calls
for improvement not just in the facility but in the number of healthcare
professionals. Yet, innumerable areas in the country have difficult access to
medical education and some have completely no access. This results in the
lesser production of health professionals.

In addition, the problem regarding the intense impact of medical school on

the mental health of students is involved in the study. The proposal is yearning to
provide a solution to this problem since this issue is one considerable factor of
entering medical school. Utilizing architecture in boosting the interest and
aspiration of possible users to pursue medical education was greatly
contemplated during the conduct of the study.

The problems for this study included a major problem and five minor
problems which were structured to further offer insights into the major problem.
Specifically, it shall answer the following questions.

Main Problem: The main and major problem that the study wants to address is
the insufficiency of the medical professionals in the country, site-specific in the
 province of Bataan. How to effectively produce medical professionals and
alleviate the long-time problem of the inadequacy of allied health professionals?

Sub-Problem:
 How to encourage students in Bataan and in its neighboring provinces to
pursue medical education?
 How to provide a medical school that offers affordable tuition fee?
 How to address the problem regarding the big discrepancy between
medical education enrollment and graduates?
 How to address the current and common problem of students taking
medical education?
 How to create a medical school design that delivers a positive cognitive
effect to the users?

1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The conduct of this study is significant and beneficial to the following:

To the provincial government of Bataan, the study will provide background

about medical school and demonstrate its significance to achieve the goal of the
provincial government to produce additional medical professionals. The proposal
also contributes to the vision of the provincial government of Bataan to achieve
the highest human development index through the prioritization of public health.

To the Community of Bataan, the proposal promotes the improvement of

public health services for the people of Bataan. Through this study, the ratio of
doctors to patients in Bataan will increase resulting in a better quality of health
services.

To the aspiring medical students of Bataan and neighboring provinces, the

proposal leads to the establishment of the first medical school in the province.
 Students who want to take medical courses and aspires to become health
professional will be given easier access to medical education.

To Bataan Peninsula State University, the proposal contributes to the

improvement and extension of the medical programs of the university. This study
is to serve as the foundation for the establishment of an SoM in the province's
very own state university.

To future researchers, the study can provide results and resources that
can be used as fortification and a foundation for future studies. This will broaden
the existing knowledge and data on the topic. The system and techniques
employed by the proponent may serve as a guide to future researchers.

1.4 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The goals and objectives of the study are sectioned into two parts namely
the project goals and objectives and the design goals and objectives. This matter
aims for the needs of the study and is offered for readers to perceive why the
study is directed.

Project Goal
To establish the first School of Medicine in the province of Bataan which
aims to produce medical professionals in different fields.

Project Objectives
 To provide easier access to medical education to aspiring medical students of
Bataan and its neighboring provinces which allows them to study medical
courses without the need for migration.
 To integrate a medical school to a free tuition university under Mandatory
Return Service program.
Design Goal
To design a School of Medicine that is guided by the concept and principle
of neuroarchitecture.

Design Objectives
 To design a School of Medicine that utilizes architecture to provide a solution
to the long-time problem of medical students regarding mental health that
including stress and burnout.
 To design a School of Medicine that introduces healing architecture—a
scientifically developed concept to nurture the physical and mental wellbeing
of people, through the integration of neuroscience into architecture. To employ
a scientific approach in a science-based institution.

1.5 SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS

Scopes
The study covers the proposal of the first SoM in Bataan that includes
concepts and circulation strategy of the following facility:
 Academic Building
 Administration Building
 Dormitory Building

The search for the probable site for the project is in great consideration of
the proponent and will be explored during the conduct of this study.

The study will also perform a scant demographic analysis to determine

which field of the health profession is needed by the target beneficiaries. This
analysis will direct the study to the medical programs that this proposed SoM
should offer. Thus, the derivation of the architectural spaces is predominantly
dependent on these programs.
 Various building technology and building materials will be introduced in the
conduct of this study. The principles of neuroarchitecture will be introduced as
well. These are vital in attaining the healing architecture that the project
envisions.

Moreover, related building laws and Standard Design Plans for School
Buildings will be in great consideration by the researcher.

Delimitations:
To narrow down the complexity of the study and to make it more feasible,
the proponent set research boundaries. The following limiting factors were
formulated to avoid the deflection of the study into unrelated matters that might
cause a pessimistic effect on the essence of the entire study.

During this time of the conduct of this proposal, the provision of a

functioning university hospital facility was not included due to a lot of factors.
However, the study already assumes its development in the future and provides
great consideration in terms of space provision, and the planning and circulation
of the proposed facilities (i.e., administration building, academic building,
dormitory building).

With regards to the application of neuroarchitecture, the study will utilize

existing principles of neuroscience to deliver healing architecture that addresses
the problem of medical students regarding stress and burnout. The contribution
of the study to neuroarchitecture is limited since these existing principles are
tested through encephalograms (from the perspective of brain activity) and
observation of heart activity (from a neurophysiological standpoint). The study is
not able to carry out such tests to formulate new principles. However, relying on
the existing principle that is proven and tested by professionals in the field of both
neuroscience and architecture provides a firm foundation for the study.
 These margins of the study are the silver lining of opportunities for future
researchers in the conduct of the related study.

1.6 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY

This particular study was conducted not just to contribute to the existing
fund of knowledge but most importantly, to alleviate the problem regarding the
health system that was extremely weakened by the pandemic. This national
problem is already existing even before the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, at
this time it was worsening, and the foreseeable future postulates a terrible
consequence of the inadequacy and plummet of a health professional. These
situations demonstrate the significance of this study today and in the near future
due to the continued growth of the population and the mass migration of local
health professionals.

The negligence over this matter comes to an end today as the

government started to put effort to improve the number of health professionals.
The foundation of this intent is the Republic Act 11509 also known as the "Doktor
Para sa Bayan Act" which was supported by the provincial government of Bataan
—the site of the conduct of the study. This leads to the proposal of the first
medical school in the province.

The goal of this study is to propose the first SoM in Bataan. The
research may comprise various studies related to the proposal as a reference.
However, information and data gathered are not duplicated but are used to
create new knowledge and ideas.
 The existing principles utilized by the study serve as a guide to attaining
an effective solution to the problem being addressed. In spite of that, the
researcher still provides resources that make the study unique among others.

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS, ABBREVIATIONS, AND CONCEPTS

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