| Nat'l Scientist bats for an Agro-Medical Center in UPLB |
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| Written by Mervin John C. de Roma | |||
| Friday, 27 August 2010 15:11 | |||
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An Agro-Medical Center in UPLB could be one of the most innovative ideas that could help the University remain unique, competitive, and relevant as it enters its next 100 years. The proponent of the idea, Dr. Teodulo M. Topacio Jr., National Scientist and UPLB Professor Emeritus, discussed the concept of such a facility and advocated for its creation during the fifth installment in the Centennial Lecture Series on July 28 at the CAS Auditorium.
According to Dr. Topacio, a former dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, the proposed Agro-Medical Center will combine the research facilities and teaching expertise of the College of Agriculture (CA) and College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) with a proposal to establish a College of Medicine and Comparative Medicine (CMCM) and a Food Safety Research Center. The Agro-Medical Center would essentially serve as the venue for the practice and application of agromedicine, a scientific field that combines the disciplines of medicine, veterinary medicine, and agriculture, Dr.Topacio explained. Agromedicine is a field of study that could be integrated in the University's curriculum in the future, he said. Dr.Topacio argued that there is a need for the "UPLB of the Future" to create a more tailor-fitted educational program focusing on medical studies, justifying the creation of the CMCM, which will not be a mere clone of the College of Medicine in UP Manila. Rather, the proposed institution will be more specialized and cater mainly to agricultural workers in the rural communities of CALABARZON. According to Dr. Topacio, the combined fields of CVM's comparative medicine, laboratory medicine, and epidemiology and CA's rural health education and agricultural extension would produce new fields of study at the proposed CMCM such as occupational and environmental medicine and rural medicine. Dr. Topacio explained that the concept of an Agro-Medical Center was born from his years of experience working in veterinary public health and most especially in pioneering researches on leptospirosis in the country. He was also motivated by similar initiatives from former UP President Carlos P. Romulo and UPLB Prof. Dolores Ramirez. As he closed his lecture, Dr. Topacio reiterated the need to establish an Agro-Medical Center and said that this should begin with constituting a committee to study it. He also argued that in order for UPLB to stay relevant, it should focus on new areas of study and specialization such as health and medical, and social services. Earlier in the program, Dr. Grace D. De Ocampo, UPLB Centennial Lecture Series chair and Chancellor Luis Rey I. Velasco presented to Dr. Topacio the Centennial Fellow Award. He was also honored by CVM with a special memento to recognize his contributions and accomplishments to the college and the country. (MJC de Roma)
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