Brian Yuliarto: Unima Medical Faculty Strengthens Access to Medical Education KTI

Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Mendiktisaintek) Brian Yuliarto with President Prabowo Subianto (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Mendiktisaintek), Brian Yuliarto said the presence of the Faculty of Medicine (FK) at the State University of Manado (Unima) Tondano, North Sulawesi, to expand the equitable access to medical education in the eastern region of Indonesia (KTI).

"Large investments have been started for the future of North Sulawesi. Doctors who will be full of enthusiasm, competent, dedicated and humanistic, can provide the best service to the people of North Sulawesi," said the Minister of Education and Technology when inaugurating the FK Unima in Tondano, through a written statement to Antara, Friday.

The Minister emphasized that medical education has an important role in improving the quality of life of the community.

The inauguration of FK Unima is an initiative and one of the priorities of the President of the Republic of Indonesia (RI), Prabowo Subianto, which was then followed up through cooperation with the North Sulawesi Provincial Government and various parties.

The Minister expressed his appreciation for the synergy of the partners involved, especially to the Governor of North Sulawesi Yulius Selvanus, all mayors and regents, the head of the North Sulawesi Provincial Health Service, and the Rector of Brawijaya University (UB) so that they could establish the establishment of FK Unima.

The Ministry of Health encourages FK Unima as a new FK that becomes an example of the implementation of transformative medical education in line with the impact of the Ministry of Health's policy.

The Governor of North Sulawesi, Yulius Selvanus, revealed that the provincial government supports efforts to prepare doctors who are ready to serve and meet the needs of health services in the Sulawesi region.

"We have thought about it a lot with the existing budget. Students don't have to think about all sorts of things, you just study. Let us find the cost for your education. But we also demand that you serve the people of North Sulawesi," said the Governor.

One of the transformative policies that has been carried out is the admission of new students who are the best sons in the North Sulawesi region, which are selected by the FK Pembina Universitas Brawijaya according to transparent and accountable procedures.

This selection model will be a model that can be replicated by other FK in Indonesia, so that it can have a real impact on leveling the distribution of doctors in Indonesia.

"What makes me happier is that all 50 new students are evenly divided by cities, regencies, and provinces. This is an extraordinary achievement, even though FK Unima has just opened, but it has already set an example of how FK can contribute directly," said the Minister.

To new students of FK Unima, the Minister advised that they could utilize the education scholarship they received and students were expected to return to their home areas after completing their education to strengthen local health services.

The Rector of Unima, Joseph Philip Kambey explained, FK Unima developed a strategy to ensure graduates were willing to return and serve in their home areas.

The strategy is carried out through the admission of students based on recommendations from the regional and city governments in North Sulawesi.

"This recruitment scheme combines regional affirmative policies with strict national quality control. Through this mechanism, district and city governments recruit their best talents who are then screened using national standard academic exams and strict psychometric tests," said the Rector of Unima.

The Minister of Education and Technology also encourages universities to create various solutions to the problems faced by the regions and can provide a real impact to the community through various research and studies.

The Governor can ask the solution to the rectors of universities in the North Sulawesi region in solving various problems in North Sulawesi.