THE SAINT Louis University in Baguio City resumed limited face-to-face classes for medicine, nursing, and other health-related courses on April 5.

To allow students to acquire the minimum competencies needed to become doctors, College of Medicine Dean Dr. Anthony Domantay said graduating medical students will return to their clerkship.

“It’s a limited exposure, but that is much better than no exposure at all,” Domantay said.

College of Natural Sciences Dean Ann Opina, on the other hand, said medical technology classes will likewise resume.

“We have our own clinical laboratory that is accredited, the students will stay six months in university and six months stay in the hospitals,” Opina said.

“There are restrictions of course. They are not allowed to go to the Covid wards and must at all times practice health protocols especially the wearing of the appropriate PPE,” she added.

According to SLU College of Nursing Dean Dr. Mary Grace Lacanaria, around 800 nursing students are expected to attend in-person classes.

“We are anticipating about 80 percent of them will be joining the limited face-to-face of course. We cannot force them, so only those who are willing of course, with the consent of their parents,” Lacanaria said.

“We all believe that students cannot learn the skills online, they have to perform it personally with mannequins, using the right equipment so that they can develop their skills, once they have the skills, then we will fill them to hospitals,” she added.

SLU was one of the 24 colleges and universities allowed by the Commission on Higher Education to hold in-person classes.