Section 8Sec./Art. 8

Mandatory Return Service and Integration of the Scholar into the Public Health and Medical Service System. -Upon passing the PLE administered by t he Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and conferment by the PRC of the license to practice the medical profession, the scholar shall be integrated into the public health and medical service system, through the DOH, and shall receive the appropriate civil service rank, salary and related benefits.

The scholar shall serve in a government public health office, government hospital, or any accredited government health facility in the scholar's hometown or, in the absence of a need thereat, in any municipality within the scholar's home province, or in any underserved municipality closest to the scholar's hometown determined by the DOH as a priority area, for at least one (1) year for every scholarship year availed of:Provided,That scholars from municipalities with no government physicians shall render the return service work in the scholar's hometown:Provided, further,That the scholar who assumed the slot intended for a resident of another municipality, no resident of which qualified to be a scholar under this Act, shall render the return service work in the same municipality where the slot was originally intended:Provided, finally,That in all cases, the scholar shall only be required to serve in such municipality if no threat to the scholar's life is present.

The scholar shall render the mandatory return service within six (6) years from the time of passing the PLE or those who have availed of a four (4)-year program, and seven (7) years for those who availed of a five (5)-year program:Provided, however,That in times of pandemic or public health emergency, the DOH may require the scholars to serve in any public health office or a government hospital where their services may be needed:Provided, further,That the mandatory return service and itegration into the public health and medical service system under this Act shall be separate and distinct from the mandatory internship required prior to taking the license examination for physicians:Provided, further,That the number of years served by the scholar in the public health and medical service system as part of the return service requirements, if any, of the SUC or PHEI concerned, or health or medical research within the Philippines in a public institution or any international organization accredited by the DOH for woth for the underprivileged areas within the Philippines, or full-time teaching in a public institution shall be counted in the required number of years of return service under this Act:Provided, finally,That the physician shall receive appropriate salaries and other benefits for service rendered under the mandatory integration into the public health and medical service.