Introduction In March 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced medical schools in the Philippines to stop face-to-face learning activities and abruptly shift to an online curriculum. This study aimed to identify barriers to online learning from the perspective of medical students in a developing country. Methods The authors sent out an electronic survey to medical students in the Philippines from 11 to 24 May 2020. Using a combination of multiple-choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions, the following data were obtained: demographics, medical school information, access to technological resources, study habits, living conditions, self-assessment of capacity for and perceived barriers to online learning, and proposed interventions. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Responses were compared between student subgroups using nonparametric tests. Results Among 3670 medical students, 93% owned a smartphone and 83% had a laptop or desktop computer. To access online resources, 79% had a postpaid internet subscription while 19% used prepaid mobile data. Under prevailing conditions, only 1505 students (41%) considered themselves physically and mentally capable of engaging in online learning. Barriers were classified under five categories: technological, individual, domestic, institutional, and community barriers. Discussion Medical students in the Philippines confronted several interrelated barriers as they tried to adapt to online learning. Most frequently encountered were difficulty adjusting learning styles, having to perform responsibilities at home, and poor communication between educators and learners. By implementing student-centered interventions, medical schools and educators play a significant role in addressing these challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-021-01231-z.

INTRODUCTION: In March 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced medical schools in the Philippines to stop face-to-face learning activities and abruptly shift to an online curriculum. This study aimed to identify barriers to online learning from the perspective of medical students in a developing country. METHOD: The authors sent out an electronic survey to medical students in the Philippines from 11 to 24 May 2020. Using a combination of multiple choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions, the following data were obtained: demographics, medical school information, access to technological resources, study habits, living conditions, self-assessment of capacity for and perceived barriers to online learning, and proposed interventions. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Responses were compared between student subgroups using nonparametric tests. RESULTS: Among 3,670 medical students, 3,421 (93%) owned a smartphone and 3,043 (83%) had a laptop or desktop computer. To access online resources, 2,916 (79%) had a postpaid internet subscription while 696 (19%) used prepaid mobile data. Under prevailing conditions, only 1,505 students (41%) considered themselves physically and mentally capable of engaging in online learning. Barriers were classified under five categories: technological, individual, domestic, institutional, and community barriers. Most frequently encountered were difficulty adjusting learning styles, having to perform responsibilities at home, and poor communication between educators and learners. CONCLUSION: Medical students in the Philippines confronted several interrelated barriers as they tried to adapt to online learning. By implementing student-centered interventions, medical schools and educators play a significant role in addressing these challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

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Around 40% of patients with cancer in some Western countries (1) to over 80% of patients in some Asian countries (2) use traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine (TCAM). Its increasing popularity has sustained global efforts to integrate TCAM into national healthcare systems, and integrative oncology-the use of TCAM alongside conventional cancer therapies-is a field born from this movement. Integrative oncology, however, remains elusive for most patients in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), where many seek TCAM despite concerns about regulation, safety, and financial toxicity (3). Given this steady patronage amongst patients with cancer, there is a need to examine socio-cultural drivers of TCAM use vis-à-vis the landscape of health systems in LMICs. We write from the Philippines, a lower-middle income country in Southeast Asia, where cancer is the fourth leading cause of death (4) and where TCAM remains popular among patients and families dealing with cancer.As in other resource-challenged LMICs, Filipino patients with cancer face geographic obstacles to healthcare, unaffordable conventional therapies, and underdeveloped palliative and survivorship care (2,5). These barriers, compounded by low socioeconomic status and poor health literacy, drive patients to seek alternative forms of treatment, such as TCAM. However, structural and health system barriers are only contributory drivers of TCAM usage. Deeply ingrained historical and sociocultural influences heavily impact health attitudes and behaviors among Filipinos and, in particular, the role of TCAM in cancer care in the Philippines.As a nation with a strong agrarian profile, many traditional theories of illness causation in the Philippines revolve around balance and harmony of humans with the natural environment, as well as mystical and supernatural