Some people retire after building a career.
Others retire after building an institution.
Today, we honor one of those rare individuals.
After more than a decade of pioneering leadership, Dean Dr. Doris Adsuara Mendoza retires from the Adventist University of the Philippines College of Medicine (AUP-COM), leaving behind a legacy that will continue shaping lives for generations to come.
When AUP College of Medicine first opened its doors in 2013, it was more than just the birth of another medical school. It was a bold dream built on faith, service, and the vision of training physicians who would not only heal bodies but also touch hearts.
At the center of that dream stood Dr. Mendoza.
Serving far beyond the usual retirement years, she accepted the enormous challenge of building a medical school from the ground up. Through wisdom, perseverance, and unwavering faith, she helped transform AUP-COM into one of the region’s top-performing medical schools, producing competent, compassionate, and Christ-centered physicians.
Her influence went far beyond academics.
Dr. Mendoza championed Lifestyle Medicine and preventive care long before they became popular trends, helping position AUP as a leading faith-based medical institution in Asia. She also helped shape the unique “5-Star Plus” curriculum, preparing future doctors not only to become skilled clinicians, but also educators, researchers, managers, social mobilizers, and medical missionaries.
Before coming to AUP, Dr. Mendoza had already established herself as a world-renowned physician and educator, serving more than 36 years at West Visayas State University College of Medicine and Medical Center in Iloilo City.
Yet perhaps one of the most inspiring chapters of her story was her faith journey.
She was not originally a Seventh-day Adventist. Deeply moved by former medical students who courageously stood by their convictions—even refusing examinations on the Sabbath—she embraced the Adventist faith and later answered the call to serve at AUP.
In 2022, her lifetime of faith-based healing and service was recognized globally when she received the prestigious Lifelong Medical Missionary Service Award from the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists’ Worldwide Health Ministries—an honor given to only a select few around the world.
Dr. Mendoza’s retirement marks the close of an extraordinary chapter, but her influence will continue to live on in every physician trained under her leadership, every patient cared for with compassion, and every life touched through medical ministry.
Thank you, Dr. Doris Adsuara Mendoza, for proving that true retirement is not measured by age, but by purpose fulfilled.
Your legacy is written not only in buildings and programs, but in people.
And that legacy will endure for generations.
A NEW CHAPTER OF EXCELLENCE BEGINS AT AUP COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
Warmest congratulations to Dr. Ruth Santos‑Palomero, the newly installed Dean of the Adventist University of the Philippines College of Medicine (AUP‑COM)! 
Today, the leadership baton is passed with grace and gratitude. After a decade of remarkable service, Dean Dr. Doris Adsuara Mendoza, the pioneering dean of AUP‑COM, steps into a well‑earned retirement. Under her visionary leadership, the College of Medicine rose to become one of the top‑performing medical schools in the region, consistently producing competent, compassionate, and Christ‑centered physicians. Her legacy is a foundation built on excellence, faith, and service. 
And now, a new leader steps forward. 
Dr. Ruth Santos‑Palomero brings with her a heart for mission, a mind for academic rigor, and a spirit deeply rooted in Adventist education. Before becoming dean, she faithfully served as Year Level III Coordinator, guiding and mentoring future “physician‑missionaries” with wisdom, humility, and unwavering dedication.
She has led milestone moments for the university — including directing students in the recitation of the Christian Physician’s Oath during white coat ceremonies, reminding each future doctor that healing is both a calling and a ministry.
As a researcher and faculty member, she has contributed to studies on medical education, student demographics, and research productivity — strengthening AUP‑COM’s commitment to evidence‑based training and academic growth.
About AUP College of Medicine Located in Silang, Cavite, the Adventist University of the Philippines College of Medicine is known for its unique emphasis on primary preventive care, lifestyle medicine, and integrated faith‑based learning. Through the years, it has maintained top‑tier performance in the Philippine Physician Licensure Examination — a testament to its strong curriculum, dedicated faculty, and mission‑driven culture.
A Season of Gratitude. A Season of New Vision. As we honor Dr. Mendoza for her decade of trailblazing leadership, we also celebrate the fresh vision and renewed energy that Dr. Palomero brings. With God’s guidance, the AUP College of Medicine continues its mission:
to train physicians who heal with skill, lead with integrity, and serve with compassion.
Congratulations, Dean Ruth Santos‑Palomero!
And thank you, Dean Doris A. Mendoza, for lighting the path.
