University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo School of Medicine & Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila. Yan ang 3 top schools that Kap, Babyson, and I were praying for. Kanya-kanya kaming dasal hehe.

Babyson prayed hard for UST -and he got accepted, by God’s grace.

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It’s not easy getting into the UST Faculty of Medicine & Surgery. Sobrang pili lang ang nakakapasok, at depende pa sa kakilala na pwedeng pumadrino -kung meron man. Even students on the Dean’s List get rejected for one reason or another, so this was no small feat for our son. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! <3

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I support him (semi) fully in his choice, but deep in my heart, I was (un)secretly rooting for ASMPH hehe. 😉

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It’s team Goppets for ASMPH (well, four of us anyway). In FULL support of my Babyson, buong pamilya kasama sa interview for moral support.

Aminin yo na, sobrang bagay sya sa ASMPH diba?? ;))

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Si Kap –ever kunat at dahil nga sa may malaking discount, is setting his singkit sights on UP Manila. @_@

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144k (UST) vs. 160k (ASMPH) vs. 34K (UP). Ikaw, saan ka?

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Honestly, our Babyson has the grades for all 3. He’s a consistent Dean’s List awardee (the video below was his most recent academic award. Nagsawa na syang umakyat sa stage kaya hindi na sya um-appear, lol). Ala-swertehan lang talaga yang pagpasok. Sa dami naman kasi ng deserving applicants, it takes a lot of prayer & a bit of luck to get into your college of choice at this point in time.

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His Ate is also trying to talk him into choosing ASMPH. In fact she listed 10 things why he should seriously consider Ateneo School of Medicine & Public Health. (Take note that this is merely her opinion. No hates please, for those of you coming from other med schools. Of course she has school spirit, which is understandable.) Ako din, may ASMPH school spirit HAHAHAHAHA! 😛

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1. Med school is hard enough as it is, why make it even harder by going to a toxic environment? Do you really want 5 quizzes a day on top of exams, oral reports, and presentations? In ASMPH, you’ll have 1 exam a week, max! My UST friends are drowning in acads and poor mental health while I go to sleep at 9 PM. We all end up as MD’s (Ateneans with the advantage of an MBA), we all take the same board exam, we all work in the same hospitals. It’s the same finish line, you just choose the kind of road you wanna be on. Do you want smooth & newly paved cement? Or an old uneven cobblestone path?
2. ASMPH is one big frat–no hazing required. We are a family and no Atenean gets left behind. We share EVERYTHING and do whatever it takes to make sure ALL students succeed. We have academic councils to make sure no one fails, we have Pugad Agila to make sure no one ever feels lonely, and we have Board Ops to make sure we all graduate with that MD-MBA title. There’s no such thing as seniority here, and we respect both upper AND lower batches.
3. TRANSCRIPTIONS. People take notes for your batch. No need to read long chapters of boring books because your batchmates & upperclassmen make summaries for you. All you have to do in class is listen!
4. TRANSCRIPTION GROUPS. First day palang, may automatic friends ka na! These 8-10 people will be randomly assigned to you and you’re bound to hit it off with at least one of them.
5. Teachers adjust to YOUR needs. They sense when you’re tired and move their schedules around. They sense when you’re not doing well academically, and adjust the level of difficulty. Saan ka pa makakakita ng ganun?!
6. We are the doctors of the future. We are being groomed not just to be clinicians in hospitals, but to be the leaders of health sectors. We are being taught not just to know the basics of medicine, but to know the actual needs of the Filipino people. We are taught to look at the bigger picture, and to give long term solutions instead of just bandaids to cover shit up. Ateneo is changing the way healthcare is delivered and you’ll see exactly what I mean if you choose us. I mean, interview palang nga, sobrang innovative na diba?
7. ORSEM. My gosh this is the epitome of Atenean culture and I really wish you could experience this incredible feeling of love and community. During this orientation, you will really feel what it means to be HOME.
8. We are always chosen to scrub into surgeries. Plus, you get to have lunch with the doctors & discuss medical stuff.
9. WE ARE THE 5-PEAT CHAMPIONS OF PALARONG MEDISINA!!!
10. UST and UP are old school thinkers, and they shove all the traditional info down your throat. ASMPH changes the curriculum every year based on the advancements in medicine! We may only be 11 years old but we’re already one of the top med schools in the country. Besides, who would you listen to: dad’s friends who went to Med school in the 80’s? Or your sister who is actually in medical school today, putting in the hours, and is friends with the next generation of doctors?

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Sa listahan palang ni Ate parang gusto kong ako na mismo ang mag-enrol at pumasok sa ASMPH huhu. Unfortuately for me though, my Babyson’s heart is keeping him from seeing the bigger picture. There is someone he simply cannot leave behind for now, no matter what uncertainty tomorrow may bring. I know the feeling, I understand it better than anyone. And so with a heavy heart, I must respect & accept his decision and pray that in the long run, it’s truly the right one.

Ever since naman, the happiness & peace of mind of my kids – those are the important keys I always consider. Kahit pa basketball player, kung yun ang talagang gusto, suportahan taka.

Yes, as their mother, I can overrule & override their choices at any time –ako ang nagbabayad eh, but what does that get me? An unhappy & unmotivated child? Wag nalang.

So anak, I guess we’re going with University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine & Surgery! \m/ From now on, I give you my full commitment to support you every single day of your medical life (wag lang sa frat, please).

Congratulations my (baby)son! This just shows that we have raised you well, because you have finally learned to be a man by putting your foot down & sticking by your decision no matter the pressure.

I love you, and I am SO proud of you. May God always be with you in your journey. <3 UST, you better take good care of my son. Pag may makita ako ni isang pasa jan, magtutuos tayo! #notofraternities #notohazing

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Meanwhile.. ang nakakahimatay na Tuition! ;P PER SEM yan ha. Goodbye Lindy, goodbye Kelly.

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