Passing the Philippine Physician Licensure Exam: How did I make it?

 Having a lot of removals or remedials, do not came from a rich family and living in a small house, will I or is it possible that I pass the board exam? Personally, in my opinion, I would like to answer yes. Because I am one of those persons among of us who has the same situation who passed the exam and became a Physician. But before I answer "How did I make it", I would like to share my story. I hope you can read this whole blog 'til the end and learn.

Physician Licensure Examination, for me is one of the hardest subject in all board exams aside from Engineering, other health sciences, and bar exam. If you are reading this, I assume you are a medical student or a Post-Graduate intern who wants to know the secrets of passing the board exam. Here, I want to share on you based on my experiences and motivations which drives me to pass the exam, maybe some of you can relate, or in other way I hope this blog could help you boost your motivation, and Faith until you pass the board exam. 

  To be honest, even medical school is very hard, aside from 2-3 hours lecture of the doctors, you must read a lot of pages in a textbook or using transcript as a guide, these are needed to prepare for long quizzes, small group discussions (SGDs), clinicopathological case conference, Research paper/Thesis writing, and especially the face-to-face Clinical Clerkship in which medical students are in duty for at least 24 hours. 

 Well medical school at first, may sound that you may be proud of it that you made it, but in fact you will experience ups and downs in medical school, in my case; I did face a lot of failures in medical school, I had a lot of removal or remedials. Sadly, what subject I have to undergo this process are major subjects such as 

• Clinical Medicine [2nd year only] 
• Surgery [2nd and 3rd year]
• Pediatrics [2nd and 3rd year]
• Pathology [2nd year]
• Rehabilitation Medicine

 At first these are the times that you will cry but, I have learned in medical school, one of the most important thing you should have is always to "never give up". and "to go to the easy road of life, the shortcut is to take the difficult path". That's until I learned in my 3rd year that I should read textbook every after lecture as to retain my knowledge in those subject. If I find it hard, then that's the time I'll return to the same topic in 1st and 2nd year to build again my basics. As I learned this, this motivates me that hard work is also one key to succeed later on. The same goes apply in the clerkship and revalida preparation what I did is the following

• given the lessons I had learned during the undergraduate years, I should prepare ahead of time so that when time comes, it will not be that hard and to avoid cramming in the exam. Personally, I started preparing for Revalida ever since the start of the clerkship program when there is time, in Tagalog i'll term it as "pasingit-singit na aral". this helps you not just in revalida, but also in clerkship since you apply it to the clinics
• Once exam is near, I do not forget to Pray to the Lord to give me guidance and strength

**Fortunately this worked for me as I outright pass my subject (at last! yey!) my written and oral revalida which is for me, the most grueling part of medical school

5th year or Post Graduate Internship:

I rotated in our base hospital so one of the responsibilities that I have aside from listening from the lecture of the professors (since this is pandemic era), there will be times that I or we along with my co-interns/friends, have to guide our clinical clerks, to pass what we have learned to them. This is also a perfect opportunity also for me personally since if you don't know the answer, I will be forced to read the appropriate textbook for that topic and share it to them, so mutually we can review. As a PGI leader of several rotation, I learned also many things such as sharing of knowledge from both of you co-interns and co-clerks in helping in making their reports, so mutual learning is achieved and can be part of review as well. 

At the same time also, I started to prepare for my physician licensure exam with a guidance from review center, which is the Genesis program of the Topnotch Medical Board Prep Inc. which I learned that I should study more so that my habits can improve and prepare better for the board exam. Well I learned that I should not just rely solely on the reviewers that they had given, but use them also as guide on how to approach your textbook properly, aside from hearing the tips for the board exam.

 Another thing that motivate me is that being delayed for a year in med school doesn't mean it will be a hindrance but a motivation and to inspire others as well. I had to stop due to depression with anxiety for almost a year. But in the next batch I'm happy that I found new friends which helped me and taught me on how to help each other especially in my intern days. This is when and where I met my new close friends, good friends and especially one co-intern who I considered my best friend who helped me a lot, not just in my intern days but also in preparation for the Physician Licensure Exam. Having good friends or best friends is important also, aside from you want to help your parents as motivation, seeing them doing their best will motivate also to do your best, my best as well.

 We all enrolled in Topnotch Online so that we can review more of what we need for the board exam and be guided, aside from which that you should if you have time go to church and Pray (disclaimer: what I will show here will be my case since I am a catholic), in my case I went to several churches before the exam. I would recommend for you to visit this churches and Pray not just for yourself but include your friends, close friend, and best friend as well :) 

• Basilica of Black Nazarene (Quiapo church)- I believe in the miracle of the black Nazarene since I went also here to Pray in my 1st board exam in Pharmacy and now in my 2nd exam for Physician [I passed both exams, both are take one]
• Our Lady if Perpetual Help in Baclaran- I believe in the miracle also of Our Lady of Perpetual help, since I went also here to Pray in my 1st board exam in Pharmacy and now in my 2nd exam for Physician [I passed both exams, both are take one] - I also don't forget to lit my candle as well. 
• National Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus near Malacanang Palace- Pray, and lit a candle for you and your friends as well
• Our Lady of Hope Parish in Quezon City, near SM North
• Sta. Clara in Katipunan- written your intentions in writing, offer egg, and Pray for your petitions 

 When the Physician Licensure Exam was moved due to increased number of COVID-19 cases in NCR, me and my best friend reviewed together in google meet, the advantage is that we review and we can monitor the progress of each other, and our weaknesses as well, as she told me my weakness is active learning. For me this is a good time to motivate with each other, [especially I only rotated with her in same department once but she helped me a lot in subsequent rotation and we are in same review center]. When she decided to enter a 2nd review center at that time, due to lack of funds, I have to found and review based on what references/resources I have on hand but still following the trend. I learned on how to read the selected most important parts of my reviewer or textbook, and find other review books like Surgery Absite, Harrison Self-Review, Robbins Review of Pathology, and Snell for my sample question and answers to stimulate my brain for the test. I learned here that even though you have lack of funds there is still a way to learn active learning the other way around.

Exam days had come, what I did is the night before each exam I started Praying the Holy Rosary + review Phase 3 and some Phase 0 due to "kapit patalim" review, and during exam proper, I don't forget to Pray before and after each subject so that the Lord can give me strength and I think of my motivations

Motivations:

1. Lord has given me a chance to enter this course so that I can serve Him via serving people.

2. I want to help my family, especially my dad who is the breadwinner, since he is getting old already 

3. Peer related issues

 a. my original barkada in med school are licensed doctors. As I mentioned, I suffered from depression that I have to stop for a year. 

 b. my close friends

    - some are Praying for me so I have to do my best in my part so that I can utilize the strength and guidance Lord gave me and not to waste their Prayers

   - my close friends are studying well for the exam, I am motivated so that I can be a physician like them.

   - especially to my best friend who helped me so much a lot, as I don't want her help to be laid down to waste.

4. I want to prove that even I came from a small hous, and my family is not that rich, is not a hindrance to success.

Just to show how small it is but not a hindrance to success

But after the exam, I just Prayed the rosary every night and also returned to the churches I mentioned above now with EDSA shrine church praying for Rosary for the exam, and to avoid stress I watched YouTube as well as stress reliever

At November 11, 2021 I saw that I "failed" my exam, and I said that I will prepare again after I recovered", I tried to find my name on the computer and I didn't found my name on it, until I realized it was a dream (hehehe and I realized also I dreamed it twice and I "failed my PLE" in both of those dreams). due to nervousness that I felt caused by those dreams. I Prayed the Rosary, 1 hour after, one of my close friends suddenly send me a message in messenger, congratulating me that I passed the Physician Licensure Exam, and show me a picture which shocked me with joy as I saw my name on it, and even my best friend who helped me a lot is included in the list as well. I mentioned this since reviewing with peers has an advantage to show you your weakness and have a happy review.

So overall, how I guess I passed the exam

Sorry if long or mahaba blog ko but I hope this could motivate and help you. Good luck future doctor sa exam and wishing you a success sa boards mo and as Physician. 

"To have a easy life, one must go use the difficult road"