Enrolled in OLFU Incoming 1st year Med Student

Hello Brainy nerds!!! If you're constantly reading my posts here in my blog you know that I've been applying in different med school. After thoroughly weighing the pros and cons of the med schools that I applied for. And now I've come in a decision to enroll in OLFU (Our Lady of Fatima University Valenzuela). I'm already enrolled in OLFU for incoming med student. So I would want to share to you guys what are the things that I did during enrollment.  

What I did during enrollment:

1.  I go to the registration office and they gave me my application form.
2. then I went to the cashier window which is just in front the registration window. If you don't have the money to pay all your tuition fee you could pay for the reservation fee which is 20,000php only which is what I did.  
3. after that I go back to the registration office then they gave me forms to fill-up. They also gave me list of books and a paper that shows what type of uniform I'm going to wear. So basically they told me that they don't have ready made uniforms. Then they gave me a list on steps for enrollment.
4. for the ID process I went to the arts and science building just in front of that building where the ID process is located. The ID will release as classes started which is June 16.
5. then for the physical examination I went to the Fatima Medical Center just beside the medicine building. The laboratories is on 2nd floor I basically told them that I'm an incoming medicine student so that they will process the right laboratories needed for the said course. The hospital is the one who will keep your laboratory results as what they told me. 

So basically it is a one day enrollment. I finished early then after that I got time to find a dorm and my uniform fixed.

thank you for dropping by~  



My Thoughts In Pursuing Medicine Profession

Hello! brainy nerds!!! I would want to share my thoughts in pursuing medicine profession.

We all know that all of us has own reasons why we wanted to be a doctor. Reasons that given us motivations in pursuing this noble career.

Here are my pros and cons in pursuing medicine:

Pros:

Service: for helping other people and directly making someone happy and comfortable.

Ever since when I'm in my undergrad which is in Nursing, I really loved helping other people making them comfortable and giving information in the best way I can do. But because being a nurse has limitations and doctors do all the direct management for their patients which is all I really wanted to do someday.

Knowledge: which means you gain more new information, research and learning new skills.  Unending learning experience to help improve health of humanity.

Respect: We all know that when you heard or know a doctor they are on top of the social scale because we know that the work they contribute in the society is very important.

Flexibility:   there are board range of opportunities. If you don't like to work in the hospital you can work as a researcher, educator and many more.

Security: gives you great opportunity to earn good living and consistent secure future career. Even if you are old, you can still find a job in other field of medicine and expand your knowledge.

 

 

Cons:

Financial: going to medical school is very expensive. You must have a good source of income or provider of your expenses when you want to pursue this kind of path. Not only the school tuition fee is expensive but added the books that cost thousands of money and if you are lived far away from your school you are required to live in a dorm.

 

In my case my father really supports my decision to be a doctor and promised to shoulder all my medical school expenses. But my mom somehow not into it because she said that their responsibility as a parent stops when the child already graduated from college and told me that I need to find a job and use my own money if I want to pursue medicine. Well we are not that rich but we are in the middle class kind of family in the society and I have still siblings who are studying in a prestigious school which is also expensive.

 

Workload:  the work you do in your studies back in your undergrad is very different when you enter medicine. More unit of subjects, hours spend, duty rotations and many more so time manage is what you really need to balance your life as a medical student.

 

Stress: if you had hard time when you are in your undergrad the stress level are doubled when you entered medicine because of the subjects that you want to pass. You don't want to repeat a whole year when you failed one subject which means another expensive tuition fee. Many of your love ones, neighbors, and friends of your family all eyes are in you. You don't want to disappoint them and be as well do whatever it takes to survive in your medicine year.

 

Left out:  the feeling of all your undergrad classmates and friends are in their peek of success, that some of them are settling down having a family , some are finishing their masteral degrees and here you are holding a very thick book, having second thoughts of the career you're in.

 

 

 

Just to sum up, no matter how difficult it may seem, I know that everything that I do is already decided. Decided because medicine for me is a vocation which is one doesn't choose medicine for it but one is called for it. Sacrifices are required, weighing priorities are at stake and I know at the end it will all be worth it as long as your whole heart is committed for it.

Always remember this verse.

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

 

thank you for dropping by~

My San Beda College of Medicine Application Experience

Another medical school that I applied for was the San Beda College of Medicine. The college of medicine was formerly established last 2002 so it is quite new compared to other schools. Many of my relatives and friends told me to try to apply for it because they have a good quality education, almost the same tuition fee to other schools and that there professors are graduate mostly from University of the Philippines.

Then I searched there standing school performance in the Physician Licensure Exam which has a good standing percentage passers to think that the school was new compared to other schools. Then they're affiliated with the University of Loyola in Northern Marianas Islands, United States of America.


My Experience

After completing all the initial requirements there will be an entrance exam which cost 1,500php. Then after that you'll be asked what schedule are you available in taking the entrance exam. The people in the admission were very accommodating. The school has a good ambiance which is a plus for me

The exam itself was quite ok which is somehow similar to an IQ exam for adults. After the IQ test set there will be an essay that will last for an hour I guess. Then our proctor told us that there's no interview after the exam and that the result will be posted on the website of San Beda.

Until now, I don't know if I will enroll in San Beda college of medical because I'm still weighing the possibilities in other medicine schools that I applied for.

My Our Lady of Fatima University- College of Medicine Interview Experience

 

So another medical school that I applied for was Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU)- college of medicine. They've been one of the known medical schools in the Philippines for having outstanding students that topped the physician licensure exam as well as one of the top performing school too.

 

What kind of institution is the Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU)- college of medicine?

 

The mission was "Improve man as a man" which means they go down to the student's level, together rise to the top. They believe that not all are born with a brilliant mind and believed in equal opportunity which means that they accept students regardless of there previous academic performance. They also believe that NMAT and entrance exam are not measured of the student's capacity and that it could be developed.

 

They also have globalization affiliation and clerkship trainings at Brooklyn Hospital Center, Peninsula Hospital Center in New York, Jackson Park Hospital in Chicago, and Harbor Hospital in Baltimore, all in the United States of America; and SIN-LIU Christian Medical Center, Yuan's General Hospital, Cathay General Hospital, Tuig's Metro Hospital, Taichung Veteran's Hospital, Taipei University Medical Center, and Yang Ming City Municipal Hospital in Taiwan. 

 

Accreditations and Achievements

• Fully accredited by the Association of the Philippine Medical Colleges
• Listed in the World Health Organization Geneva Recognized Medical Schools
• Has an ongoing clerkship program with the Harbor Hospital in Baltimore and Jackson Park Chicago USA
• Accredited by Illinois State Board of Education
• Accredited by New York State Board of Education
• Recognized by California Quality Health Assurance
• Competent alumni placed in key hospitals in the Philippines and aboard
• Garnering topnotchers in the Physician Licensure Exam in the Philippines
• Top 8 performing medical school in the Physician Licensure Exam last August 2013  

My Experience in applying and interview

 

 The people from the admission in the college of medicine was very accommodating. When I gave my application documents to them they give a piece of paper and asked me to pay to the cashier for the for 500php. After that they gave me a form that has questions that I need to fill-up. It says Interview paper so I thought that it was just a survey. The questions are the basic questions that ask when your in an actual interview like personal background, strength and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, why medicine?, and why Fatima?.

 

So after I fill-up all the questions on the form they asked me to come back  at around 1pm. Then I wonder why? I thought that they will reschedule me for an interview that day. So when I comeback to the admission they told me to wait and that they will call me later. Then my mom joking that I might have an on the spot interview and I was obscure about it.

 

Then after a minute they called me. I entered the admission room and there was a doctor holding the form that I fill-up and I was shocked at that moment. My mom was right. How ironic that I'm just wearing a casual clothes with a messy hairdo. The doctor told me to sit down and I greet her and shake her hands while I comb my hair using my fingers. That moment I'm afraid that I might messed up my interview because I'm not physically and mentally prepared.

 

The doctor said "I'm not going to speak to you in a formal way, lets just have a normal conversation and you can used any language that you like to use as long as you speak in human words" and she started to laugh. She was kind and accommodating. She make sure that I'm comfortable before she starts to question me. The questions was what I write on the form that I passed.  Then after that she asked me that if 5 years from now what specialization are you going to take? I said that I'm interested in taking neurologist. She said that it is just a sub specialization that I must take Internal medicine first for 3 years before being a neurologist. I saw her white coat that says anesthesiology and asked her how long it takes to be a anesthesiologist and she says that same goes with the neurologist. That I need to go through my sub specialization before I become an anesthesiologist.  She was kind and she keeps joking about my name because I have a same name of a newscaster. She also keep asking me If I have a blood related to this senator because we have the same surname which is unique. Then after that I thanked her and shaked her hand. She hold my shoulder and told me that "I need to study hard and that I can enroll now".

 

Then after that I asked the lady in the admission If it's ok that I don't enroll that day and she told me I can enroll anytime. So all in all the people in the OLFU were kind and accommodating which is I really like. But, I'm still not sure if I will enroll in this institution because its really far from my house and I don't know if my parents will let me stay in a dormitory. I'm still waiting for the other medical school that I applied.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 So that's all, I hope that somehow I enlighten you guys. Thank you for dropping by aspiring doctors!!~

FEU-NRMF interview college of medicine experience

Hello there~ I would like to share to you guys my experience about my interview in FEU.
Well the interview itself was quite OK, actually this is my first interview in applying for medical school. 

 

When I went to the institution for my interview I'm pretty late I guess 10 minutes late. You see, my house is really far and It takes 2 hours to travel from my place to Fairview when you commute. So I make sure to wake up early that day around 4am I'm up already and I leave my house around 4:30am. yes, 30 mins preparation! hehe 

 

 If I could remember the call time was 7 am because there will be an orientation before the actual interview. So I arrived at 7:10am. When I arrived there I thought that it will not start immediately because I believe in "Filipino Time" sino bang hindi? hehe well I'm wrong. I'm the 327 applicant that arrived that day. yes, 327??!! I'm really quite impressed for those applicants that arrived very early on the said time. They said that the first 50 applicants arrived around 4am!!. haha shocking right???! adik lang hahah. Well you can really see who are the people that are really determined.

 

The orientation starts on the said schedule and last for an hour I guess. Then during the orientation they give us tips on how are we going to deliver ourselves to the interviewers. They said that 4 applicants in 2 doctors in one room that will last 10mins if I'm not mistaking. Good thing that Im with my friend that day. 

 

The questions of the interviewers were the typical "tell me about yourself", "why medicine?" and "if you're not given the chance to be a doctor what profession will you pursue?". The interviewers were very accommodating. They're really not that strict whether you're speaking in tagalog or in English as long as you show your motives. Take note, they can tell if you're memorizing a line in your head. So just be yourself . Kami nga ng friend ko nag tagalog lang as long as you're really being true to yourself and not being pushed to enter this profession everything will go smoothly.

 

Another thing is that wear comfortable "business attire" ok? as I said a while ago, the interview will last 10 mins. I noticed that day that some applicants over dressed themselves. Don't wear too comfortable attire as well. I also noticed that some guys are wearing casual attire like jeans and a shirt. While, female applicants are wearing high heels shoes and really short skirts.  Besides, it's not appropriate wearing that kind of outfit you don't want your interviewer looking at those legs right?. You need to dress professionally and separate your social image from your professional presence.

 

 

 

 

 

So that's all, I hope that somehow I enlighten you guys. Thank you for dropping

      

Checklist in Choosing Medical Schools in the Philippines

Hello! aspiring doctors~ I would like to share to you guys what are my checklist in choosing medical schools. I know that you're having difficult time in choosing what school is suited for each one of you, so don't worry I'll share my thoughts for you! so lets get started.

My considerations in choosing medical schools:

 

1. Performance-  If it's one of the top performing school in the physician's board exam?, Is there a top-notcher?, how many first takers passed? , how many repeaters passed? and how many overall percentage passer? This is the number one factor that I always checked in finding medical schools. I make sure that I'm always updated in releasing the result  of the PRC website regarding the Physician licensure Exam. In this way I'll have an idea what school produce outstanding students. 

 

2. Requirements- What is the NMAT cut-off required? What is the general weight average required? How many applicant slots left? If there's a prerequisite units to complete. For me It's a plus if there's no prerequisite units in a certain med school because I really don't like to waste time and money in taking these prerequisites units in my perspective.  

 

3. Tuition- How much the tuition fee per semester? how much the increase per year or semester? If there's a scholarship offering in that school. We all know that medicine is really expensive so I also look for schools that are not that expensive. I don't want to burden my parents for my expensive education.

 

4. Place - If it's far from my home?, how many minutes or hours it takes to travel? and the environment outside the school? If it's surroundings is safe and is there dormitories, room for rent or condominiums near by? It's a plus for me if the ambiance of the school is good. 

 

5. Facilities- If there's air-conditioned classrooms , conference/lecture halls with audio-visual devices, a library that is comfortable to study. Is there internet facilities aside from the WiFi access available in the Library? We all know that aside from  the books you can also rely latest information or knowledge in the internet.

 

 

 

 

So these are my 5 factors to consider in choosing medical schools. I hope that somehow I enlighten you guys. Thank you for dropping by aspiring doctors!

 

 

 

My experience, strategies and tips in taking NMAT

Hi there, if you're here to gain information regarding the NMAT you are in the right place!

Just like you, before I'm also in search for information what  are the usual topics in the said exam. So I would like to share my experiences how I prepared the exam.

 

So what is NMAT?

 

NMAT or National Medical Admission Test  is a nationwide examination required for the entrance to any medical school in the Philippines. It is sometimes considered as a MCAT equivalent, which is held in the United States. Only qualified test takers like graduates and graduating students of degree programs who likely took the said exam.

 

Disclaimer: I'll just give you guys  an outline of the said exam and not the actual questions ok? so lets get started.

 

First thing I did in preparing for nmat was I study the sample test. You'll get this when you already registered and paid the exam. It will show in your account in the nmat site. I practice and practice every part of the exam. Try to answer the sample test first then go back to the questions that you got wrong. In this way you'll get the chance to go deeper every question. 

 

There's two parts of the NMAT.
 

The part 1 more of an IQ test and with a 200-item test with four subdivisions that will last for 3 hours. these are:

 

      >Verbal ( analogy, reading comprehension). 

      >Quantitative ( basic algebra, problem solving, statistic)

      >Inductive Reasoning ( figure series, grouping)

      >Perceptual Acuity ( hidden figures, mirror images, identical information)

In part 2 more of the field of Basic Sciences and with a 200 items that will last for 2 hours and 30 mins. these are:

      >Biology ( more on general science, physiology, cell)
      >Physics ( theories, principles, formula)
      >Chemistry ( inorganic, organic)
      >Social Science ( definitions, theories, situational)

What you need is time management.  When I try to practice answering the sample test, I always set a  timer beside me. So try to practice answering with a timer with you. In this way your brain will be trained and you'll know how many minutes you used per questions. 

 

Another tip for you guys is do prioritization. On the actual exam you can start at any topic. But, you must first answer what is the easiest topic then the last one is the hardest. In this way you can have more time answering the hardest topic.  

 

Well in my experience on the actual exam, I answered the part 1 by (1)Verbal, (2)Inductive Reasoning, (3)Perceptual Acuity and the last one is the (5)Quantitative. As you can see I'm really not a math person. In short I hate math! hahah! so most of my time I put it in answering math questions.

 

While on part 2 on the actual exam, I first answered (1)Biology, (2)Social Science, (3)Physics and the last one was (3)Chemistry. So my tip on reviewing this part was try to answer the sample test. the sample test somehow is my outline reviewer in nmat. I know that it's really hard to go back in your old books just to review them. So what I did was I googled the concept per questions in the sample test and as well the choices in the internet. In this way I have an Idea what are the concepts that I am having difficult time answering per topic.

 

Most of the questions in the sample test was "i googled it". Yes, there is a word googled. The internet is the number one source of knowledge and not just for playing games. I know that you are having difficult time when you are in the cyber world because of the distractions like facebook, twitter, instagram, tumblr and many sites name it. I also experience that. So try to manage your time wisely.

 

Another materials that I used while I'm studying for nmat was my MSA entrance exam reviewers in college and my 4th year high school National Secondary Achievement Test (NSAT) reviewers. So in short you need to enhance and recall all the basic concepts.

 

 

And my last material that I used before, during and after I took the nmat was my prayers. That we all know, the powerful material you can use~. I'll share a note from my book called "A Pocketful of PROMISES" that tackled Wisdom. 

 

 

My child,

 

If you lack wisdom, you need only to ask Me and I will give it to you, for I give good gifts to My children. Wisdom is the principle thing, so get wisdom. It is more valuable than money, status, fame or fortune. So Let your heart retain My words, for they contain the seeds of supernatural wisdom that will be planted in your heart.

 

~Your loving God

 

 

 

 

For me "Wisdom is seeing life from God's perspective". If you ask Him, He will definitely give it .

 

 



 

I hope that somehow my blog helped you guys. Godbless aspiring doctors!!

Thank you for dropping by!!