Med-tech topnotcher ranks 2nd in physician licensure exam

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

 

BACOLOD City – The community quarantine brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic did not hinder a Bacoleño student from pursuing his dream of becoming a medical doctor.

Patrick Joseph Mabugat, who graduated valedictorian in 2019 at the University of St. La Salle (USLS)-College of Medicine here, ranked second in the November 2020 Physician Licensure Examination after garnering a passing percentage of 88.58 percent.

Mabugat finished his Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) here in 2014. In that same year, he also topped the Medical Technology Board Examination.

He is the eldest son of the four children of Colonel Calixto Mabugat, chief of staff of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Internal Affairs Service office in Camp Crame, and wife Arlene.

After passing the Medtech board exams, he taught at the in-house review in UNO-R and entered medical school in 2015.

Mabugat said he was having his internship at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila early this year when the pandemic broke out.

He said they were pulled out from the hospital for their safety, but because they saw the need for manpower in the hospital, his batch decided to stay as volunteers.

After a month, COVID cases suddenly increased, and the hospital management decided to totally pull them out because of the high risk of the infection.

“Didto ko gid nakita na kulang gid ang healthcare system, and damo pa gid dapat i-improve kag i-develop,” he said.

Mabugat underwent a three-month review in Manila, but later flew back to Bacolod via sweeper flight to continue his self-review here.

He said he was quarantined five times while reviewing for the board exams as he was always on the road.

But he said it did not stop him from focusing on his studies.

He spent one hour or two hours a day for the review.

“Gin tuod-tuod ko na lang sang lapit na lang gid exams,” he said.

The examination was initially scheduled last September but due to the pandemic, it was moved to this month. He said he traveled to Iloilo for the exams and returned home on November 20.

He was with his fiancé, Dyan Dimalaluan, when they both learned that they passed the examination.

“Nagdamgo pa ko last night na wala gid ko ya kapasar,” he said, adding that it took him a while to absorb the fact that he passed the exam and even got one of the highest scores.

“I was teary-eyed. Indi gid ko kapati. Ulihi na nag sink-in sa akon tanan,” he said.

He said he didn’t face any difficulty during review, aside from being quarantined many times. “Wala man gid ko na pressure sang pagkuha ko exam,” he added.

He advised aspiring doctors and other students to always keep reaching for their dreams no matter what.

“It may be hard nowadays, but we must do what we can with whatever we have,” he said.

He said he has yet to decide if he will pursue a specialization – either Internal Medicine or General Surgeon – or join a government hospital.

Mabugat and Dimalaluan were supposed to get married after their board exams this year but because the exam was re-scheduled, they moved the wedding two years from now since they have to prepare for their 4-5 year residency training.

The couple started dating when they met in college. They were classmates back then.

Mabugat proposed to Dimalaluan after their graduation last year.

Dimalaluan, a resident of E.B. Magalona in Negros Occidental, also finished the same course as cum laude at UNO-R and earned 4th honorable mention at USLS-College of Medicine last year.