I have always dreamed of becoming a medical doctor and it is the dream that has always kept me motivated and committed to stay in this pursuit. My interest in the field of medicine began when I started volunteering in my church’s community outreach missions and ministries.
I have worked with a lot of people and fellow volunteers from the field of medicine and I have always been fascinated with their stories from their work in the hospitals, clinics, and barangay health centers. I have also realized that I love people⎯ communicating with them and knowing their personal stories, and serving and taking care of them. Throughout my years in college, I held onto this God-given dream in my heart and I was so sure in pursuing medicine. Moreover, it was also this dream that drove me to be competent in my studies and pushed me to always give my best to my patients. My pursuit of becoming a medical doctor was further solidified when I had my internship at the Philippine General Hospital, Physical Therapy Section. I evaluated and treated patients who came all the way from Bicol, Batangas, Laguna, Bulacan, and other provinces. These are far-flung places and the patients had to travel for hours just to receive, if not free, affordable quality PT treatment. Furthermore, their conditions were complicated because they did not have direct contact with a primary physician. I realized that we do indeed have a very fragile healthcare system in this country and I want to be part of the solution to this problem. It was then that I fully decided to become a medical doctor.
I want to become a medical doctor because I know this is what God has called me to do⎯ to serve the underserved in the field of healthcare. It is something that I have always seen myself doing for the rest of my life and it is a burden in my heart that I cannot ignore. I believe it is an honorable ambition and a dream worth-pursuing.
The University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery is the best, the biggest, and the brightest. To pursue medicine in UST has always been a dream of mine since I was still in college. In fact, it is the university that is on top of my list when I started searching for medical schools to apply to. I was mainly inspired by one of the best professors in our department, Dr. Manuel Y. Gayoles, who is an alumnus of the USTFMS. I have personally seen how committed he is in delivering high quality education to his students, how competent he is as a medical doctor and as an educator, and how compassionate he is to his patients and students. He is one of the few people I look up to and he is the kind of medical doctor I aspire to be⎯ capable, reliable, and empathetic. I believe that the University of Santo Tomas played a great part in molding his character and unlocking his full potential as a medical doctor. I believe this institution is the best and the most suitable medical school to train and equip me to become the medical doctor I have always aspired to be and fulfill my life’s mission to serve the Filipino people back in my province in Bacolod.
To have been given the chance to study medicine in the University of Santo Tomas is both an honor and an achievement of a lifetime. As someone who grew up and lived all his life in a small city of a province in the Visayas, it is indeed a life-changing opportunity to pursue medicine in one of the biggest medical schools in the country. I am looking forward to new and exciting personal experiences, to meet, to interact, and to build new relationships with my fellow classmates and scholars, and to learn from them and be inspired by the best and most brilliant professors in the Philippines. With honorable values and principles, outstanding quality medical education, and excellent equipment and facilities, I just cannot wait to start my medical school journey in UST and receive these amazing experiences. I am also excited to meet the Trustees and staff of the Anargyroi Foundation Inc. I will be forever grateful to them for granting me a full medical scholarship through their Regent’s Scholarship Program, which I believe is the biggest opportunity I have ever received in my life. I am sincerely thankful because I get to pursue medicine and study with lesser worries. It means so much to me and my family.
By: Takuya Aiuchi, Incoming First Year RSP Scholar