“DOING the best I can for the patients and making sure they get the best care possible.”
This was what drove Justin Riley Yap Lam, 26, a graduate of Cebu Institute of Medicine (CIM), to work hard to place first in the October 2023 Physicians Licensure Examination.
Here's the top 10 list of passers:
Lam was among the 4,083 out of 6,456 aspiring doctors the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced as having passed the board exam. He got a rating of 89 percent.
Below is the complete list of passers:
While reviewing for the licensure exam, Lam said he studied six to seven days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day and went Simala church with his friends.
He also highlighted the challenges he faced while preparing for the exam, saying: “Some days you feel tired, some days you just don’t want to study but we push ourselves in order to get what we want.”
As part of his preparation, he used the so-called “active recall” technique, trying to understand and apply what he read, then answering as many questions related to the subject. For him, it was effective.
With the doctor's license in hand, he said he plans to take up a residency in internal medicine, though he has not decided yet as to which specialty he is going to pursue.
He said he realized that medicine was his true calling during his internship.
“Going around the hospital, seeing doctors care for patients is very inspiring,” said Lam.
He added that his loved ones are his motivation in pursuing a career in medicine, and this had also contributed in his success in topping the board exam.
“My family, especially my mom, was my main motivation. Doing this for them makes it so much more meaningful,” said Lam.
Asked about his advice to those who wish to take up medicine, Lam said you got to put up the work and there are no short cuts to success. (CAV)