Syncytia: Beating as One in Triumph

It is a moment of pride for the students, faculty, and alumni of the Cebu Institute of Medicine as once again, it has achieved a 100% rating in the Physician Licensure Examination held last August 2014. A wondrous feat, considering no other medical school has achieved the same status.

Early on, the Cebu Institute of Medicine embeds in the minds of her students the vision of the school - physicians with a heart. In part, that is the secret to her success. In the academic year 2001-2002, the school has adapted the Problem Based Learning (PBL) curriculum. Since then, the school has been consistently performing well in the PLEs, with the distinction of being the "top performing medical school in the country."

On top of all the outstanding accomplishments of the school, they have added Raymund Martin Sia Li and Debbie Rose Uy Tanengsy to their roster of topnotchers (first and fifth, respectively).

With that, we had the chance to ask our very own Raymund Li on his most notable accomplishment.

The Caduceus (TC): How did you feel when you received the news?

Raymund Li (R): I was very surprised to find out that I topped the PLE. It was totally unexpected. I was confident that I would pass it but being on the list of topnotchers wasn't really on my mind while waiting for the results. After that initial feeling of surprise, I was elated, thankful, and incredibly humbled.

TC: You are an inspiration to all of us aspiring physicians. What advice can you give to the students and future PLE takers of CIM?

R: I'd say that the four years of medical school is essential in preparing one for the board exam. Learn as much as you can. The 3-4 months leading to the examination itself is more like a review of all of the knowledge and information you have acquired over 4 years. When studying for PLE, you have to study smart. Make a day-to-day schedule of the topics you have to cover early on and stick to it. It is understandable to occasionally fall behind but never let your backlogs pile up. Read all of your review materials at least twice. Whether or not you enroll in a review center is entirely up to you. But in my opinion, it is good study habits, diligence, and self-discipline that will make you pass and excel in the board exam and not review centers. It is also imperative that you acquire and answer sample examinations because preparing for the PLE also requires honing your test-taking strategies. 

TC: How has your Alma Mater molded you to achieving your goals?

R: CIM has definitely helped me achieve my goals. The four years I spent in CIM helped me develop my study habits and gave me the confidence to pursue excellence in the medical field. I specifically applaud the PBL system, which I found to be extremely conducive to learning and was a very good fit for my learning styles.

TC: What is your message to Batch Syncytia, who truly beat as one in this amazing feat?

R: I would like to congratulate Batch Syncytia for achieving a 100% passing rate. 100% was what I truly wanted and being a topnotcher is just an added bonus. I am incredibly honored to be a part of this amazing batch. I'm sure this batch will have many more crowning achievements in the future and the PLE was just the start of great things to come. Yay to us!

What makes Batch Syncytia unique? As their batch name would suggest, they are a fusion of individual but interconnected units performing a specific goal in a synchronized and unified fashion. They are a batch of physicians with one heart. They are Syncytia - beating as one in triumph. 

Written by Glenn Marlon Tiu of Batch Spectra