Medtech topnotcher shares formula of landing 9th in doctor’s exams

Dr. Jessah April Naingue, Top 9, March and September 2020 Physician Licensure Examinations

CEBU CITY, Philippines — It did not cross the mind of a young Dr. Jessah April Naingue to become a doctor.

But one day, after attending to her grandmother in a hospital, a surge of hope and inspiration propelled Jessah to help her family against all odds.

Now 27 years old, Jessah not only passed the recently concluded March and September 2020 Physician Licensure Examinations but also made it as a topnotcher in the exams landing in 9th place after earning a score of 86.83 percent.

READ MORE: 3 Cebu grads among Top 10 passers of physician licensure exams

LOOK: PRC top 10 list in the March and September 2020 Physician Licensure Examinations

“I wasn’t expecting to top the examinations but nevertheless, I am deeply thankful to the Lord that I placed 9th,” said Jessah in Cebuano.

Motivation for topnotcher

A native of Compostela town in northern Cebu, Jessah is the third among five children.

She said their family relocated to Cebu City when she was young where her mother juggled between being a fish vendor in Pasil Fish Port and taking care of her father who, by that time, was admitted to a hospital after undergoing an operation.

“My family came from nothing. It was also one of the reasons that motivated me to be diligent in my studies and take every opportunity given to me,” she explained in Cebuano.

Hard work combined with their relentless faith in God helped the Naingues overcome life’s challenges, Jessah said. The couple’s five children are all now professionals.

Before studying medicine in a Cebu City-based university, Jessah, a consistent honor student all throughout her schooling years, took up medical technology.

Her labors eventually bore fruit in 2014 as she became a topnotcher in the Medical Technology Licensure Examinations after placing 9th in the exams.

READ MORE: 3 Cebuanas top med tech board exams

“Who would have thought that more than five years later, I’ll have the same rank for the physician licensure examinations,” she said in jest.

Upon receiving her license as a certified medical technologist, Jessah said she could have helped her family by contributing to the dinner table.

Jessah was granted with a scholarship to become a doctor by the same university where she studied as a medical technologist.

“But I decided to pursue becoming a doctor. This is also why I dedicate my success to my family – my mother, father, and all my four sisters – who were really supportive of my plans,” she added.

New challenges

When 2020 arrived, and eventually the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic occurred, new challenges greeted Jessah in achieving her goals.

Albeit admitting to being quite demotivated, especially when the second part of this year’s licensure examinations was pushed back to a later date, the public health crisis and its offshoots did not stop Jessah to help both her family and the community where she belonged.

“Along the way, I learned that being a doctor means helping the people around you by saving their lives,” said Jessah in a mix of Cebuano and English.

While waiting for the final dates of the board exams, Jessah volunteered in the rapid mass testing initiative last May for the tri-cities under the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7).

Now that she’s a licensed physician, Jessah said she was planning to pursue specialization in internal medicine and take up residency.

Her advice to aspiring doctors

When asked for tips for future doctors, the 27-year-old said taking time off in between reviews and studying was essential. In her case, break time means watching her favorite K-Dramas online.

“I’m a night owl so I always need to have an outline on what coverages I should be reading within this time. I always try my best to finish reading everything covered within that outline but in-betweens, I take some rest,” she said.

Jessah has also left a message for aspiring physicians.

“To all those who dream of becoming a doctor, there will always be a way for you to fulfill your dreams. And don’t forget that God will always provide. With hard work and faith, nothing is impossible,” she said. /dbs