Southwestern University (SWU)-PHINMA held its first virtual recognition ceremony on October 21, 2020 to honor its 3 topnotchers and 26 newly licensed doctors who passed the 2020 Physician Licensure Examination.
Guided by SWU PHINMA’s tagline of “Becoming the best that you can be,” it is not a surprise that the university was able to produce impactful and responsible topnotchers and passers who have the passion for knowledge and service to people.
Joined by the PHINMA Corporation Board of Directors, SWU PHINMA Admin Council, SWU PHINMA School of Medicine faculty and students, families and relatives of the Board Passers and some friends from the media, the virtual recognition ceremony served as a memorable and momentous event for its attendees, despite the ongoing global health crisis.
The SWU PHINMA executives and board passers were present during the virtual recognition.
SWU-PHINMA President Dr. Chito B. Salazar, gave the Welcome Remarks and shared his gratitude for the topnotchers and board passers.
“I’d like to thank all of you for your faith, for your hard work, and for your commitment to the university and your career,” he said.
A tribute video encapsulating the 5-year-journey of all board passers then followed.
Mr. Ramon del Rosario Jr., President and CEO of PHINMA Corporation, also gave his word of thanks to all the newly licensed doctors.
“We at PHINMA education, Southwestern University PHINMA, and Southwestern University Medical Center are in awe of our 26 Physician licensure examination passers. Thank you for choosing this profession and thank you for being a part of the PHINMA education family. This is not just a milestone for you and your families, but your communities as well because they will benefit the most from your service and expertise,” Del Rosario said.
The PRC said 800 out of 1,424 examinees passed this year’s Physician Licensure Examinations.
Del Rosario also shared his excitement for having a lot of topnotchers and passers coming from SWU-PHINMA.
“This is the first time that we have so many graduates in the Top 10. We are confident that SWU-PHINMA will continue to guide more students to achieve these heights,” Del Rosario said.
The three topnotchers: April Jean G. Gapo, MD, 8th placer, Jessah April S. Naingue, MD, 9th placer, and Carren Emirose H. Solidor, MD, 10th placer, expressed their delight and gratitude as they were recognized by the university for their achievement.
Read: 3 Cebu grads among Top 10 passers of physician licensure exams
“My mentors inspired and pushed me not just to study but to love the process of studying and learning. This has paved the way and laid the foundation for me to develop a great sense of affection for medicine,” Dr. April Jean Gapo said.
Dr. Jessah April Naingue also voiced her thanks to SWU-PHINMA during the virtual event.
“I was granted with an academic scholarship by the university. If not for that opportunity, I wouldn’t be here today. That’s why I will forever be grateful and will remain loyal to my dear alma mater,” she said.
Having been rewarded and blessed as a top-notcher, Dr. Carren Emirose H. Solidor then gave her speech and shared her joy for being part of the batch of licensed physicians from SWU-PHINMA.
“The ultimate pressure was on bringing the school pride. It was our top priority even when we were med students back then. True enough, just seeing the name of the school in the list brought us much joy. The success was even sweeter when I saw that majority from my batch our now licensed physicians,” she said.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Peter Aznar, SWU PHINMA School of Medicine Dean, described the achievement of the topnotchers and passers as a historic event for the institution.
“For the first time in the 66-year-history of the university that we have 3 top-notchers in the top 10,” he said.
“The batch’s collective performance has been outstanding. We computed the batch passing rate and it’s 84%, way above the national passing rate,” he added.
Lastly, Dr. Aznar then shared his message to the batch of passers as they are now ready to face the challenges of their chosen career. “ I would like for you to practice gratitude. Please do not forget your alma mater. Always remember that your school will become a great school with your continued support,” he said.
The PRC said 800 out of 1,424 examinees passed this year’s Physician Licensure Examinations, which were conducted in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan De Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, and Zamboanga last March and September 2020.
Other than medicine, SWU PHINMA is also known for its other allied health programs like Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, Medical Technology, Optometry, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy. Its sister school PHINMA University in Dagupan City, Pangasinan is also a strong board performer in allied health programs producing several top-notchers in the Nursing Licensure Exams and also named as one of the Philippines’ top nursing schools.
For more information, please visit: https://www.phinma.edu.ph.
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