After taking the top spot in the dentist licensure examinations, Rosette Gaditano Pagpaguitan will visit Cebu tomorrow for the Feast of the Sto. Niño and thank the Holy Child for her achievement.
Pagpaguitan, 24, a resident of Bontoc, Southern Leyte, bested 446 other passers of the dentistry board examination. She placed first with a score of 84.40 percent.
She graduated a cum laude last March 2015 from the Southwestern University (SWU).
LIZA
Another SWU graduate, Lloyd Sumampong Nacua, landed in second place in the board exam with a score of 83.23 percent.
Another Cebuano who made it to the top 10 is Rogin Sidayon Liza, who ranked seventh with a score of 82.90 percent. Liza graduated from Cebu Doctors’ University (CDU).
In an interview, Pagpaguitan said she is a devotee of the Señor Santo Niño. When she was still in college, she made it a point to attend the nine-day novena Masses at the Basilica del Santo Niño and join the solemn religious procession every year.
This year, Pagpaguitan said she has not been able to attend the ongoing nine-day novena Masses because she went to Bontoc last Sunday.
She stayed in Manila for months for her review classes and for the examinations given last week.
But she said she attended the weekly novena for nine Thursdays at the National Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus in Manila. She also attended Masses in the Quiapo Church.
Pagpaguitan said she just prayed to pass the exam, but the Lord gave her more blessings being the top placer.
Bontoc town will also celebrate the feast of the Señor Santo Niño on Friday.
Pagpaguitan said she will attend the Mass in the morning and ride a boat for Cebu in the afternoon.
“Moanha gyod ko sa Cebu karong Friday kay magpasalamat ko ni Señor Santo Niño. Mokuyog ko sa solemn procession inig Sabado (I will be in Cebu on Friday to thank the Sto. Niño. I will join the solemn procession on Saturday),” she said.
Pagpaguitan was also asked by the dean of dentistry of SWU to visit the school.
Pagpaguitan graduated a valedictorian in elementary and a salutatorian in high school.
She is the youngest of six siblings. Her two elder sisters are both doctors and her three brothers are a nurse, a medical technologist and a physical therapist.
Their parents, Rogelio and Alginia, are both retired teachers of a state university in Bontoc.
Pagpaguitan said she was encouraged to take up dentistry course to overcome her trauma because when she was a child, she was afraid to have her tooth extracted.
Pagpaguitan said she plans to apply as a dental associate in a dental clinic to enhance her experience.
“Mahadlok pa ko nga magtukod og kaugalingong clinic (I still have reservations in putting up my own clinic),” she said.
Asked if she would serve her relatives and friends for free, she laughed and said, “depende sa sabot” (It depends).
Meanwhile, 7th placer Liza, 22, is the son of a ship captain from Bacolod City.
Liza said he did not expect to be in the topnotchers’ list because of the problems he encountered in the practical phase of the exams.
“We were at the department store searching for a gift for an event that I’m attending. Then I received a text message from our previous topnotcher congratulating me in advance. I got chills upon seeing my name on the list. After that we visited the church to offer my gratitude”, Liza said in an online interview.
Liza, the middle of three brothers, is the first dentist in the family. His father Ronnie worked as a ship captain. His mother is Ginaville.
He graduated last April 2015 with a silver medal. He was also CDU’s Mr. Dentistry in 2014.
He said it was his parents who encouraged him to take the course.
“My parents suggested that I should take up dentistry and so I did as long as it has to be medical science. As of now, I’m planning to take a short vacation before I start to work. I’m also planning to do further trainings and continuing studies,” he added.
Like Pagpaguitan, Liza is not planning to put up his own clinic yet. He said he wants to gain wider experience in the field first.
“I’m planning to be a dental associate first and soon develop my own clinic after some further trainings and specializations,” he said.