AIM HIGH, ASTERION!
Batch Asterion did not fail to make us proud during the September 2017 Physician Licensure Examinations, as they followed long-held CIM traditions of excellence: garnering a 100% passing rate among its takers and securing a spot among the Top 10 board examinees. Indeed, faithful to their mantra, they aimed high—and soared—all 122 of them, once again upholding the status as one of the best medical schools in the Philippines.
Truly a source of pride and inspiration. So what is the secret to their success in the PLE, in medical school, and beyond? Dr. Mark Andrian Yano, our Top 7 board passer from Dipolog City, Zamboanga Del Norte grants us some insight to his success in this exclusive interview.
Dr. Yano began reviewing for the PLE as early as January 2017, during his offs from postgraduate internship. Following his duties, he followed a regimen of 10-14 hours of study daily for 2 months, with extra focus on these basic subjects: Biochemistry, Anatomy, and Pathology. This of course paid off, as the results showed: it garnered him high scores in these aspects, enabling him to place in the Top 10.
However, Dr. Yano’s discipline and tenacity did not come naturally overnight—he said it was formed by his experiences in med school. He says that CIM’s unique PBL teaching style encourages students to master all the textbooks, and to understand and interpret the information provided in a highly analytical manner. Therefore, the topics in the PLE are those covered extensively in medical school and the review period is based merely on previously acquired knowledge, and this gives us an edge and basis for excellence. Dr Yano recalls: “I usually studied almost every night. I made sure that I understood the topic, and not just to blindly memorize it for the sake of exams.”
On the other hand, leisure and rest is also important! Dr Yano discloses that he plays DOTA 3-4 times a week, and goes out for drinks once a week.
Lastly, he gives us these priceless nuggets of wisdom:
- Trust the process.
- Always do your best, for what you plant now, you will harvest later.
- Medicine is not a race or a competition of who is the smartest in the class. It is a test of grit, patience and dedication.
- Becoming a physician with a heart means becoming a doctor who will treat the person as a whole, and not just the disease.
- No task is impossible if you put your heart into it with the help of God.
Dr. Yano is currently doing his Internal Medicine residency training in Chong Hua Hospital. He hopes to sub-specialize in infectious diseases and return to his hometown to practice.
Congratulations, Dr. Mark Yano and Batch Asterion!
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