MANILA, Philippines 鈥� University of the Philippines (UP) Manila鈥檚 Justin Adriel Zent Gautier Togonon nailed the top spot of the 2022 Physician Licensure Examination (PLE) with the help of 鈥渃heating鈥� 鈥� that is binge-watching on his favorite shows, eating, spending time with family and friends.
Through these so-called cheat days, he said, he was able to relax and recharge and survive the hectic internship schedules and fierce test reviews.
Togonon admitted to squeezing in one to two hours of studying to prepare for the PLE while reporting for duty as an intern at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
鈥淪o that鈥檚 what we did during internship, and then I鈥檝e had like a four or five-month period of really studying intently, during that period. And then, nearing the board exams na, so parang I tried to calm myself down because once you鈥檝e already tried to store all the information in your head, it鈥檚 more of trying to actively recall and extract those information,鈥� he said in an interview with 黑料社鈥檚 video team on Thursday
鈥淚n the middle of (studying), take rest din and have few cheat days na watching Netflix, spending time with your family, and then going out then with your friends also,鈥� he added.
Photo courtesy of Justin Togonon
As to what his mindset was coming into the examinations, Togonon recalled what his seniors told him about the four-day PLE 鈥� that it cannot be considered a sprint or a marathon, but a triathlon鈥� four triathlons. And so he set his mind to compartmentalize the four-part tests and move on after each.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a four-day exam, as what our upperclassmen told us, you鈥檙e not doing a 100-meter sprint, don鈥檛 think that you鈥檙e Usain Bolt, think that you鈥檙e doing four triathlons,鈥� he explained.
鈥淪o parang gano鈥檔 鈥榶ong mindset mo dapat, so take it one exam at a time, and then after that event, wala na, leave it behind na, and focus your attention on the remaining exam na,鈥� he added.
(So your mindset should be like that, take it one exam at a time, and then after that event, leave it behind and just focus your attention on the remaining exams.)
Togonon scored the highest among the 3,826 examinees who passed the PLE this year with 89%. Behind him was another UP Manila graduate, Francesca Marie Aby Lagrosa, who scored 88.75%.
READ: UP Manila graduate tops October 2022 Physician Licensure Examination
Togonon said he did not expect to dominate the 2022 PLE. He said he and his peers were just wishing to pass the test.
鈥淎fter day one, I was really down, my mom really tried to cheer me up, even my classmates know, we were all cheering each other up. At the end of the four days, parang all of us agreed na sige kung ano na lang 鈥榶ong nand鈥檡an (we鈥檒l accept whatever the result is), what鈥檚 important naman is that we pass,鈥� he said.
鈥淚f we just passed super happy na talaga kami (we鈥檇 be super happy already), it鈥檚 an achievement already for us,鈥� he added.
According to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), a total of 5,958 took the PLE held in various locations in Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Koronadal, Legazpi, Lucena, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga last October.
The Board of Medicine, consisting of its Chairman Godofreda Dalmacion, and members Eleanor Almoro, Zenaida Antonio, Martha Nucum, Efren Laxamana and Joanna Remo, administered the examiantions.
Passing examinees are instructed by the PRC to register for their Professional Identification Card and Certificate of Registration online from December 22 to 23, December 26 to 29, and January 2 to 5.
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