MANILA, Philippines  – Out of the 4,092 examinees in the March 2019 Medical Technologist Board Examination, two aspiring healthcare practitioners topped the exams with a board rating of 91.10%. 

They are John Steward Buenavista Alberto of Cagayan State University Andrews Campus and Zairah de Leon Monjardin of Far Eastern University-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation.

While both of them got similar scores, their stories prove that there is no template to acing the board exam. 

Alberto said that he’s a happy-go-lucky student who loves to play online games. He admitted that he wasn’t an achiever during his elementary and secondary years. (READ: Medtech board exam topnotcher a ‘happy-go-lucky’ online gamer) 

He didn’t care much about his rank in class during his first two years in college and started to become a consistent dean’s lister only on his 3rd year. During his review for the board exams, Alberto turned to mobile games to help him cope with stress and pressure, as well as to relax when he could no longer absorb new information.

The case is different with 22-year-old Monjardin. 

Monjardin graduated summa cum laude at the FEU-NRMF and was class valedictorian of Fiore Del Carmelo School in Quezon City in her high school. Unlike Alberto, Monjardin took her board exams review seriously. 

Monjardin shared a tip that helped her study more effectively.

“Make sure na hindi ka puyat ‘pag nag-aaral kasi mas effective ‘yung nag-aaral na nakatulog ka. Nakakaguilty nga na parang naiisip mo na ang haba ng tulog mo tapos dapat inaral mo na lang pero minsan no regrets. ‘Yun naman po yung tamang tulog lang, hindi ‘yung sobrang haba o sobrang ikli kasi po mas na-absorb po ‘yung information ‘pag well-rested ang brain.” 

(Make sure that you’re not sleepless when studying because getting enough sleep makes studying more effective. You sometimes feel guilty thinking how long you’ve slept and that you should have spent it studying but sometimes, there are no regrets. Consider getting the right amount of sleep – not too long nor too short, because the brain can absorb more information if it is well-rested.)

 She said that when she found out she had topped the board exam, she was in utter disbelief. 

“Parang totoo ba ‘to na binigay sa akin ‘to? Kasi I believe na there’s always someone na more hardworking, more deserving, tapos binigay sa akin so ayun, parang sobrang thankful ko na out of thousands yan…na naachieve ko ‘yun.”

(Is it really true that this was given to me? Because I believe that there’s always someone who’s more hardworking, more deserving, and then this was given to me so I am very much thankful that out of the thousands [of board exam takers]… I was able to achieve this.)

Common ground

But despite the contrast in the two, both topnotchers showed discipline and determination to achieve success. When Alberto’s professors started to notice his potential in class, he said he strove hard for the board exam. 

The same is true with Monjardin, who believes that hardwork is also the key. 

“Pag nag-work hard ka, ‘pag pinilit mo talaga ang sarili mo na gusto mong ma-achieve ang something, parang binibigay talaga. (If you work hard, if you force yourself to achieve something you want, it will be given to you),” Monjardin said. 

Monjardin, also an academic scholar, said that she had also faced hardships while studying.

“Part talaga ng pag-aaral yung hardships, hindi mo matatanggal ‘yun or maiiwasan sa student life. Ang importante when you’re faced with hardships, hindi ka maggi-give up kaya you do your best.”

(Hardships are part of studying, you can’t remove or avoid them in student life. What’s important is that when you’re faced with hardships, you don’t give up so you do your best.)

Monjardin, who is a resident of Bulacan, said that commuting to Manila every day during her review has become a struggle for her.

“Commuting…every day is physically exhausting…[because of] long distance and traffic.” she said. (READ: Dear politicians, we’ve documented our commute so you don’t have to)

Another struggle is practicing self-control.

“I think my greatest struggle is self control. During the review I took short breaks in between studying if I feel that I’m not doing good anymore….It would  be so much easier to put down what you are studying and just let yourself be carried away, to just let yourself go.”

But she said that she didn’t let it discourage her. 

“What’s important is to pick yourself up and do better next time,” she added.

‘Make your own future’

For her, learning doesn’t end after graduation and after taking the licensure exam. She believes that it’s a lifelong process. Taking the board exam, for example, is just one phase of life. 

“You make your own future. Hindi po ‘yun ibibigay sa ‘yo. Hindi po ‘yan nakukuha nang basta-basta, na isu-spoonfeed lang sa ‘yo, like kung gusto mong makuha ‘yung gusto mo, you have to work for it.”  

(You make your own future. It’s not something that’s given to you. You don’t get it just like that, that it’s just spoonfed. If you really want to achieve what you want, you have to work for it.)  

Meanwhile, Monjardin draws inspiration from her family, saying that her success is made possible by them. 

“I was not alone in this journey. My family was with me every step of the way. I met a lot of people and became dear friends with them and greatly appreciate and am thankful to my professors who taught me well.” – Rappler.com