I believe that my nine years of extensive general medical practice in the Philippines makes me an ideal candidate for a residency training post in family medicine. I aim to contribute my medical knowledge, experience and passion for health care at the University of British Columbia, one of Canada’s leading health care providers.
I was born and raised in a remote rural town in the Philippines where access to specialist doctors is limited. At age six, I was diagnosed with asthma and my mother would take me to our family doctor who always made me feel better when I left his clinic. I decided early on that someday I will also be a doctor and treat patients in the same way our family doctor had looked after me.
In medical school, I embarked on a rigorous four years of study and when I was rotating through different specialties during clinical clerkship, my childhood dream of becoming a doctor in family medicine had been strengthened. I found satisfaction in being able to be the first line of care doctor to diagnose and treat patients. One of my proudest moments in medical school was when I successfully diagnosed a patient with Kawasaki disease and I was complimented by my senior residents as the only medical clerk from my group who got the correct diagnosis.
Outside of medical school, I was elected and served as a youth leader for the Philippines’ National Youth Federation. Some of my initiatives as a youth leader in my community were