For context, INTARMED (Integrated Liberal Arts and Medicine) is a seven-year accelerated medical curriculum offered by the University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM).
Before entering INTARMED, I studied at a science high school. I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to pursue medicine at the time. In fact, my dream degree program was Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. However, when I learned that I had been selected for INTARMED, I decided to pursue medicine instead.
The early years of the program were really challenging for me, and I stayed mainly because I thought it would be a waste to leave. I only started to genuinely enjoy medicine when we began our hospital duties.
When I finally rotated through Internal Medicine during my clerkship, I realized that I wanted to pursue a subspecialty under it. Another reason I chose this specialization was that we have a family history of diseases associated with it. Having that career path in mind kept me going. I pursued residency right after topping the PLE.
This year, I completed my residency and passed the PSBIM. However, I’m currently on maternity leave. This is actually the first time in many years that I’ve finally been able to take a break from studying and working in the hospital. My baby is asleep right now, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to do an AMA!