How a Top-grade Medical Technologist is Made: Straight from the Topnotcher

“Study/review your lessons by heart, understand them, don’t just memorize and entrust everything to God.”

Acing the board exam, just like in any other course, is utterly the beginning of a victorious career. It is a monumental juncture that every student aspires of crossing someday. And it seems like RTRMF College of Medical Technology has never drawn to a close as they produce another topnotcher succeeding last year’s Franz Lenard Barreto who ranked 6^th.

Edrian Medina Lucinario garnered a rating of 89.60 percent, enough for him to land as number six among 915 aspirants of the March 2013 Medical Technology Licensure Exam. He graduated as the Academic Excellence Awardee S.Y. 2010 – 2011.

But how is this awe-inspiring feat accomplished? Lucinario shares his experience on being a top-grade Medical Technologist in the making and finally emerging as one of the par excellence there is.

•       How did you prepare for the board exam?

“I did a lot of preparation for the March 2013 Medtech board exam. One of those was planning and organizing my schedule in the entire review process (I have given myself a year for the whole preparation). After that I stayed at home and self-reviewed for almost 8 months, reading all my books, notes and reviewers. Then at the end of each subject that I’ve finished I tried answering questionnaires to evaluate my progress. Lastly, I spent my last 3 months of preparation in the review center I enrolled in Manila (ACTS review center). There they taught me everything I need to know regarding the board exam like things or lessons that I didn’t learned during my self-review, tips and strategies in answering the exam etc.”

           

•       How did the RTRMF education help you become a board topnotcher?

“I am very thankful and grateful to RTRMF especially to my Professors/Class instructors for they did not only share their knowledge and expertise to their students but they also inspired us not only to pass and graduate but to have passion and dedication in our career. They also kept us motivated, and they taught us not to give up easily especially during hard times.”

•       How does it feel to be one of the top 10?

“Honestly until now I still can’t believe that I am one of the top 10 of March 2013 med tech board exam. Kaya nga pag tinatanong ako kung paano ko nagawa yun, sinasabi ko nalang na nakachamba lang ako. Nakakahiya kasi. Hehe but of course I feel so blessed and thankful to God that he has chosen and entrusted me the responsibilities of being a part of topnotcher.”

•       What kept you going during the entire preparation/studying process?

“My loved one‘s especially my family, classmates, colleagues, friends, and my girlfriend who’s very supportive. And also my strong will to help my family and at least to repay them for all their sacrifices and all the money they spent just to send me to college and to God whom I dedicate all my achievements  in life.”

•       What are your plans after passing the board exam?

“Pursue as a medical technologist in a laboratory.”

•       What is your advice to students who will take the Medical Technologist Licensure exam in the future?

“Study/review your lesson by heart, understand them don’t just memorize and entrust everything to God.”

            Truly, a topnotcher is neither built as an overnight success nor a few months of intensive review. The roadmap to becoming a true top-grade Medical Technologist starts with a commitment to excellence and with a relentless passion for high-yield and fun learning experiences early on in the school journey. Along with, paramount among others, is the incessant faith in God to make one’s dream a parchment of reality.

PHOTOWALK feat. Santo Niño Shrine

The Santo Niño Shrine is one of the 29 presidential rest houses that the late Pres. Ferdinand Marcos had built.*

Santo Niño, a representation of the infant Jesus Christ, is the patron saint of Leyte. It is located in Real Street, Tacloban City. Paintings of the 14 stations of the Cross done by Filipino artists, wooden bas-relief of the legend of the First Filipino man-woman (Si Malakas at si Maganda); tastefully decorated guestrooms of varied Filipino motifs; image of the Holy Child; a collection of original paintings by Fernando Amorsolo; spacious ballroom; and priceless collector's items are only some of what's inside.*

PORTRAITS AND ARTWORKS

ROOMS 

 HALLS AND ALIKE

IMELDA'S ROOM feat her restroom.

RANDOM FINDS

Handmade miniature.

Whose grades are these? 

Ancient banknotes.

Jade (ornament stone) carved into a sleeping infant.

*Source:http://www.tourisminthephilippines.com/city/Tacloban/Sto-Nino-Shrine-Museum/HTML/Tacloban-Sto-Nino-Shrine-Museum-Index.html

❝ 23 on the 23rd: 23 Things AboutMe ❞

Since I just turned twenty-three last 23rd of April 2013, let me go halves on with 23 random things about me that, more or less, few people know.

1. Me Time - I can go solo watching movies, devouring in restaurants and backpacking around. That feeling being unchaperoned just gives me the most tangible form of emancipation and independence. At the end of the day, I feel resuscitated and through this I'm able to see that there's more to life more than I could ever envisage.

2. Dad's Laddie - My father is my mother too...for 23 years. Yeah, he's that exceptional. We've been through the ebb and flow of life - just us struggling through the most grueling times and savoring the summit of prosperity. I've become competent enough in the real world through him. He is my living treasure and he is, to the largest extent, my inspiration to clinch my aspirations in life.

3. Med Detour - It's a big-ticket dream, so I've never really imagined my self embarking into such career. Well, not until few weeks before I enrolled in med school when my aunt convinced me to push through. Bigtime thanks to my aunt/s and grandmother for their support.

4. Nivea Consumer - LOL at this. I'm taking this in because I've noticed that my usage of Nivea products is mounting up. I use their lip balm, sun screen, deodorants, facial moisturizers and scrubs to name a few. And no, this is not a paid ad.

5. Wishful Thinker - If I'm not enrolled in Med school, I'd probably be taking up Culinary Arts, Photography classes, Multimedia Arts or Juris Doctor-slash-Bachelor of Laws and BMus in Singing. What's wrong with that? 

6. Pseudo-scribe - Writing is really not my cup of tea. It did not rivet me at any point not until my high school days. A few classmates and I gained a pass in the school paper but I contributed not a single article. It was the same year where I bagged second for an essay writing contest. Until then, I've been persuading my self that I should be writing more often. After all, It's a sweet escape.

7. Acrophobic - I have an extreme or irrational fear of heights. But I don't get unnerved riding a plane. Is that weird? Gah. You would not want to see me agitated, dripping with sweat and go paranoiac. I really am not sure, but do I need a virtual reality for treatment?

8. Hemi-loser - Because of number seven which poses a lot of inhibitions. I don't know how to swim (but yey, I learned how to float just few days ago). I have an ungovernable gargantuan appetite. I'am a self-diagnosed bipolar. I'm not earning at my age which others basically do. But am not complaining. Next please?

9. Music Man - No, am not equipped with any skills in playing any musical instrument except for flute which I learned way back sixth grade. Music is my alter-ego. It is my personal choice of medicament. I sing. I listen and I feel a cut above. It's my free ticket to Utopia.

10.  No-Crabs-Allowed - Food allergen. But I eat everything edible and tolerable. I'm not that kind who's picky when it comes to what's being served on the table. Read third sentence of number 8 - that explains why. 

11. Tickle Pink - The easiest way to spill a sweet-talk and flatter me is to tell straight that I'm chubby, plus-sized, roly-poly or whatever-it-is but assert that I still look good. No squabbles, okay? 

12. Thin-skinned - Don't take that literally. I'm that little fragile kid who's sensitive few and far between. I don't like being badmouthed and getting humiliated through any forms and ways of low-blows and cheap shots. 

13. Mole Mark - It's my built-in identification tag ( left cheek/zygomatic area). I guess people would not recognize me easily without it. I can be pleomorphic. No. I can't.

14. Quick Slumbook Profile - My nickname is "JR". I love blue, chocolates, pizza and pasta. A taurus, RN, 3rd year medical student and Cardio/Pulmo would-be. I watch A.I. & Grey's Anatomy. I prefer boxer shorts over brief/s, sunset over sunrise, lights off than on and you on top of  a cup of coffee or tea.

15. Doll Up - My ideal dress up would be a geek or nerd alike : braces, big glasses, plaid shirts or buttoned alike all the way up, pocket protecter with pen with shirt tucked into pants that are pulled up way too high. And for final touch, master the nerd grin. Did I miss something?

16. Inside My Bag - I habitually go out with my Northface backpack (which I've paid for six months via a friend). What's inside? blue folding umbrella, G-Tech 0.4 black and red pens, markers ( a lot of 'em), wallet with enough bills to survive a day, coins in separate pocket, blue-cased Mac Air and its glitching charger, blue Polo Sport scent, lip balm, planner or notebooks alike and a hanky. I told you, I love blue. 

17. Misunderstood - Surfaced by strength of character, a superficial facade unknown by the multitude. I'm delicate and a captive of my past. Bygone, at a young age, I was donned by the thought that life is an uphill. I'm on an interminable odyssey of searching ataraxia. And through time, a persona who doubts the principle of egalitarianism. What more?

18. Blackout - Way back Grade 4, I was one of the acolytes/sacristan. (I studied in a Catholic school). I could still vividly remember that day I swooned in front of a crowd while the priest was blessing the ashes. I was rushed to the clinic and I don't have any clue what happened. It's unforgettable.

19. Minor - Minor Issues - I hate (well, a lesser degree than that) minor subjects. Especially, at times, when they have a more protracted list of requirements to be done than those major ones. They're time-consuming for no real good reason. They're always my bottommost cut. Period.

20. Melodramatic Actor - But definitely not the operatic-slash-histrionic type. Just don't be surprised if you would see me with tears playing with the warmth of every emotion as if I was the lead filming for a melancholic music video. Otherworldly. That's me.

21. Cyclical Dream - This may be partially psychologically induced. Eerie. First, I've been dreaming of winning the lottery and living the most fancy-schmancy life. That's sweet. Second, I saw my self in front of lighthearted spectators with the spotlight aimed at me as I started to sing. Great. But, just what Nelly's song says - it was only just a dream.

22. Grown-Up - Need I say more? There's no other footpath but to be mature enough. Maturity? Big word.

23.  Exodus 3:14 - "I'am who I'am..." to sum a fraction of who i am, am dignified to say I've been molded by my yesteryears into who and what I'am today. Leo Estabillo Tiu Jr. is my name. I-shall-be that I-shall-be, my existence shall not be a fleeting memory.

Wandering Around with the MMC Guests

17th of April, 2013 We ushered our guests from Makati Medical Center (MMC) to a city tour. 

The Palo Metropolitan Cathedral was constructed on 1596 under the direction of the Jesuits who founded Palo and also used for some time as their residence. The Cathedral was also converted into an evacuation hospital by the American Liberation Forces and refuge of civilians during World War IIon October, 1944 to March, 1945. The gold plated altar is a sample of a modern gothic church architechture with the gold plated 17th century altar as the main attraction. The stations of the cross were then carved by local artists. Inside the patio of this church is an open esplande which used to be the people's who rendezvous when escaping from marauding moros centuries ago. In the aperture on the Spanish walls is an insignia of the Jesuit Order, indicating that the Cathedral and the walls were built by the Jesuits.

The Leyte Landing Memorial is a memorial to the landing of General Douglas MacArthur and his men at Red Beach. Also known as the MacArthur Landing Memorial Park, the memorial consists of larger-than-life bronze statues of the general with other men, including then Philippine president Sergio Osmena, Jr., standing in a manmade pool. The memorial was erected in tribute to MacArthur’s fulfillment of his promise to return to the Philippines after it was occupied by the Japanese during WWII in the Philippines. 

Pasqualino's Italian Restaurant. And yeah I could live here :D

The breathtaking view from Pasqualino's - San Juanico Bridge. It is the longest bridge in the Philippines, with a length of 2 km. It crosses the San Juanico Strait, bridging the islands of Samar and Leyte. It is also known as the Marcos Bridge, it is said to have been presented as a Gift and "Testimonial of Love" by the Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos to the first lady, Imelda, a native of Leyte.

[Credits : http://www.tourisminthephilippines.com/ for the bits of info]

American Idol Season12 : My Top Picks

The A.I. stage might have been dissimilar this season as Adriana Latonio, the last Fil-Am standing in the competition, failed to scrape through the final cut of this season's Top 10 after staging Destiny's Child Stand Up for Love which the judges thought was a wrong choice for her.  So there's no another Jessica Sanchez. Nonetheless, the show advances with the Cadillac of the best there is who will dominate the music industry anytime soon after they conquered the A.I. stage. 

Let me share my top picks in no particular order. ( with the videos I fantasize about and believe was their A+ performance yet )

 KREE HARRISON

She's definitely one of the best vocals there is with the country twang. 

Her stage presence is a bang-up even with no-frills. Consistent and divine.

I chose her performance of "Piece of My Heart" because regardless 

of the "pinch nerve", her top-drawer ability never wanes. This also showcased

how versatile she is as an artist. And yeah, she's really beautiful :)

AMBER HOLCOMB

Mariah tagged one of her stagings as "Tour de Force".

She's the little Whitney Houston of the season 

with that raw soulfulness and effortless belting. 

She makes headway every week actually.

I picked "I Believe in You and Me" because she just looked she's in it to win it.

More standing-Os for my girl :)

CANDICE GLOVER

This lady returned for a no middle-of-the-road dispatch after not getting through last season.

Her melismatic-alike vocal runs enthralls me every time. 

Strong vocal prowess and savoir faire.

Nothing beats her version of "I Who Have Nothing" 

and I guess you just have to see why I said so.

So there goes my top picks. Although, I know it has been quite a long niggling issue on the "white guy with guitar" or WGWG phenomenon wherein the last five AI champs - Cook, Allen, DwWyze, McCreery and Phillips- are all known for their six-string instrument, I guess it's apparent that there's definitely no way the "curse" is yet to triumph since Lazaro is the only guy standing and yeah he does not play the guitar. Yey. So who do you guys think will be the victor in this season's competition?

(Photo credits : FOX) (Photo Processing : geniuscribe.blogspot.com) (Videos : Youtube - americanidol)

New Phone Maybe?

After a self-imposed one week house arrest, Easter Sunday finally came along. *smiles from ear to ear* So, without being waffled, I took a chill pill unchaperoned - had a massage and a coffee treat. Indulging with a grande White Chocolate Mocha  and toothsome red velvet while riffling through the pages of the up-to-date mags is just so priceless - truly beyond the price; seeing that I'm not on a  routine medical date with my voluminous books. But I can't go wrong that this day felt a little bit odd compared to the antecedent stays in the same coffeeshop. Or maybe I just had nothing much to reckon that delusion has find its way to my thoughts.   Looking around, with all the iPhones and all sorts of touchscreen techno, I felt like I was unduly ancient.  (Ok, now that was a mild shot of self-humiliation. Smirks.) Hoping to find a relief, I sneaked a look at the 'barista'. (Silence) I never should've really gambled. Ah, you know what I saw. So I guess I remain to be one of the few who never glued his self with the contemporary bandwagon. Cheers to the not-so-sophisticated techno owners. (Hi-5) New phone maybe? Not so soon.

From a former-BBTorch-Now-A-Nokia101-User who honestly doesn't miss his phone and is currently content but even-tempered to wait for a new phone. HAHAHA :D

Of Becoming a Doctor : A Medical Student's Vista

Reviewing for Anatomy practicals with the cadavers.

Ever heard or in the know about of "with great POWER comes great responsibility"? This is actually a mantra that was passed down to Peter Parker from Uncle Ben during his teenage tribulations. It is nothing but an old chestnut until one really gets to fit a shoe in. Just like when you get a chance to taste the patchwork of life in Med school where it's more than a training ground before you are concurred with the power of saving the lives of multitude. I know I may sound flimsy, knowing am not even halfway through, but here's a roll on what I've learned yet for the past two years - as a medical student.

TIME 

It is basically essential, has always been and will always be. Everybody has to deal with it. Yet one of the most mainstream grievances one might probably be hearing is that there are loads to read with a little-bitty time. And it's no fictional when I say "reading with comprehension + memorization" to get through is gravely needed. I must plead guilty, I've never studied this much and have never felt that my time has been gobbled up considerably that I even barely noticed the time to the extent of getting disoriented. It just happens. It happened. This is basically the reason why "time management" is of repute and pivotal to me as much as it is to everybody else who wouldn't want to get screwed up. So how does one know which strategy to use? Self-assessment.  Because aside from the fact it is vital to one's identity, it is one of the motives that drive self-motivation and enhance the certainty of one's knowledge.

Eager to learn time management series? (Here's the link http://www.studygs.net/timman.htm) So I guess there's no way you'd compromise. Spare a little of your time for others - with your friends, family and significant ones; because they are equally important in your journey of becoming a doctor.

SUPPORT SYSTEM

Regard medlife as a human spaceflight where the life support system device is a desideratum. You need them! They may be a manifold of sizes and shapes - comrades, parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, in-laws, childhood friends, bosom buddy, associate, playfellow, long-time-no-see confidant or even your classmate who's one with your med trek. They'll prop you up and hearten you in your downfalls to sustain your sanity. And oh, forget competitions (not unless it's a healthy one with yourself); this is not an arena for an immature ones because, somewhere and sometime, somebody will always be better than anybody. You've got to unselfishly share to receive what's rightfully due to you. The main thing is to help each other when you stumble or tire, to weep and press on. After all, no man is definitely an island in your track of becoming a doctor.

FAITH

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe" - I'm always reminded by this quote of St. Augustine in my aspiration of becoming a doctor. Possibilities exist. But hey, this is nothing confined to any religious affiliation or what-not. I still give credence that we have one Creator. And oh, there would be times (a lot of 'em) that you'd feel like giving up amidst the inevitable series of fiasco in med school. We are not robots and this is no bizarre. You've got to blaze that faith with serene hope,within you and let it emanate to the people around you. Quitting is never an option once you've really decided you're in this game to win it. You really wanted to be a doctor, huh?! Fight!

(To be updated)

Medlife: Adieu Year Two

What a deliverance to sail through another year of almost-insomniac nights and countless hurdles with all the heaps of examination that have been deluged upon us. *deep sigh*

While an almost 2-month summer break may not be enough to make whoopee all around, here I'am again sparing my transitory time to fancy the ensuing school years to come. Would it be more baffling as anticipated or easier as some profess it to be? With the little clue, it's actually rip-roaring. But that's another whole year of medical trek again. Someone called me naive for this -  but hey! I'm looking forward to Level IV where I could get the chance to don my self the blue scrubs with the regal white coat, not just because I dare say I'd look pro and virtuoso wearing it but in view of the fact that it would serve as my mental note on how far off I've become and how I'm close at hand in turning a parchment of dream into reality; that there's more than to be at the helm. So there's no other path but progress forward and bid adieu to Level II. March on Mediko Peregrine 2015 for more years of "medworld-trotting".