UP Manila graduate tops November 2020 Physician Licensure Exam

REUTERS file photo

MANILA, Philippines — A University of the Philippines (UP) Manila graduate emerged as the topnotcher of the November 2020 physician licensure examination, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced on Thursday. 

Jomel Garcia Lapides topped the latest medical board exam with a rating of 88.67 percent.

This is not the first time, however, that Lapides topped a board exam. In 2011, he topped the PRC Nursing Licensure Examination with a rating of 88.4 percent.

Patrick Joseph Mabugat from the University of Saint La Salle and Adrian Emmanuel Teves from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) ranked second in the medical board exam with identical ratings of 88.58 percent.

Facade of the UP – Philippine General Hospital. Image from the PGH website

Henrick Ryan Fong from UST and Raphael Cecilio Rodolfo from UP-Manila ranked third with a rating of  88.33 percent, followed by Rafael Emmanuel Mendoza from the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (88.17 percent) and Chino Paolo Samson from Lyceum Northwestern University-Dagupan City, and UP Manila graduates Hannah Chito and Tiffany Grace Uy (88.08 percent). 

The University of Santo Tomas campus in the city of Manila (INQUIRER.net file photo)

Uy in 2015 earned her B.S. Biology degree and graduated from UP Diliman with the highest ever general weighted average in the history of the university since World War II. 

Vice President Leni Robredo’s daughter Tricia, and former special adviser to the National Task Force Against COVID-19 Dr. Tony Leachon’s son Jolo likewise hurdled the licensure examination.

The Vice President, in a Facebook post, proudly announced her daughter’s achievement, saying: “Doctor na si Tricia (Tricia is now a doctor).”

https://www.facebook.com/leni.robredo/posts/10220835525210270

The PRC said that a total of 3,538 out of 4,704 passed the physical licensure exams given by the Board of Medicine. 

The full list of passers may be viewed here.

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