By DANIEL P. TAPAOAN, JR.

The MMSU College of Medicine (COM) held its second commencement exercises via Zoom on Sunday (August 16) with 26 graduates who will face the sheer possibility of a very challenging world amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

The ceremonies were streamed live via the official Facebook page of the university (@MMSUofficial).

The 2020 class is called 'Natakneng,' an Ilocano term which means 'honorable'.

Breakdown of graduates

Of the 26 graduates, 17 and six are from the provinces of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, respectively, while one each from Benguet, and the cities of Baguio and Quezon.

Of the 17 graduates from Ilocos Norte, seven are natives of Laoag City, four from the City of Batac, and one each from San Nicolas, Paoay, Badoc, Vintar, Pinili, and Marcos. The six graduates from Ilocos Sur come from Vigan City and the towns of Magsingal, Sinait, San Juan, Santa Catalina, and Narvacan.

Prior to taking up Doctor of Medicine in MMSU, the graduates took BS Nursing (10), BS Biology (9), BS Pharmacy and BS Medical Technology (2 each), and BS Physical Therapy, BA Chemistry, and BS Materials Science and Engineering (1 each).

Thirteen graduates finished their pre-medical studies at MMSU, four from the University of the Philippines in Baguio City, two from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, and one each from the Northwestern University in Laoag City, Urdaneta City University in Pangasinan, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Far Eastern University in Manila, Ateneo De Manila University in Quezon City, UP Los Baños in Laguna, and California State University, Long Beach.

Academic awardees

The Class Natakneng of 2020 was led by Stephen Dann V. Del Rosario, a BSPT graduate of MMSU who also became the number three board top notcher in the August 2016 PT licensure examination. Aside from being the Class Valedictorian, Del Rosario was also cited as the first most outstanding clinical clerk and a recipient of the Meritus award.

Meanwhile, Stephanie T. Labasan, Marianne Angelina R. Lorenzo, Danah Mae R. Arzadon, and Charlene Marnica F. Roldan were recognized as the second, third, fourth, and fifth most outstanding clinical clerks, respectively. Other recipients of the Meritus award were Roldan, Yvonny D. Covadez, Ma. Lynuelle Faye P. Erojo, and Danielle B. Quigao. Jireh Virgilio T. Gascon II received the leadership award this year. 

The commencement speaker

Senator Imee R. Marcos, who currently heads the Senate committees on Cultural Communities, Economic Affairs, and Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, was the commencement speaker. 

A champion of education and healthcare, Sen. Marcos is one of the proponents of the Malasakit Center Act. She has also filed a number of bills, including the Healthcare Manufacturing and Pandemic Protection Act, Healthcare Frontline Workers Welfare Act, New Normal Act of 2020, Comprehensive Dialysis and Renal Replacement Therapy Act, and the Upgrading of Hospitals and Establishment of Schools Act, among others.

Noteworthy during her term as provincial governor and representative of the second district of Ilocos Norte, her innovative leadership made Ilocos Norte a sustainable, livable, and resilient province. Her youth empowerment and scholarship programs enabled young Ilocanos to pursue education and realize their potentials.

Her political experience in local government and law-making, as former governor and congresswoman of Ilocos Norte, is complemented by her artistic experience in film production as the former director general of the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines.

Addressing the medical graduates in the New Normal, she wished them “to find your soul and passion in the practice of medicine.” She also urged them to “never waste a good opportunity in every crisis” since doctors are really needed nowadays to combat the dreadful pandemic. 

“Medical school is only for the brave”

For her part, MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis congratulated the COM’s Natakneng Class of 2020, saying that the medical school is only for the brave who can confront a myriad of challenges – from emerging infectious diseases to low investment in health care and discrimination against health professionals.

Despite these dilemmas, the university president still believes that “it may be a good time to start a medical career, since the region is in dire need of a new generation of doctors with competence and courage, especially in this time of pandemic.” 

According to her, the province of Ilocos Norte, where most of the new graduates are from, faces a dearth of doctors in public health practice, especially in remote communities. 

“It is for this reason, my dear graduates, that your curriculum is aligned with community medicine,” she explained, emphasizing that while the COM graduates were trained to become ‘doctors of global caliber,’ they were also imbibed with the MMSU’s spirit of service and social responsibility in order to serve the people in the grassroots. (StratCom)