Story behind the Top passer of Physician Licensure exam

Passing a licensure exam in the Philippines always make people feel that they are on top of the world. But how does it feel to be the top passer of a licensure exam?

Meet Blake Warren Coloma Ang, the 25-year-old cum laude graduate from Cebu Institute of Medicine (CIM) in April 2012. Blake Coloma Ang topped the latest Physician Licensure examination with a grade of 89.42%, breaking his own record of being in the ninth place in the board examination for nursing in 2008.

The story behind the successful Physician Licensure passer isn't "fancy" and Warren himself admitted that he played computer games like Dota 2 and Starcraft while he was taking the three-month review classes in Manila. But Ang felt "pressure to perform well" in the licensure examination because he graduated at the top of his class in CIM.

“During our review, I played computer games because the three-month review was too tiring. I was not feeling nervous even if the board examinations was approaching."

Blake Warren Coloma Ang said that he didn't force himself to study everythingwhich is also the same principle I used when I was in college. You can't learn everything because our memory also has its own limitations.

“For me, I will not force myself to study everything, just what I can deal with. I did not like to force myself because it will tire me,” Ang said during the phone interview of PDI news.

The religious young doctor said "he prayed at night but asked the Lord that he could accept whatever the results of the Physician Licensure Examinations are, even if he would fail. "

The feeling of being the top passer

In a separate interview, Ang was in disbelief that he is the top passer. However, after he checked the results online, Blake Warren "cried out of joy, believing that his fate was a gift from God."

Serving the Philippines

Ang clarified that he would not go abroad, a practice in the country which left the Philippines with inadequate numbers of licensed doctors. He firmly stated that he wants to create his life story in the land where he learned to love and to serve our fellowmen. Ang also stressed that he finds fulfillment in helping poor patients, especially children. Blake Ang plans to specialize in pediatric surgery because he loves children and he want also to practice surgery.

“I will stay in the Philippines because I would like to serve Filipinos. I am a Christian. I learned in my religion to love our country and to serve our fellowmen. There are many who are needy so I’m going to forego the monetary side,” Ang said.

When he remembered how he loved to take care of the patients as a nursing student, he decided to take medicine at the CIM. He had his internship at Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila from 2012 to April 2013. Ang said being a doctor was not easy especially because PGH was a very busy hospital. But he found satisfaction when he helped the patients. He said he felt fulfilled when he got home.

“It was busy at the PGH. It was so tiring but when I get home, I tell myself that I helped patients that day even if I was tired,” he told the Inquirer.

When he was in high school, Ang wanted to be an accountant but he realized that the course did not fit him so he took up nursing at Cebu Doctors University. Ang has been living in Cebu City for nine years but he hails from Surigao City where his family is living. His father, Benito Ang is pure Chinese and his mother Lucy is half-Filipino and half-Chinese. Their family runs an electronic business and bakery in Surigao City and Butuan City. Ang is the third of five siblings and is the first doctor in the family.-Source: PDI news