Doctor Who Almost Failed Admissions Test Tops Medical Exams, Shows That Grit Takes You Places

Jeremiah Dimapeles Lim tops March 2021 Physician Licensure Exam

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There are times when we’ve considered giving up on our dreams in the face of failure, but this is not the case for Jeremiah Dimapeles Lim, who emerged as the top-notcher of the March 2021 Physician Licensure Exam. The exam, which is the test for aspiring doctors in the Philippines, is conducted for 4 days in several cities and provinces in the Philippines.

Earning a rating of 89.67%, top-notcher Lim, who also graduated cum laude from the Far Eastern University – Dr. Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation (FEU-NRMF), did not get to where he is right now without his share of challenges along the way. 

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He almost did not get into med school

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Image credit: Peewee C. Bacuño, PTV

For instance, in an interview with PTV, Lim shared that he nearly had not gotten into a medical school because of his low National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) score. 

With his 55 percentile rank score, he had a hard time enrolling into most medical schools because of their higher requirement of at least a 75 percentile rank score. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED)‘s required minimum score is 40, for reference.

Image credit: PTV

“Noong nag NMAT ako sobrang baba ng score ko 55 lang, ayaw akong tanggapin ng mga med school[s] kasi ‘di abot sa cutoff ng med school[s].” 

Lim shared in the same interview that “when I took the NMAT, my score was so low. [I only got] 55, [that’s why] med schools didn’t accept me – because my score did not reach their cutoffs.”

Fortunately, FEU-NRMF took a chance on Lim. He was also fortunate to have been able to study at the university through a scholarship, given that his family could not afford to send him to a medical school during his application process.

Image credit: PTV

His family in the province of Pagbilao, Quezon was only relying on their small bakery as their source of income when he was studying to become a doctor, so he persevered through the hurdles in studying medicine as a scholar.

“’Simula sa pagiging normal na estudyante pinilit ko mag-aral nang mag-aral hanggang makatapos ng med school bilang scholar.” 

Lim said, “From being a normal student, I forced myself to study and study until I finished med school as a scholar.”

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He plans to apply for a residency at the Philippine General Hospital

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After his training at the Philippine General Hospital, Lim is now looking forward to applying for a residency at the state-owned hospital as well, to do his part in improving the healthcare system of the country. 

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Medical board exam top-notcher

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There will always be a point in our lives where we start to doubt ourselves. But as Doctor Lim’s inspiring story suggests, with enough resolve, we can indeed rise from our failures and achieve what we set out to do. 

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Cover image adapted from: Peewee C. Bacuño, PTV