Bucking fears and constraints of taking review classes and the licensure examination during the COVID-19 pandemic, five graduates of UP Manila topped the November 2021 pharmacy licensure exams.
Nicola Christine Aquino Rivera bagged the Top 1 spot with a grade of 93.90, followed closely by Kristine See Ang who placed 2nd with 93.10. Both are magna cum laude graduates and class valedictorians in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Three more UPM graduates grabbed Top 10 places with Patricia Manalese Reyes, 5th, 91.95; Francis Anthony Mino Homillano, 7th, 91.25; and Timothy Jay Simuangco Antonio, 9th, 91.15.
UP Manila emerged as the top performing school with a 98.18 % passing rating!
Rivera recalled being prepared to take the exam in November 2020 but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To maintain her momentum and while waiting for the exam resumption, she worked as an Instructor at UP Manila and later with a private firm.
Balancing review and work, she took a leave weeks prior to the boards to focus on the preparation, studied 10-12 hours everyday and slept enough. With limited time, she focused on the basics and trusted the stock knowledge from 2019 boards review and teachings from undergraduate.
Acknowledging that taking the exam during the pandemic entailed additional fear and anxiety, she proved that a healthy mindset was a great advantage. “Because your opponent in the board exam is mostly fear and anxiety, that’s why you are afraid to take it because it is scary to fail,” Rivera said.
For Ang, her preparation included spending the next few months going through the lectures and trying to build a solid foundation of stock knowledge. The drills and other mock exams from the review center served as good practice for the actual boards.
“Maintaining that level of focus throughout the review period was definitely tough. There were days where I felt like I did not make any progress at all,” she recounted. Study sessions with friends helped her a lot, including comparing notes and discussing answers to certain questions.
Current work
Ang is now working with a pharmaceutical company. “Since my student days, I have been interested in working in the manufacturing industry. It has only been a short time since I started at Abbott Laboratories and I still have a lot to learn, but I have been enjoying myself so far. It is possible that I might find something else I want to do in the future, but for now, I want to take my time and gain experience first.”
For Rivera who first eyed an engineering career before being convinced by family to pursue a career in the medical field, being a pharmacist is a very diverse and versatile career. She is currently a Clinical Research Associate, helping manage and supervise the conduct of several clinical trials, including COVID-19 treatments.
“I plan to stick here in the next coming years as I’ve seen the importance of drug discovery and development, especially during the pandemic. Given the versatility of the pharmacy profession, I am not closing my doors to other fields and new opportunities.”
Cynthia M. Villamor
