ALFARETTA LUISA TAN-REYES MD FPSECP
2019 Commencement Speaker, Dr Jose P Rizal School of Medicine
Professor Emeritus and Former Dean, UERMMMCI College of Medicine
Chairperson, Technical Committee for Medical Education
CHED Chairperson, National Internship Program Committee
33rd Commencement Exercises
Dr Jose P Rizal School of Medicine
University Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan
14 June 2019
Thank you, Dean Beltran, for the kind and generous introduction.
University president Fr Roberto C Yap, VP for higher education Dr Juliet Dalagan, School of Medicine dean Dr Ruth Semilla-Beltran, university registrar Verna Lago, master of ceremonies Dr Jovy Bacot, university chaplain Fr Manases Amanence SJ, other academic officers, the faculty members of the Dr Jose P Rizal School of Medicine, the Graduating Class of 2019, their families and loved ones, honored guests, the Ateneo de Cagayan community, ladies and gentlemen, maayong buntag kaninyong tanan!
First of all let me thank XU-ADC administration, Dean Beltran and the School of Medicine faculty for the distinct honor and privilege of inviting me to deliver an inspirational message to the Graduating Class of 2019.
I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all members of the Graduating Batch of Medicine Class 2019! Your paramount goal of becoming professionals through years of assiduous schooling has been carried out into fruition through blood, sweat, and tears.
I am honored to be here with you today to share in your joy and triumph and to witness the celebration of a new dawn in your life. This event is one of your significant milestones in your professional and personal life.
You, my dear graduates and I, are on the same mission. We have selected a service – oriented profession – to deliver service to humanity. It takes more than mental aptitude and erudition to become a doctor. It demands certain personal qualities, character, and values to truly belong to the medical field. Whatever career path you will go into whether as a clinician, academician, researcher, leader-manager, or health advocate or even in a non-health related career do it with passion and excellence. Put your heart into it. Do not settle for mediocrity.
There is no absolute certainty of one’s destination as you go through life’s journey. You may not achieve what you aspire to be. Do not let dejection, rejection, and frustration bring you down; for every dark cloud, there is a silver lining. The best-laid plans do not always come into fruition. Just like the proverbial seeds, you are not planted where you want to be, but where you need to be in order for you to optimize and reach your full potential to be of service to mankind.
I honestly did not dream of becoming a dean. I passed the ECFMG. I was accepted into a pediatric residency program. One could not apply for a teaching position until you get invited by our seasoned faculty. I accepted their invitation for a faculty position thinking that 2-3 years would suffice as payback time for my student scholarship as a benefit from my father who was among the pioneer faculty and department chair of our institution. This never materialized as many graduates were leaving for US training, no additional faculty could be recruited. Through the years, I was swamped with tasks as a member and subsequently chair of almost all the standing committees, including directorship of the research office to the point I was called the “superwoman.” I was diligently nurtured and mentored by then Dean Fernando Sanchez and the other experienced faculty. These prepared me for something else, I never dreamed of becoming.
I rose from the ranks from assistant instructor to professor emeritus; from department chairperson to college secretary to being the dean after the position was offered twice. For my love for and loyalty to my alma mater my goal was to bring it to greater heights. Uncle Ben Parker (from Spiderman) said: “With great power comes great responsibility.” My school is now PAASCU-accredited and identified by CHED as a Center of Excellence.
As your life’s journey as a doctor continues, let not your personal motivation of financial wealth be your primary goal but service to your fellow men. Bear in mind that it was through your patients that you first learned your initial clinical skills. Treat them holistically with dignity, respect, compassion, and genuine care and not just another case number or bed number. Let us also be reminded of what Dr William Osler, the father of modern medicine said, “The good physician treats the disease, the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.”
As you continue to practice your profession, uphold the principles and highest standards of professionalism and ethics, foremost of which is your commitment to excellence, honesty, integrity, social justice, and equitable service. Serve with humility and compassion. Espouse the values of competence, social responsiveness, commitment, and moral uprightness in accordance with the Jesuit philosophy. Be respectful, sensitive to culture and gender, as well as to the world of the patients.
Whatever career paths you take, give honor to the good values ingrained by your families. These include values of love of God, of country, and of families that have strengthened us Filipinos. As what Fr Gabriel Gonzalez mentioned in his homily, “The Lord is with you. He gives comfort and strength as you go through life’s journey.”
Continue to excel in your chosen field. Excellence is about dedicating yourself to a life of never-ending learning experiences through Continuing Professional Development. Recognize that there is still something new to learn. Continue your passion for learning and you will never cease to grow. Keep abreast with current research evidenced-based knowledge and skills, and state of the act technologies and modalities of patient management. These will ensure your competence in improving the quality of health services and promoting the safety of our patients and society. You owe it to them to give your best.
You will be working with people from various health disciplines. They too have equally enriched themselves with knowledge in their respective fields of discipline. Work with them with an open-mind. Collaborate and be a good team player. All of you have the end goal of improving the quality of life of your patients.
Be mindful of your health. One of the big challenges that physicians, residents, and medical students face today is burnout. As Dr Stephen Ray Mitchell, dean of Medical Education of Georgetown University School of Medicine said: “The name on your coat is not for your patients. It is to remind you who you are. Periodically, you need to give to yourself, and take care of yourself.”
Your alma mater has provided you with quality education upon which you can build your notable career. It looks forward to your active participation as alumni in achieving its vision, mission, and objectives. Love and loyalty to the institution is a testament to your shared philosophy and values as you acquired your degree in medical education.
Last but certainly not the least, your aspirations and dreams of becoming doctors wouldn’t be achieved if not through other people’s great sacrifice, efforts, support, encouragement and unconditional love as they traveled with you in your journey.
My esteemed salutations to the proud parents and the families who always had the best intentions for their children. You have been not just a source of financial support but have served as their inspiration and moral compass that guided them in their lowest and hardest times.
I congratulate the faculty and mentors for a job well done. They taught and guided you well, and may have stressed you out, but they had the best intentions for you. To the faculty, continue your passion for excellence and be not just good or superior or excellent but be great teachers who can inspire and transform your students as well as nurture, mentor, and prepare them to become successful professionals molded through the Jesuit education.
Your truest friends and classmates also became your source of strength and comfort. You all knew what all of you were going through.
May I request the graduating class to please rise, turn around and face your parents and loved ones. Give them warm applause and say “Daghang salamat kaninyong tanan.” Now turn and face your faculty, mentors, and administrators, too. Thank them and give them warm applause. To your batchmates, hug them if you can and say thank you for the good times through thick and thin.
Let me end by quoting the resonating inspirational message of the legendary educator from ADMU, Dr Onofre R Pagsanghan with his engaging question that you, as well as the rest of us, can ask ourselves: “Why have I chosen to be in this profession? The answer to this question will decide that kind of professional you will be. It is what will give meaning to your life. It will be your song of joy.”
I am now entering my 47th year in the medical academe. I have no regrets. I still take time to continue mentoring the medical students, the young faculty and prospective leaders, and current medical deans in the hope of bringing out the best in them. I still continue to serve our country having been appointed by CHED as the chair of the Technical Committee for Medical Education, and appointed by APMC as chair for the National Internship Program Committee. Bear in mind that what determines your excellence and success is how you touch people’s lives and how much difference you make in contributing to the betterment of humanity as a whole. And in doing so will you find your own fulfillment. “The power is in your hands.”
To the graduates of Medicine 2019, my best felicitations for a job well done! My warmest wishes for your success as you continue your life’s journey and embark on new challenges in your chosen careers. Dare to dream. Take actions in your dreams with vision. Go and spread your wings!
Once again, congratulations to all of you and mabuhay kayong lahat!∎