Notably decorated Boholano, Kevin Jude Matthew Alagon Climaco graduated during the 38th commencement rites on May 20, 2017 at the prestigious Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), the biggest school of medicine of the US Military Forces based at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, USA.
The soft-spoken Filipino-American Dr. Kevin, who is the eldest grandson of Philippine Gift of Life president Fancy S. Baluyot, completed his medicine course with flying colors as he was promoted to an official rank of Captain in the US Military Corps in Washington, D.C.
He was one of the only five Filipino-Americans in his batch of 150 graduates and the only Filipino born here in the Philippines. To note, there were 5,000 applicants to the said school but only 200 were accepted at the start of his batch which trimmed down to 150 at graduation time.
Dr. Kevin, who is a consistent scholar and a cum laude in his pre-medicine course at the Boston University, is the noted ‘historian’ of his medicine class wherein he was accorded a standing ovation by batch mates during his presentation of history.
The 25-year-old Kevin is the eldest son among two siblings to Filipino parents Ismael Climaco, a former PMA Major and now a registered nurse in the US, and Cates Climaco, a registered nurse supervisor at the New York Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing. His brother Kyle is currently studying at Fordham University in New York taking up Bachelor in Computer Science.
Dr. Kevin’s graduation in the US was personally graced by his doting grandmother Fancy, his uncle Dr. Kazan Baluyot, his aunts Dr. Mary Ann Ruiz and Atty. Fama Baluyot and his cousins who endured the long travel from the Philippines to the US just to attend his commencement event.
Also in attendance were his US-based relatives namely his aunt Judy Novick, RN BSN his uncles Alphonse Alagon, RN BSN and Joseph Alagon, RN BSN.
As his next step, Dr. Kevin will be specializing in general surgery at the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in Texas, USA.