For 27-year-old Jay Ruyeras Orehuela, a native of Calape town, emerging as the second placer in this year’s Physician Licensure Exam was a product of optimism and hard work.
But the feat did not come at all as a surprise for the Southwestern University alumnus. With a rating of 88 percent—less than a point shy of tying the exam’s highest score—Orehuela confidently said that he was aiming for the top.
“I wish not to sound arrogant but yes, I aimed to top…I am a firm believer in the hypothesis of causality—if you work hard, like very hard, then the chances of you achieving a goal are very high,” said Orehuela as he recounted grueling hours of poring over medical books and enduring over daylong shifts at the hospital.
“I could honestly say I didn’t entertain the idea of quitting. My interest and passion for my chosen course were greater than the inherent hardships…sleep was a costly commodity but I’ve always thought that in times of exhaustion, it’s okay to rest but not to quit,” he added.
The Boholano topnotcher, who was born in Loon but was raised in Calape by his nurse mother, Eduarda Ruyeras, finished his medical studies on a full scholarship grant at the Southwestern University Matias H. Aznar Memorial College of Medicine where he graduated magna cum laude.
According to Orehuela, passing the licensure exam alone was a dream come true.
He said that he had envisioned himself as a doctor even as an eight-year-old in third grade as health sciences had always fascinated him.
“It may be cliché, but I think it is a very noble privilege to be able to treat human illnesses and save lives,” he added.
Orehuela was already an achiever even as a kid growing up in Pangangan, Calape. He was a constant honor student who graduated valedictorian from the Pangangan Elementary School and Pangangan High School.
But after finishing his studies and obtaining his medical license, Orehuela’s journey as a physician has only started.
He said that he plans to undergo residency training at the Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City or the National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City and later take up neurology as his specialty.
Orehuela also wishes to stay in Bohol and practice medicine in the province.
“I will most likely be practicing in Bohol and/or Cebu. It seems that there is a scarcity of specialists in Bohol and working here might be of modest help to address that concern,” he said.