The Asian Hospital and Medical Center held its 8th Residents’ and Fellows’ commencement exercises for a total of 21 physician graduates in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Adult Critical Care Medicine, Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery and Breast Surgery at The Palms Country Club last March 14 with Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon as special guest.
In his commencement address, Mayor Biazon lauded the graduates for their dedicated years of hard work, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to the noble pursuit of healing and caring for others. “While your residency at Asian Hospital may be coming to an end, your journey /as medical professionals is only just beginning. The road ahead may be challenging, filled with obstacles and uncertainties but I have no doubt that each and every one of you possesses the resilience, determination and compassion needed to overcome any obstacle that may come your way,” he said.
Dr. Beaver Tamesis, Asian Hospital President and CEO, commended the graduates for their determination and dedication to achieve their goals, noting that they started their residency and fellowship “during the depths of the pandemic.” He shares, “You helped patients during this difficult time, and we were lucky to have you. We are eternally grateful that all of you went through that period with us.”
The AHMC residency and fellowship program was established in 2014 when the Asian Hospital management decided to the take the lead in the formation of training programs as the launching point for the new generation of medical professionals, to teach and train graduates of medicine to continue the legacy of excellence in healthcare.
“Medicine is a stressful career field but the opportunity to pass on what you know to new doctors can be an extremely rewarding experience. In the near future, we look forward to more training programs in our hospital. As we reach the third decade of Asian Hospital, we will be prepared to see our trainees coming back to serve our community. We will continue to build an academic environment where culture of learning and teaching continue to predominate,” said Dr. Madeleine Grace Sosa, Chair of the Medical Training Program Committee.Speaking on behalf of the graduates, Dr. Rachelle Anne Cruz recalled that she and her fellow graduates did not expect to be in the midst of a pandemic, but said the experience made them resilient, strong and adaptable. “Through it all, we’ve persevered, come out stronger, wiser, and more resilient. We are usually called the generation of millennial doctors but as I reflect, I believe that we are also a generation characterized by our deep sense of empathy and social consciousness,” she said.
“We understand that healthcare is not just about treating disease but it’s also about caring for the whole person and addressing the social element of health that impact their well-being. We are a generation full of empathy and compassion for our patients and recognizing our ability to connect on a human level is just as important as our medical knowledge,” Dr. Cruz added.
For the graduates, Dr. Jose Acuin, AHMC’s Chief Medical Officer, shared a Japanese saying on the four things that comprise the reason to live. “The first thing is that you need to do something that you love doing. Secondly, you should be good at that something that you love doing. Third, that something should be something the world needs. Lastly, that something you are good at, that you love doing and what the world needs, is something you should get paid for. It is important that you find your way and I hope that seeing your parents, seeing the joyful lives that they live, your significant other, will give you the inspiration as well to do the same.”