Meet Justin Beligolo, from mango float and cheese sticks vendor to licensed physician
JUSTIN BELIGOLO – The mango float and cheese sticks vendor is now a licensed physician.
It was on Thursday, November 10, 2022, when the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) released the results of the board examinations for physicians. Out of 5,958 who took the PLE, 3,826 passed the exam.
Among the passers is Justin Beligolo, a native of Dumaguete, who finished medicine at Siliman University in 2021. In an interview with PEP.ph, he shared the difficulties he faced in completing his studies.
In order to sustain his fees in med school, he sells mango float, cheese sticks, and munchkins while his tuition is covered by his scholarship. All of the food items he sells are placed in the corner of their classroom in an “honesty store.” At the end of the day, he earns as much as P1000 since he sells almost 200 pieces of cheese sticks.
His parents are supportive of his desire to pursue medicine. They are all out for giving him moral and financial support. His father works as a construction worker and as a security guard.
They stay in the house owned by his auntie, which means they are the caretaker. His auntie also helps in his studies.
When he found out that he passed the physician licensure examinations, he said he felt a rollercoaster of emotions. Now, his priority is to repay the sacrifices of his parents. He is planning to pursue a residency program with the top three choices- surgery, psychiatry, or family medicine. He’s also considering experiencing “moonlighting” or having a second job aside from the regular job.
When asked what is his message to students, he said: “Hindi hadlang ang kahirapan sa taong masipag at magsumikap. Walang tutupad sa ating mga pangarap kundi tayo mismo.”
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