Yersinia, MD

NMAT Social Sciences

I’ll post some practice questions here and will update this every now and then. I do not work for CEM and the questions posted here are questions I think may be asked on the actual exam. Some may be easier and some may be more difficult than the questions that will come out of the exam. The most accurate reference is the official practice test given by CEM when you register for the NMAT. If you have questions or violent reactions, hit me with an email 🙂

A filipino visited japan for the first time and is upset when he was served horse meat for dinner. His experience is related to which of the following?
A. Globalization
B. Material Culture
C. Culture Shock
D. Demographic Transition

Culture shock is an experience a person may have when one moves to a cultural environment which is different from one’s own. Horses aren’t usually eaten in the Philippines so it produced culture shock in the traveler. Material culture is the aspect of social reality grounded in the objects and architecture that surround people. Globalization is a much broader concept that the travel of a single person so we can rule out choice A. Demographic transition is a phenomenon and theory which refers to the historical shift from high birth rates and high infant death rates in societies with minimal technology, education (especially of women) and economic development, to low birth rates and low death rates in societies with advanced technology, education and economic development, as well as the stages between these two scenarios. Demographic transition is a widespread process that occurs over time and is not applicable in the situation of a single traveler so we can eliminate choice D
Which of the following is NOT true regarding social institutions?
A. They are implemented in the same way across different cultures
B. They address specific purposes
C. They are hierarchial
D. They bring order to society

Not all cultures may have the need for the same social institutions. Similar institutions may also be implemented in different ways in different cultures like education. Choices B, C, and D are true and part of the definition of social institutions. A is not true which makes it the correct answer
Before feeding the rat, a man flicks the side of the rat’s cage so that the rat hears a noise. He does this everytime he feeds the rat. Based on the idea of discrimination, what behavior is expected from the rat when the man knocks on the cage instead?
A. Rat will try to escape
B. Rat will run to food dish
C. Rat will run around
D. Rat will ignore the man

In discrimination, a conditioned stimulus can be distinguished from another stimulus. If the rat can discriminate, it is likely that it will ignore the knock on the cage, and recognize that the sound of a knock is different from the sound of a flick. On the other hand, if the rat generalizes the stimulus, the rat will run to his food dish. The response to the knock will be the same as the response to the flick in generalization. Based on the idea of discrimination, we have no reason to expect that the rat will run around or try to escape.
If one could influence the bending of a metal rod by merely thinking about it, this would be an example of
A. Clairvoyance
B. Psychokinesis
C. Precognition
D. Telepathy

Clairvoyance is the perception of remote events (seeing things happen in a different city). Precognition is perceiving future events. Telepathy is mind to mind communication. Psychokinesis is “mind moving matter”. Psychokinesis is the correct answer
While listening to loud music in a crowded party, a man hears what he believes to be his wife’s laughter and turns around to investigate. He is exhibiting ____
A. Feature Detection
B. Bottom-up Processing
C. Vestibular Sense
D. Signal Detection

Correct answer is signal detection. He is discerning a specific noise (wife’s laughter) within a field of many noises (loud music). Feature detection is related to color, shape, and motion. In bottom up, the brain takes individual stimuli and combines them together. Vestibular sense help us navigate through physical spaces which relies on semicircular canals and sacs to sense the tilt or rotation of our head.
Your neighbor asks you to check his mail while he is out of town, and you agree. Later that day, he asks you to water his plants as well. What technique for compliance is he using in this scenario?
A. low ball
B. That’s-not-all
C. Foot-in-the-door
D. Door-in-the-face

Correct answer is foot-in-the-door technique. The neighbor asks for a small favor then, after receiving commitment, asks for a larger favor

NMAT Chemistry

I’ll post some practice questions here and will update this every now and then. I do not work for CEM and the questions posted here are questions I think may be asked on the actual exam. Some may be easier and some may be more difficult than the questions that will come out of the exam. The most accurate reference is the official practice test given by CEM when you register for the NMAT. I got a 746 on the chemistry subtest (which is in the 99.31 percentile). If you have questions or violent reactions, hit me with an email 🙂

Which of the following has the longest bond between carbon and oxygen?
A. CO
B. CO₂
C. K₂CO₃
D. CH₃OH

The more bonds you have between the atoms, the shorter the bond is. Atoms with a triple bond is the shortest and atoms with single bonds is the longest. CO has a triple bond, while CO₂ and K₂CO₃ have a double bond between their carbon and oxygen. CH₃OH has a single bond which makes it the correct answer.
Which of the following is a physical reaction?
A. Boiling
B. Dehydration
C. Combustion
D. Elimination

Phase changes are physical reactions. Boiling is the correct answer. Elimination reaction is a type of organic reaction in which two substituents are removed from a molecule in either a one step or two step mechanism. Combustion is burning. Dehydration reaction is a conversion that involves the loss of water from the reacting molecule or ion.
How many grams of NaOH is dissolved in 200 mL of a 1 M solution?
A. 1 g
B. 8 g
C. 40 g
D. 200 g

$200 \ mL \ NaOH \ \dfrac{1 \ mol \ NaOH}{1000 \ mL \ NaOH} \ \dfrac{40 \ g \ NaOH}{1 \ mol \ NaOH} = 8 \ g \ NaOH$
In NaCl, the bond between Na and Cl is
A. Hydrogen
B. Metallic
C. Covalent
D. Ionic

Covalent bonding involve the sharing of electrons with other atoms and this happens when atoms with little difference in electronegativity. Hydrogen bonding, as the name implies, needs hydrogen. NaCl does not have hydrogen. Metallic bonding is between two metal atoms (Cl is not a metal). Ionic bond is between a metal and a nonmetal. This happens when the atoms have great difference in electronegativity. Since Na is a metal and Cl is a nonmetal, the bond between them is ionic.
Oxides of nonmetals with water form acids while oxides of metals with water form bases. Which of the following will be acidic in water?

A. Carbon Dioxide
B. Calcium Oxide
C. Barium Oxide
D. Magnesium Oxide

Carbon dioxide is the only nonmetal oxide among the choices. Calcium, barium, and magnesium are all metals which would become basic if the oxide is reacted with water
Cellulose is a polymer that is composed of which monomer?
A. Glycogen
B. Galactose
C. Fructose
D. Glucose

Glycogen is a polysaccharide of glucose. Galactose and fructose are monosaccharides, but cellulose is not composed of them. Cellulose is a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of glucose units.

NMAT Biology

If you follow me on twitter, you know that I used to post questions almost every day. Daming nag sasabi na mahirap daw mag backread HAHAHA so I’ll compile them here. The questions here may or may not be on the NMAT. They’ll mostly be questions I think the examiners COULD ask.

Oxidative phosphorylation occurs in which of the following locations?
A. Mitochondrial matrix
B. Inner Mitochondrial membrane
C. Outer mitochondrial membrane
D. Cytoplasm

Oxidative phosphorylation (or the electron transport chain), is located on the inner mitochondrial membrane. Krebs cycle occurs in the mitochondrial matrix. Glycolysis takes place in the cytoplasm
Dithiothreitol (Cleland’s Reagent) will reduce and break disulfide bonds. This reagent will directly affect which amino acid?
A. Glutamate
B. Cysteine
C. Arginine
D. Selenocysteine

You do not need to know what Cleland’s reagent is to be able to answer this question. Since the reagent is used for breaking sulfide bonds, then the amino acid must have a sulfide bond. The only amino acid capable of forming sulfide bonds is cysteine.
Which of the following is derived from the ectoderm?
A. Smooth muscle
B. Cerebellum
C. Reproductive Organs
D. Skeleton

Smooth muscle, reproductive organs, and the skeleton are all derived from the mesoderm. The nervous system is derived from the ectoderm so cerebellum is the correct answer
Which of the following cells do not contain mitochondria?
A. Muscle cell
B. Cardiac cell
C. Fungal cell
D. Red Blood cell

Red blood cells do not carry DNA, nucleus, or other organelles. Red blood cells make their ATP through glycolysis. Muscle cells, cardiac cells, and fungal cells carry mitochondria
Cystic fibrosis is an autosomal recessive disease that causes severe breathing difficulties and a number of other symptoms. If a male and female, both of whom are carriers for the disease, have one child, what is the probability that the child is a carrier?
A. 0%
B. 25%
C. 50%
D. 100%

Cystic fibrosis is autosomal recessive, so the gender of the parents is not important in answering this question. AA = Normal Child (25%) Aa = Carrier of gene (50%) aa = affected with CF (25%)
To answer this, you need to make a punnett square. Aa shows up 2 out of 4 times so the probability is 50%

6. Which of the following blood vessels carry blood with the highest concentration of oxygen?
A. Renal vein
B. Pulmonary vein
C. Pulmonary Artery
D. Hepatic Portal vein

Correct answer is pulmonary vein.
Right atrium -> right ventricle -> pulmonary artery -> lungs -> PULMONARY VEIN -> left atrium -> left ventricle -> aorta -> arteries -> arterioles -> capillaries -> venules -> veins -> venae cavae -> right atrium
Pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood.

NMAT Physics

I’ll post some practice questions here and will update this every now and then. I do not work for CEM and the questions posted here are questions I think may be asked on the actual exam. Some may be easier and some may be more difficult than the questions that will come out of the exam. The most accurate reference is the official practice test given by CEM when you register for the NMAT. I got an 800 on the physics subtest (which is the highest score you can get on a subtest). If you have questions or violent reactions, hit me with an email 🙂

Where in its path does a projectile in free fall near the surface of the earth experience the greatest acceleration?
A. while ascending
B. while descending
C. at max height
D. acceleration is the same at all points in the path

The correct answer is D. Near the surface of the earth, acceleration is constant (9.8 $m/s^{2}$ ). Do not confuse acceleration with velocity. In a projectile, the vertical velocity changes but not the acceleration (assuming that the altitude of your projectile is miniscule compared to the radius of the earth). The NMAT isn’t there to trick you so I highly doubt they’ll include projectiles with extreme heights comparable to the radius of the earth so you can assume that the acceleration due to gravity is constant
A can of paint with a mass of 10kg hangs from a rope. If the can is to be pulled up to a rooftop with a constant velocity of 0.5 m/s, what must the tension in the rope be?
A. 0 N
B. 50 N
C. 100 N
D. 200 N

Since the can of paint is moving with a constant velocity, it is not accelerating. When a body (in this case the can of paint) is not accelerating, the net force on the body is zero. The force due to gravity is $F=ma=(10kg)(10m/s^2)=100N$ . To get a net force of zero, the tension on the rope (upward) must be equal to the weight of the can (downward) so the correct answer is 100 N
Two particles of have the same charge and equal mass are separated by a given distance. If the mass of one particle is doubled, the repulsive force between the particles will be
A. quadrupled
B. unchaged
C. doubled
D. halved

The two particles have the same mass so the repulsive force between them must be the Coulomb force. The Coulomb force between two particles is given by $F=k \dfrac{q_1 q_2}{r^2}$ and notice that there is no mass in the equation. Changing the mass of the particle does not change the Coulomb force so the correct answer is B.
The gravitational force will change if you change the mass of the particles $F_G = \dfrac{Gm_1 m_2}{r^2}$ , but gravitational force is attractive only (question was looking for repulsive)
A stone is thrown upward at a speed of 6 m/s from the ground. A man who catches the stone is located 1.00 m above the ground. What is the speed of the stone as it reaches the catcher’s hand? (g = 10 /s^2)
A. 8.09 m/s
B. 7.50 m/s
C. 4.61 m/s
D. 4.00 m/s

$v_{2}^2 =v_{1}^2 +2ay \\ v_2 ^2 = (6 \ m/s)^2 + 2(-10 \ m/s^2)(1m) \\ v_2 ^2 = 36 \ m^2 / s^2 - 20 \ m^2 / s^2 \\ v_2 ^2= 16 \ m^2 / s^2 \\ v_2 = 4 \ m/s$
A 50 Nm torque acts on a wheel with moment of inertia of 25 kg m^2. If the wheel starts from rest, what is its angular acceleration?
$A. \ 0.5 \ rad/s^2 \\ B. \ 1.0 \ rad/s^2 \\ C. \ 2.0 \ rad/s^2 \\ D. \ 2.5 \ rad/s^2$

$\tau = torque \indent \alpha=angular \ acceleration \indent I=moment \ of \ inertia \\ \tau = I \alpha \\ \\ \alpha = \dfrac{ \tau }{I} \\ \\ \alpha = \dfrac{50 \ N \cdot m}{25 \ kg \cdot m^2} \\ \\ \alpha = 2 \ rad/s^2$
A force of 60 N is used to raise a 240 N load using a system of pulleys. The load covered a distance of 1 m for every 5 m of rope pulled through the system. The system has an efficiency of
A. 12%
B. 48%
C. 60%
D. 80%

$Work=Force \times Distance \\ \\ Efficiency= \dfrac{work_{output}}{work_{input}} \\ Efficiency= \dfrac{240N(1m)}{60N(5)} \\ \\ Efficiency= \dfrac{240}{300} \\ \\ Efficiency=0.80$
The intial speed of a 15 g bullet is 600 m/s. It penetrates 10 cm into a stationary target post before it stops. What is the average force exerted on the bullet by the target post?

$\text{Using Work Energy Theorem} \\ W= \Delta KE \\ \\ W= \dfrac{1}{2} mv_2 ^2 - \dfrac{1}{2} mv_1 ^2 \\ \\ W= \dfrac{1}{2} m(v_2 ^2 -v_1 ^2) \\ \\ W= \dfrac{1}{2} (15 \times 10^{-3} kg)(0^2 - {600 m/s} ^2 ) \\ \\ W= \dfrac{1}{2} (15 \times 10^{-3} kg)(36 \times 10^4 m^2 / s^2) \\ \\ W=(15 \times 10^{-3}kg)(18 \times 10^4 m^2 / s^2) \\ W = 2700 \ J \ or \ 2.7 \times 10^3J \\ W=Fd \\ \\ F= \dfrac{W}{d} \\ \\ F= \dfrac{2.7 \times 10^3 J}{10 \times 10^{-2}m} \\ \\ F=2.7 \times 10^4 \ N$

$\text{Alternate Solution} \\ v_2 ^2=v_1 ^2 +2ax \\ \\ 0^2 =(600./s)^2+2a(10 \times 10^{-2} m) \\ \\ -2a(10 \times 10^{-2}m) =(600m/s)^2 \\ \\ 0.2a=360000 \\ \\ a=1.8 \times 10^6 \ m/s^2 \\ \\ F=ma \\ \\ F=(15 \times 10^{-3} \ kg)(1.8 \times 10^6 m/s^2) \\ \\ F=2.7 \times 10^4 \ N$

MED SCHOOL INTERVIEW

These are my personal tips on how I answered interview questions when I applied for med school. I’ll also include some of the most common questions asked in med school interviews and how I answered them.

Dress Rehearsals

If you’re a nervous wreck (like me), imagining how the interview would go will help you. Simulate how the interview would be like. You can practice in front of a stuffed animal and treat your fluffy buddy as the interviewer. Prepare a list of interview questions and answer them in front of your fluffy buddy as if you were in a real interview. If you can get an actual person for your practice interview, it would be much better. Ask your friend if he/she can list the good and the bad points about your practice interview.

practicing helped me be more confident and helped smoothen the flow of topics.

Practice but Don’t Memorize

You should definitely practice. Prepare some answers to the most commonly asked questions, but do not memorize a script. I recommend that you should make a list in bullet points instead of a script. You will sound very rehearsed and robotic if you memorize your answers and your answers will sound very insincere

Make it about them

If you’re applying for multiple med schools (which is what you should definitely do), and the school you have an interview with isn’t really your top choice. Convice them that it is your top choice school even if it isn’t. Nobody wants to be the back up. Do some research on the institution to convince them that you absolutely want to be a part of their program

Be confident but not too confident

too much of anything is bad. Being confident is important for a smooth interview, but overconfidence is not something an interviewer wants to see. Overconfidence is not a trait you want to see in a physician as this could lead to tragic situations. Don’t compare yourself to the other applicants and say that you are better (unless you’re Tiffy Uy kasi she’s the best). You don’t know the other applicants’ stats.

Research the school

Learn as much as you can about the school you’re applying to. You can try asking current students/ graduates of the institution. One of the most commonly asked questions is “Why did you choose our institution?”. My recommendation is to answer this with something that’s particularly unique to that institution like if they have PBL style, unique orgs, student research opportunities, good financial aid, etc.

Current Trends in Medicine

prepare a topic that you find interesting and would be able to discuss. If this doesn’t come up, you can always insert it somewhere. Not only in technological and scientific advancements in medicine, but also the current state of our healthcare system. For the scientific advancements, I highly recommend you go to google scholar and add “systematic review” in a topic you’re interested in like “Phage therapy systematic review”

The topics I had chosen were on SNAPPs, DNA vaccines, CRISPR, controversies in alternative treatments, phage therapy, antibiotic resistance, doctor shaming, antivax (dengvaxia), the measles outbreak, and the polio outbreak. Daming problema sa pilipinas kaya di ka mauubusan ng topic

“Why should we choose you and why did you choose us?”

this is probably a question that appears in every interview. Sell yourself but don’t be overconfident. I answered this by explaining how I was suited to their course. I explained how their curriculum was a perfect fit for me and I would definitely benefit from their style of teaching. You can also add subjects that’s unique to their institution and why you’re interested in studying that particular subject. Specify some unique characteristics of their school and how it would benefit you.

Mention some of your good qualities but do not compare yourself to the other applicants. Again, you don’t know the credentials of the other applicants so comparing yourself to them would be digging your own grave. You can bring up that you’re really good in the basic science or if you’ve presented in conferences. Cite some of your qualities where the institution could benefit from. If you’re good in research, it would definitely be beneficial to the school because publications will increase their ranking.

If you don’t live in the same city as the school, you can also say that the location is good and why you want to try living there. If they have unique programs, explain how it would be beneficial for you like international exchange. Another is if you’re particularly interested in their extracurriculars like student orgs

“Why medicine/ Why do you want to be a doctor?”

this will surely be asked so prepare an answer for this. Just don’t mention that you’re doing it for the money. An anime style backstory would be great if you have one, but it’s not a requirement. It can be a sob story or maybe you just find medicine interesting. I don’t have a tragic anime protagonist backstory. My answer was because I found the field interesting. I conveyed some of my qualities and how I can apply it to medicine.

“What’s your biggest weakness?”

Don’t say that you don’t have one. It’s going to look like you don’t know yourself and kinda narcisstic. Some say that you should turn your weakness into a strength and I don’t really like this advice. It seems dishonest and not having an actual weakness is so unrealistic. We’re humans and we’re flawed. Medicine is the marriage of the humanities and science, so being in touch with your humanity is a good thing.

So how did I answer this? I was honest about it, but I did say that I was currently working on it. I actually mentioned a ton of weaknesses, some I’ve already overcame and some I’m still trying to improve in. I had an interview with 5 consultants (SOBRANG SCARY HUHU) and all of them were very pleased with my answer.

“What is the greatest challenge/failure you had in life?”

Don’t stop after answering what your greatest challenge/failure. Elucidate how you dealt with it and what were the lessons you have learned from it.

“Who is your role model?”

there’s no right or wrong answer here. It can be someone famous, your teacher, or a family member.

San Beda University College of Medicine

I did not apply in this school. For more information on their application procedure, please refer to their website https://www.sanbeda.edu.ph/index.php?/post/62/college-of-medicine

Insights

These were sent to me anonymously. Each med school has their own strengths and weaknesses. This is to serve as a guide for those who are still deciding which med school they would like to go to.

“toxic ba sa beda? so far for me kaya sya, if gusto nya ng specific example yung physio department very demanding, yung topic mo this week di pa pala sya kasama sa exams na it-take nyo in the next long exams week, nakakapagod na parang minamadali kayo and ang daming requirements, pero beneficial din sila kasi madami kukuhanan ng grades. kung ayaw nya ng nilo-lockdown dahil sa monthly community med mass wag na sya sa beda. blockmates ko ay mababait i love them all kaya di ko maintindihan yung hate ni ate ___ before, baka mapangit lang experience nya talaga. learning environment: for an average student mas naging masipag ako magaral by 10-fold, big help na papalibutan ka ng masisipag na mga tao, nakakahawa sya. yung libraries na bago puro nagaaral mga tao andoon kaya nakakaengganyo. madami ka talaga matututunan per subject kasi di lang isa professor mo sa isang topic at ang daming small group discussions kaya natututo ka talaga kasi nakafocus sayo si prof. advantage din ata na tig 90 lang kami per section kaya nafofocusan ng professors. hospitals – east avenue, pgh, quirino memorial, medical city, tapos may mga out of town pa daw”

“Maganda sa San Beda Med toxic lang system nila tsaka sched. Papatayin rin kayo sa extra curricular activities.. i didn’t like yung envi din don”

De La Salle Health Sciences Institute

I did not apply for this school. For more information on their admission procedure, please refer to their website http://www.dlshsi.edu.ph/academics/admission/

Insights

These were sent to me anonymously. Each med school has their own strengths and weaknesses. This is to serve as a guide for those who are still deciding which med school they would like to go to.

“Madami silang scholarships, peaceful din yung environment. Siguro mahihirapan ka mag-adjust if you’re from manila kasi ang konti ng establishments dito and mahal yung printing services compared sa ust kahit san ka tumingin andon na lahat ng needs mo. Also with food choices medyo konti din”

“They have counseling services because they really value the student’s mental health“

“hsi mas organized and informative and approachable, uerm very established na, trans system na maayos dlshsi techie pag exams ganon uerm more on application tho idk if applied pa din now dlshsi mas nahandle ata ng maayos ang online compared sa uerm since mas sanay na sila, less pollution and great campus din”

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health

I did not apply in this school. For more information on their application procedure, please refer to their website http://www.ateneo.edu/aps/asmph

Insights

These were sent to me anonymously. Each med school has their own strengths and weaknesses. This is to serve as a guide for those who are still deciding which med school they would like to go to.

“We have the usual cadavers + plastinated cadavers. We also have a subscription for Anatomy TV which we can access in school. Our imaging lab is digital din. We can examine MRI, CT and plain radiograph using comouters instead of films”

“1) ASMPH medical degree takes 5 years just like anyone taking a medical degree elsewhere. However, we count our internship year as part of our years in school, just like UPCM and St Lukes. Everyone else’s 5th year is as Post-Grad Interns (PGI), then after that ka pa pwede mag boards. 5 years din diba? It’s not that hard to understand 2) We get our MBA on our 4th year. 3) People from the outside describe our curriculum as chill…. because they see us happy in school? They see very active students in organizations and sports? Maybe chill nga lol Try going to a school who listens to students feedback, takes care of students mental health, solid community and support system (hello Pugad Agila 💙), pro-student admin, and bright teachers mostly from UP-PGH and UST. Plus a modular curriculum patterned after UPCM. 5) Clerks rotate in TMC, POC, PCMC, RMC, QMMC, East Ave, and OsMak. Do the math for case exposures. 6) Sobrang triggered sa “chill” talaga. Try being a clinical clerk – all that Pre-Duty-From cycle pagod and sleeplessness tapos try writing a Masters Degree paper for MBA. Then get back to me if you still think it’s chill 😂”

Far Eastern University Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation

I did not apply to FEU NRMF. For more information on their application procedure, please refer to their website http://www.feu-nrmf.ph/

Insights

These were sent to me anonymously. Each med school has their own strengths and weaknesses. This is to serve as a guide for those who are still deciding which med school they would like to go to.

“Ang discouraging nga ng mga feedback pero ito positive naman, Magaling magturo yung mga doctors, sobrang passionate nila, and they really see you as their future colleague. But siyempre may mga doctors din na no comment na lang :))) Maayos yung mga classrooms and library. May promo boards, set of rules ito na kung may isa na problema na subj autopass na yun given na above 70. Medyo extensive itong mga rules, hindi lang yan. And sobrang laking bagay nito. Every week may shifting/Quiz so madaming chance makabawi -2nd year pa lang may patient exposure na kayo Last, masasabi ko lang magbabago ka talaga dito pagkatapos mo ng 1 sem kaagad. Mej ang dating nila ibbreakdown ka muna then build from the ground up. Hahaha at saka kung gusto mo talaga maging doctor kahit anong hirap pa yan kakayanin mo yan. Tough school ang nrmf pero hindi naman ganun ka-impeyerno dito, mej lang. Hahaha motto nga is ad astra per aspera(through hardships to the stars)”

“survival of the fittest lang talaga. But in my stay sa nrmf, at times na feeling mo sakal na sakal ka na, makikita mo rin yung hope sa ibang mga colleagues mo at sa mga doctors na sobrang genuine at gusto lang na matuto kayo. Sobrang ayoko ng environment compared sa pinanggalingan ko nung undergrad. Matira matibay. Nasa sayo nalang kung papatumba ka agad-agad”

“Also from nrmf, 3rd year. Sadly ganyan sistema ng nrmf, in a way survival of the fittest ang game ng nrmf. Pero on the other side of the spectrum: Semestral naman dito so kung may problema ka uulit ka ng isang sem unlike other school na whole year ang uulitin, besides that sa nakkita ko naman maayos naman yung culture ng acads nila na they prepare you well for PLE, and sa nakkita ko din being one of the old med school madami na alumni na connection once graduate ka na. Siguro maging fair na lang na may pros din naman. To conclude this, madami natatangap sa nrmf kasi mabait sila to give chance sa gusto mag doctor at kung hindi ka ganun ka bright/masipag na student and pumasok ka sa nrmf pipigain ka talaga ng school na ‘to to do better kaya ganyan ang story ng madaming natatangal.”

“Yup yup! Unang sem palang, marami na nadedebar at nagddrop. Pagdating pa ng third year na akala mo okay ka na, napatunayan mo na na para ka talaga sa Med, dun pa mas mataas chances na mas madebar ka. Dahil ba mahirap exam? O baka dahil ang tinatanong kasi sa exams e yung 6th most common na disease sa ganito, sa ganyan, na alam naman nating hindi itinatanong sa boards. (Well, even one of our teachers said that. LOL) so in my opinion, wag nrmf. Dun nalang sa school na mas aalagaan at mas alam mong may puso para sa mga estudyante at mamamayan”

“Hi! I’m studying med now at nrmf, 3rd yr. All I can say is… wag na sa nrmf. CHOS! pero seryoso, if you want a school na aalagaan mga students nila, wag nrmf. They just milk money out of your parents’ pockets. First yr, 700 to 800 students ang inaaccept, pero pagdating ng clerkship, only 200 to 300 will remain. Sama sama na regular at mga nadelay dun. Sa ibang schools, pag nadelay, pwede ka mag-advance ng ibang subjects, pero sa nrmf, kahit isang subject nalang for eg 2nd yr ittake mo, bawal ka pa rin kumuha ng subjects kahit minor ng 3rd yr. Mga policies din nila is hindi organized. Walang boses mga estudyante. Bawal magreklamo. Yun ang rule”

Metropolitan Medical Center College of Arts, Sciences, and Technology

I did not apply for MMC CAST. For more information on their application procedure, please refer to their website https://www.metro.edu.ph/

Insights

These were sent to me anonymously. Each med school has their own strengths and weaknesses. This is to serve as a guide for those who are still deciding which med school they would like to go to.

“Pros : tutok sila, kasi pang apat na batch pa lang kami kaya sobrang tinututukan ung mga pioneer na batch. Like yung si parang adviser namin iniisa isa talaga kami tapos chinecheck yung grades ganun. Tas sinusubukan nila maglagay ng mga pambawi na activities para sa mga pinaka delikado na subjects (mga manual/clinical case discussion) tapos first year pa lang may basic physical examination na subject na kami, sa pagkakaalam ko kasi sa iba sa 2nd year nagsstart yung mga may requirement na na steth ganun, sa mmc first year pa lang (Pwedeng con din to kasi dagdag sa gagawin mo yung OSCE yung parang praktikal, madalas nagkakasabay sabay mga major exam tas OSCE, mahirap) Cons: Pinagbabawalan mga upperclassmen na magpahiram ng mga previous na trans, kasi parang binebaby daw kami. Diba tulad sa beda kunwari may trans na ng mga 2nd year ipapahiram sa 1st year tas kung may maririnig na bago dun lang nila dadagdagan, samin kasi pag nahuli yung 2md year na nagpapadala sa 1st year aalisan ng access sa gdrive ng transes. Per group yung paggamit sa microscope, unlike sa iba tig iisa. Siguro kasi nagsisimula pa lang ang Mmc kaya kulang pa sa gamit biglang nag spike kasi ung number ng nagenroll. Madalas kulang sa slides, tas yung mga slides sira sira pa minsan , kahit yung mga junior faculty na mag gguide samin hindi na malaman yung ituturo kasi sobrang deformed na nung nasa slide. walang exam week, kalat kalat, nagsasabay sabay mga exams sa mga klase sa ibang subjects kaya mahirap magaral Emosyonal mga ibang prof(di naman sa Mmc lang pero isa sa mga bagay na napansin ko dito, ewan ko kung pati sa ibang school) kasi close silang mga faculty at tutok sila samin nagtatanungan sila kung umabsent si ganto ganyan sa subject nila, tas madalas pagiinitan ka pag nakita na umabsent ka”