FIVE thomasians landed in the top 20 of the Physician licensure examinations last February, despite the University’s “relatively poor” performance overall.
Magna cum laude graduate and 2003 Rector’s Academic Award recipient Emmy Lissa Oh (84.08 per cent), placed third; while cum laude graduate Christian Lanot (82.83 per cent) ranked sixth. Maria Solina Oconer (82 per cent), Petronilo Noel Reyes (81.17 per cent), and Salvador Rivera IV (81 per cent) placed 12th, 18th, and 20th respectively.
UST’s 86 per cent overall passing rate was above the national passing rate of 54.47 per cent.
Dr. Jose Blas, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery faculty secretary, noted the exam’s alleged difficulty.
“Many examinees (complained) that some questions can only be answered by medical specialists,” he said.
The Faculty said less than 50 Thomasians took the February exams where 1,084 out of 1,990 examinees passed. The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) has not released the official number of UST examinees.
Even if no Thomasian landed in the top 10 of the Pharmacy board examinations last January, the University, compared with the national passing rate of 56.09 per cent, claimed the top spot among schools with more than 50 examinees at 89 per cent as 56 of 63 Thomasians passed.
The College of Architecture, on the other hand, registered a 56.25 per cent passing rate against a 48.56 per cent national passing rate as 90 of its 160 examinees passed the board exams last January. Reagan D. Tan
