BACOLOD City – Sidrey Mel Aldeguer Flores of this city ranked No. 1 in the 2023 Medical Technology Licensure Exam (MTLE) with a 92.10 percent rating.
Flores is the first summa cum laude of his degree program at the Collegio San Agustin-Bacolod.
The 23-year-old said he wanted to become a medical doctor after this.
“I plan to rest gid to save my strength and to sleep enough. I will proceed to medical school to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor,” he said.
Flores said he was hoping for any spot in the Top 10, knowing that the competition was stiff and there were many of them.
“The chances were slim. But knowing that God has planned this for me, I was so happy nga ginhatag nya gid ang No. 1 para sa akon,” Flores added.
He graduated senior high school at the University of Saint La Salle (USLS)-Bacolod as a valedictorian with a general weighted average of 99.32. He also completed elementary as a salutatorian at USLS-Bacolod.
The topnotcher shared how the pandemic challenged his education and those in medical courses.
“We were lacking in clinical exposure, and that was one thing nga gina-worry namon. Thankfully, na-solve man namon by maximizing our time bisan short lang amon exposure kag practical internship,” he said.
He added that the licensure was a holistic test, saying, “It is not only the mental side. You also have to consider health, the spiritual aspect, as well as your relationships with other people… Aside from having a disciplined routine, I also gave time for leisure and rest.”
Flores is the only son and the youngest of three children of Punong Barangay Romel Flores of Barangay Villamonte.
“Just believe in yourself… Have the mental fortitude to surpass your struggles and emerge victorious,” said Flores.
There were 4,714 passers, or 76.46 percent, of the 6,165 total examinees, according to the Professional Regulation Commission.
The examination was conducted on March 8 and 9 in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Calapan, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Koronadal, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, and Zamboanga.
The MTLE results were released on March 14./PN
