Adventist students in the Philippines are continuing to make headlines for their professional examination results. For the seventh year in a row, students from the Adventist University of the Philippines (AUP) earned a 100 percent passing rate in the recent national Medical Technologist Licensure Examination held March 14-15, 2018, according to the Philippine Regulatory Board (PRC).
All 81 AUP students were among the 2,648 passing students out of a field of 3,644. One of the AUP students, Jay Gabriel Diesto, achieved a 5th-place ranking. Before his four-year study as a Medical Technologist major, Diesto attended the Adventist University of the Philippines Academy beginning in junior high school.
Like other Adventist students who have been in the news recently for exam results, Diesto realizes the role an Adventist education plays in building a character both spiritually and professionally. “The Adventist community as a whole provided great support,” he said. “What we learned in school was an integration of faith and learning. I was just not studying to pass the boards; it helped [me] to apply what I learned to real life.”
Steadfast in its stated commitment to excellence, character, and service, AUP heralds a holistic approach in preparing students for a profession with a dedicated Christian perspective.
The Adventist School Advantage
AUP is located in Putting Kahoy, Silang, Cavite, Philippines, approximately 31 miles (50 kilometers) from the national capital of Manila. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees up to doctoral level. It is one of nine Adventist colleges and universities in the Philippines, part of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division church region.
AUP Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) chairperson Kristine Mendoza shared some insights regarding the school exam results history. Since 2012, the university has remarkably maintained a 100 percent passing rate on the Medical Technologist Board exam. Additionally, it has established a reputation among other universities in the Philippines for being the top performing school on this exam since 2016.
“A dedicated faculty, a tradition of training for students to develop their ‘academic muscles,’ trusted partnership with affiliated hospitals for internship, and most importantly, the department’s total dependence on our God Almighty—these could be the reasons we were able to achieve [a passing record for] seven years,” said Mendoza.
She explained that in terms of preparation, AUP provides a “rigorous schedule of quizzes and examinations which help students to develop discipline and a habit of aiming for a high standard.”
Aside from examinations during the four-year course, MLS faculty encourage their students to enhance their education by enrolling in examination review centers. It is something that exposes them to other lecturers, who can provide additional knowledge and strengthen them in areas that might not have been covered as extensively, Mendoza explained.
While these components may be similar to other universities, AUP includes a uniquely benefit by organizing a regular program where MLS students can listen to testimonies of faith from former board examinees. It is a special program that aims to emphasize God’s presence with students throughout their journey.
“Hearing from others that God is there to help is one thing; experiencing it yourself in an environment such as AUP’s is another, and makes a big difference,” explained Mendoza.
She said she could not overstate the importance of the overall education AUP provides its students, an environment shared with other Seventh-day Adventist schools around the world.
“I believe the overall environment in an Adventist educational institution gives students the knowledge of God based on real experiences that they can take with them even after they graduate from school. How you attain that success and what you do with it afterward is what differentiates [you as] a Christian,” she said.
