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Reaching the finish line and looking back to the path traveled will always be exhilarating. As you break the tape, the realizations of all the efforts you invested throughout the journey surge back—dedicating time for practice, building endurance, running smoothly, and persisting despite all odds. You often tell yourself that there’s no turning back, because the marathon has already started, and you cannot quit. At the finish line, you begin to be amused at how your every 'bahala na' turned out to be something fruitful along the way.
In recent times, the pandemic brought different adversities ranging from the lower economic rate to having an online mode of education. As if acting like a daylight robber, it stole mountains of learning opportunities for the students. One of the many who were affected was Gonzales. However, this did not hinder his desire to succeed in his endeavors.
Robert Dominic Gonzales, RPh, M.D., the president of the University of Santo Tomas Central Student Council (UST CSC) for two years, has been actively participating in various student government organizations since 2010, handling the positions of either secretary or president. Currently conquering medical school at UST, he has soared great heights with his dedication and hard work.
He received an academic distinction of Magna Cum Laude in his undergraduate program, BS Pharmacy in 2017; topped the Natatanging Mag-aaral ng Medisina ng Pilipinas (Regional-Level NCR) in 2021; a part of the top 10 in the 2021 Natatanging Mag-aaral ng Medisina ng Pilipinas (National-level); and garnered a special award for Natatanging Mag-aaral ng Medisina sa Larangan ng Panlipunan in the same year. Currently, he is a trainee to be a post-graduate intern and is one step closer to achieving his dream of becoming a physician.
The key takeaway from his experiences is to befriend time. He practices efficient time management to fulfill all his tasks in a day. He lists his daily “things to do” on a memo pad or excel sheet then assigns a reasonable schedule for each.
The epitome of a medical student’s life is a repeated cycle of rest and burning the midnight oil. He stated that there are three things that he usually advises people in order to balance the triad of extracurricular, academics, and personal life. These are: "(1) Rest is essential. Don't feel guilty. Take your time to rest when you feel tired. Then, bounce back again after; (2) Surround yourself with people who support, constructively critique, care, and love you for who you are and what you are doing; and (3) Always go back to your reason/s on why you're doing all of these."
With the ongoing situation in the country, the future may seem dismal—but not for the soon-to-be cardiologist. “Still, I am looking forward to the near future when people of our age are already capable of making reforms and changes in the systems that we are living in—towards a more humane system of work, academic, professional, and personal life,” he commented.
A bud of hope emerged from Gonzales—rooted from his dreams for his family and country. This story of hard work, dedication, and commitment lights a spark of inspiration to others to chase their dreams despite the difficulties. For him, the pandemic was an opportunity to reflect on ourselves, recalibrate our lives, and recognize our privilege to help others.
The race in life, especially in achieving your dream professions, is not about who finishes first and who arrives last; it is about finding yourself in the process and being able to fulfill your mission in society—for aspiring healthcare professionals, it is to help the people in need and save lives. Hence, to all those exerting their best efforts to achieve their dreams, just keep running; the finish line awaits you. Once you break the tape, you will be amused by how your journey can unfold into something fruitful.
Written by Julius Echague
Photos courtesy of Robert Dominic Gonzales
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