Rabiya Mateo opens up about her medical school journey

Rabiya Mateo opened up about her experiences as a medical student.

The beauty queen-turned-actress admitted that medical school has been more challenging than she initially expected.

“I know, med school is so hard. Iba pala talaga siyang laban. The load of information that I need to absorb every day sa med school, it’s crazy,” she said in an interview with PEP.

Despite the demanding workload, Rabiya expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.

“But overall, I feel so grateful na I got in into UST Medicine. Hindi talaga siya madali, pero I know in the end it’s gonna be worth it,” she stated.

Rabiya also revealed that Biochemistry has been her most challenging subject, particularly because it was not part of her undergraduate studies in Physical Therapy.

“Pinakamahirap, Biochem kasi wala kaming Biochem sa [Physical Therapy] as, as my premed course,” she stated. “Mahirap siya kasi there’s a lot of terms na first time ko pa lang mai-encounter.”

The actress went on to share that one of her biggest struggles has been managing her study time while keeping up with the extensive amount of information she needs to learn.

“And then, mahirap talaga siya kasi ang dami. I think I love, I really love to study, but ‘yung challenge talaga is paano ako makakapag-aral sa maikling oras na sobrang dami pag-aaralan,” she relayed.

Rabiya remains determined to pursue her medical career despite, revealing that she hopes to become a pediatrician someday.

“Gusto ko sanang maging pediatrician. I love kids. Um, mahirap siya, I know, pero as of now, doon ako nili-lead ng heart ko,” she remarked.

In a past interview with The Flame, the official student publication of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters, the beauty queen shared that returning to school at 29 felt like a second chance to pursue her academic dreams with renewed determination.

“At 29, I feel like I’m a kid fulfilling her dreams and this is an opportunity for me to have a round two for my studies and this time just like in my pre-med taking up Physical Therapy, I’m really gonna give my best,” she stated.  

Rabiya graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from Iloilo Doctors’ College in 2018.