Cebu grad first in pharmacy exam

CEBU, Philippines — The first thing Jannylene Rose Chua did yesterday morning was to go to church and pray. Little did she know that she would spend the rest of the day thanking God for the answered prayer.

Chua, a graduate of University of San Carlos in Cebu City, topped the recent licensure examination for pharmacists with a score of 91.10 percent, according to a news release on Professional Regulation Commission’s website last night.

She led 2,784 passers out of the 5,079 who took the exam last month in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Tuguegarao, and Zamboanga. 

A magna cum laude graduate, Chua said she was initially confident she could pull off a strong performance.

That outlook changed though when she arrived in the testing venue.

“I was really nervous. I felt like I couldn't concentrate well. I started losing hope when I finished the exam on the first day. I decided to do better on the second day but it was even more difficult,” she told The FREEMAN in a chat on Facebook.

“While we were waiting for the results, I really told my friends not to expect anymore because I felt like I didn't do well at all. While everyone believed that I could do it, I was the only one who didn't believe in myself,” she added.

As it turned out, she proved herself wrong.

“I prayed and went to church this (yesterday) morning. And I really had a feeling God will answer my prayers. And he really did,” shared the 20-year-old native of Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.

Chua said she has never been a consistent achiever all her life. She finished ninth of her elementary class and did not even make it to the top 10 in high school.

In college, she shifted gears and decided to work harder to pass with flying colors.

Asked for her message to students who want to follow in her footsteps, she replied: “Always have confidence in yourself. If you really want it, God will make it happen for you.”

Chua’s performance continued USC’s strong showing in the Bar and different board exams this year.

The school has produced 70 new pharmacists from 76 graduates it fielded to hurdle the test, making it the third top performing school in the country after Saint Louis University (214 passers out of 220 takers) and University of Santo Tomas (296 of 320). (FREEMAN)