Having previously topped the Medical Technology Licensure Exam (MTLE), Kharam Molbog of Nueva Vizcaya initially felt like he had been stuck inside a pressure cooker while reviewing for the Physician Licensure Exam (PLE). Recalling his childhood dream of becoming a doctor recalibrated his perspective and purpose—from trying to be the best, he simply aimed to be someone who could help those in need. And he landed in the top spot once more.
After topping the MTLE, preparing for this second board exam was not the same. Kharam felt the weight of everyone’s expectations, everyone’s eyes on him.
“While their support meant the world to me, the weight of expectations made it incredibly difficult to study in peace. People often assume that excellence already comes easy for me, but they forget that behind every medal is an unseen mountain of effort—the sleepless nights, the quiet breakdowns, the moments of doubt that no one talks about,” he divulged in a Facebook post.
Realizing he was neglecting his health, Kharam went to live in the province with his grandmother, who took care of him while he studied. His grandmother’s house was his childhood home.
“It was also rather symbolic, I guess, going back to my childhood home to study—the place where my dream to become a doctor was born,” he said.
It was in his old room, during a nervous breakdown, that Kharam realized he had come full circle, and that he had forgotten why he had wanted to become a doctor in the first place.
“Somewhere along the way, I got so caught up in trying to be the best that I lost sight of that child who once dreamed so purely. Sitting in that room reminded me that this journey was never about being the best. It was about becoming the person that little boy hoped I’d be. And I knew then that I couldn’t let him down,” he shared.
“From that point on, studying no longer felt like a burden. The pressure slowly gave way to peace, because I knew that I had enough of what it takes to pass. Of course, I still dreamed of that top spot, but I knew that if I didn’t get it, I’d still be okay. For the first time, I allowed myself to believe that I don’t have to win all the time to be worthy. That I deserve to rest, to breathe, and to be celebrated, even when I’m not at the top,” he added.
Kharam shared he was in disbelief when the results came out and he had once again secured No. 1.
“When the results came out and I saw my name at the very top, I couldn’t believe it. We were actually drinking Soju that time and the first thing I blurted out was ‘Top 1 ba talaga ako or lasing lang ako?’” he recalled.
Now, with two top rankings under his belt and a renewed sense of purpose, Kharam carries that little boy’s dream wherever his calling takes him—whether he specializes in internal medicine or radiation oncology—not as a burden to prove himself, but as a promise he’s learning to honor every day.
