“It was 5 years ago when we are [sic] just having discussions as to what uniform will be used in the College of Medicine, and now we are gathered here to celebrate this Medicine Week 2023,” Dr. Jed Enumerables, the Associated Dean of the College of Medicine of Jose Maria College Foundation Inc., recounted as he officially declared the opening of the Medicine Week 2023 themed “Medchanted : a magical world to remember”.
The program started with an opening prayer led by Marian O. Baligia, the Executive Auditor of the SIGMA Council. It was followed by the singing of the National Anthem and JMC Hymn.
An opening remarks by Andro S. Larong, the President of the SIGMA Council highlighted “the tough 4 months since we started this medicine school journey for A.Y. 2022 – 2023, but despite those challenges, we still manage to overcome and endure those hardships, and with that, we can finally have the chance to destress, enjoy and build camaraderie and friendship among JMC medical community”. This was then followed by the official declaration of Medicine Week 2023 by Dr. Enumerables.
Various events were prepared by the SIGMA Council, which started with a cheering competition in which each of the houses—House of Mirabel, House of Luisa and House of Isabel showcased their creativity and talents. What came after was the Amazing Race in which medical students were grouped accordingly to search and fight for each quest in order to find Bruno (Mirabel’s ostracized uncle who has the ability to see the future in the Encanto movie). There were 11 stations to search for quests and at every station, two teams will compete to complete their quest.
In the afternoon, the sports fest was officially opened with the first game for basketball (women’s category) and volleyball (mixed category) played between House of Luisa and House of Isabela, followed by succeeding games between the three Houses. Lastly, an eSports tournament played by six teams was held at the Theatre B, JMCFI building.
The event ended with fun and full of excitement for the succeeding days of this Medicine Week 2023 celebration.
“Everything was done with a heart, making the students realize that medical school is not just all about academic trainings; it’s also building a family with your fellow medical students,” Princess Yu, a junior clerk, realized after the first day of the three-day Medicine Week Celebration.