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Ailyn Agonia
Doha
Twenty-four year-old Cleo Zarina Reyes from the Philippines is one of the 38 graduates comprising the Class of 2020 of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCMQ).
The new doctors were honoured in a virtual ceremony held recently to observe physical distancing rules for the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite the current challenges facing healthcare professionals, the Filipina doctor said she is excited to be part of the workforce whom she has always looked up to and considered as her superheroes growing up.
“I believe that the sacrifices and hard work of frontline healthcare workers are truly admirable and inspiring. “Not all superheroes wear a cape” and as a sickly child, I’ve always considered members of health force as my superheroes. I hope that we would remember their efforts and greatly appreciate them. They are also humans and have their own families yet they decided to heed the call of duty and serve our community. I am excited to be a part of the work force, though safety is also very important. Hence, I have been keeping updated with COVID-19 protocols and community measures in preparation,” the young physician told Qatar Tribune.
Cleo was born and raised in Quezon City, Philippines and studied in San Sebastian College-Recoletos in Manila until she was 14. When her family moved to Qatar, she continued her education at Dukhan English School.
She served as the first Filipino Head Girl in her senior year of high school and attended WCM-Q the following year. During the pre-medical curriculum, she was the first Filipino student to be on the Dean’s Honor List. She was also the first Filipino president of several organisations in WCM-Q such as the Student Ambassador Program, Student Research Association, and Internal Medicine Interest Association. She was the recipient of Best Speaker for Qatar Universities Debating League Nationals 2014-2015. As a daughter of an engineer and a college professor, she is the first physician in her family.
Talking about her inspiration in pursuing a career in the medical field, she said, “Growing up, I had a severe case of asthma that necessitated several hospital admissions including birthdays and Christmas eve. While other young children admired Superman and Batman, my superheroes didn’t wear a cape but a white coat instead. I remember how my parents, who were worried sick about my health, would smile brightly after my doctor informed them of my improvement. I didn’t want to be ill anymore; I didn’t want to worry my parents anymore. I wished to be someone who could help people with sickness and their families. It was from an early age that I realised I wanted to be a doctor. I aspired to be someone else’s superhero.”
Cleo is proud of her Filipino roots. She hailed the contributions and good reputation of Filipino health professionals across the globe. She said, “After working in different states and medical settings, I am very proud of our (Filipino’s) resilience, positive attitude, and commitment to quality healthcare. During stressful times, we continued to work earnestly with a smile on our faces. Not only did this help the team’s working environment but also gave hope to our patients. No matter where I was, Filipinos always left a good impression on other doctors and thus, I was met with a warm welcome.”
Looking back on her six years in the medical school, Cleo said she have learned so much and drastically grown as a person. In addition, she said those late evenings and early dawns spent studying with her friends and putting her heart to her studies were her fondest memories in her journey to fulfilling her lifelong dream.
She described missing the experience of a traditional graduation ceremony as disheartening given the years of hard work they have spent to reach the important day in their lives.
However, she added, “Yet upon seeing our mentors, alumni, and friends working incessantly at the frontlines during this pandemic, it taught me that our graduation was not an end but a beginning of our journey to medical career. It was more critical that we stay up to date with the medical community, so we can maximise our contribution to healthcare as soon as we start working as interns. I am very fortunate to be with my family during this challenging time. I celebrated with my family and shared a modest, warm home-cooked meal. I also video-called some of my classmates, whose families are in other countries, congratulating each other while practicing social distancing.”
Cleo will be working as a neurology resident at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Pennsylvania, USA starting this summer. After completing four years of neurology residency, she plans to pursue a Stroke fellowship and be involved in academia, particularly clinical quality improvement and medical education.
On what kind of physician she is aspiring to be, she fondly said, “I used to think that a successful doctor is one who works in a prestigious hospital and have numerous scientific contributions to the medical community. After partaking in a medical community service in Mwanza, Tanzania and numerous clinical experiences, I realised that my patients are my priority. It doesn’t matter where or what I am, as long as I can serve my patients with a bright, sincere smile and help to improve their quality of life, I could be the doctor I aspired to be as a child.”
Doha
Twenty-four year-old Cleo Zarina Reyes from the Philippines is one of the 38 graduates comprising the Class of 2020 of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCMQ).
The new doctors were honoured in a virtual ceremony held recently to observe physical distancing rules for the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite the current challenges facing healthcare professionals, the Filipina doctor said she is excited to be part of the workforce whom she has always looked up to and considered as her superheroes growing up.
“I believe that the sacrifices and hard work of frontline healthcare workers are truly admirable and inspiring. “Not all superheroes wear a cape” and as a sickly child, I’ve always considered members of health force as my superheroes. I hope that we would remember their efforts and greatly appreciate them. They are also humans and have their own families yet they decided to heed the call of duty and serve our community. I am excited to be a part of the work force, though safety is also very important. Hence, I have been keeping updated with COVID-19 protocols and community measures in preparation,” the young physician told Qatar Tribune.
Cleo was born and raised in Quezon City, Philippines and studied in San Sebastian College-Recoletos in Manila until she was 14. When her family moved to Qatar, she continued her education at Dukhan English School.
She served as the first Filipino Head Girl in her senior year of high school and attended WCM-Q the following year. During the pre-medical curriculum, she was the first Filipino student to be on the Dean’s Honor List. She was also the first Filipino president of several organisations in WCM-Q such as the Student Ambassador Program, Student Research Association, and Internal Medicine Interest Association. She was the recipient of Best Speaker for Qatar Universities Debating League Nationals 2014-2015. As a daughter of an engineer and a college professor, she is the first physician in her family.
Talking about her inspiration in pursuing a career in the medical field, she said, “Growing up, I had a severe case of asthma that necessitated several hospital admissions including birthdays and Christmas eve. While other young children admired Superman and Batman, my superheroes didn’t wear a cape but a white coat instead. I remember how my parents, who were worried sick about my health, would smile brightly after my doctor informed them of my improvement. I didn’t want to be ill anymore; I didn’t want to worry my parents anymore. I wished to be someone who could help people with sickness and their families. It was from an early age that I realised I wanted to be a doctor. I aspired to be someone else’s superhero.”
Cleo is proud of her Filipino roots. She hailed the contributions and good reputation of Filipino health professionals across the globe. She said, “After working in different states and medical settings, I am very proud of our (Filipino’s) resilience, positive attitude, and commitment to quality healthcare. During stressful times, we continued to work earnestly with a smile on our faces. Not only did this help the team’s working environment but also gave hope to our patients. No matter where I was, Filipinos always left a good impression on other doctors and thus, I was met with a warm welcome.”
Looking back on her six years in the medical school, Cleo said she have learned so much and drastically grown as a person. In addition, she said those late evenings and early dawns spent studying with her friends and putting her heart to her studies were her fondest memories in her journey to fulfilling her lifelong dream.
She described missing the experience of a traditional graduation ceremony as disheartening given the years of hard work they have spent to reach the important day in their lives.
However, she added, “Yet upon seeing our mentors, alumni, and friends working incessantly at the frontlines during this pandemic, it taught me that our graduation was not an end but a beginning of our journey to medical career. It was more critical that we stay up to date with the medical community, so we can maximise our contribution to healthcare as soon as we start working as interns. I am very fortunate to be with my family during this challenging time. I celebrated with my family and shared a modest, warm home-cooked meal. I also video-called some of my classmates, whose families are in other countries, congratulating each other while practicing social distancing.”
Cleo will be working as a neurology resident at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Pennsylvania, USA starting this summer. After completing four years of neurology residency, she plans to pursue a Stroke fellowship and be involved in academia, particularly clinical quality improvement and medical education.
On what kind of physician she is aspiring to be, she fondly said, “I used to think that a successful doctor is one who works in a prestigious hospital and have numerous scientific contributions to the medical community. After partaking in a medical community service in Mwanza, Tanzania and numerous clinical experiences, I realised that my patients are my priority. It doesn’t matter where or what I am, as long as I can serve my patients with a bright, sincere smile and help to improve their quality of life, I could be the doctor I aspired to be as a child.”
