MANILA, Philippines – The crown may have introduced Rabiya Mateo to the world, but her latest chapter is taking her somewhere far beyond the pageant stage: medical school.
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| Rabiya Mateo begins medical school at UST | Photo courtesy: UST / The Varsitarian |
The Miss Universe Philippines 2020 is officially beginning her journey as a Doctor of Medicine student at the University of Santo Tomas (UST).
On Thursday, August 13, Rabiya was seen wearing her Faculty of Medicine and Surgery uniform ahead of the Thomasian Welcome Rites.
The Varsitarian, UST’s official student publication, shared photos of Rabiya as the university welcomed students for the opening of classes.
Rabiya enrolled in UST’s Doctor of Medicine Program as she pursues her long-held dream of becoming a doctor.
For Rabiya, entering medical school is not about leaving her past behind but adding another dream to a life already filled with remarkable milestones.
“You can have a lot of dreams in your life,” Rabiya told The Varsitarian.
“It doesn't mean that you have this lifetime and you can only have one goal to reach,” she added.
Her vision goes beyond earning a medical degree, as she hopes her journey will inspire other young women to pursue dreams that may seem impossible.
“I want to be a doctor that is so inspirational that other younger women would look up to and they would say that this girl made everything possible,” Rabiya said.
Her path to medicine began long before she stepped onto the Miss Universe stage.
Rabiya earned her first college degree from Iloilo Doctors’ College, where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy in 2018.
Years later, she returned to the academic path and pursued admission to medical school, eventually earning a spot in UST’s medicine program.
Rabiya’s acceptance was announced in May by her boyfriend, actor Jake Cuenca, marking another milestone in her journey.
A month earlier, she had also shared her National Medical Admission Test general performance score of 741, which drew widespread attention online.
READ: Rabiya Mateo outshines ‘Linda Walker’ with 741 score in NMAT!
Now, as she trades her pageant sash for a white medical uniform, Rabiya is proving that one dream does not have to end for another to begin.
From Miss Universe to med school, her journey toward becoming Dr. Rabiya Mateo has officially begun.
— The Summit Express
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