First Ever College Dilemma: MBB vs. INTARMED

The Oblation at UP Diliman

For those who aren't that involved with UP or anything that has to do with colleges, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. This was my first ever college dilemma and I'd like to share my experience with the world.

MBB is short for BS Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. It is an undergraduate course offered only in UP Diliman. Only 60 students are admitted yearly and I was one of the lucky ones. INTARMED on the other hand is short for the Integrated Liberal Arts and Medicine Program. It is a 7-year accelerated program for those who wish to pursue medicine and take the "fast track." However, it is a highly selective program, accepting only 20 girls and 20 boys yearly in UP Manila. Here starts my dilemma.

The UPCAT results came out at around December 2016 and I was delighted when I found out I got admitted into my first choice course which was BS MBB. Since then, I have already started to visualize my life in Diliman with my coursemates for the next 4 years. I forgot all about ticking the box that indicated I was interested in the INTARMED program during my UPCAT application.

On January 23, the INTARMED results came out. The list of 50 girls and 50 boys eligible for interviewing was released and I was fortunate enough to find my name in the list of girls. I was very excited and initially, I was not considering taking it at all. But when I thought about it more, my life suddenly got more complicated. I was so sure of MBB but now I wasn't. I was considering a whole new life, a whole different program, from the one I was ready for. The term I would most appropriately use is shookt. The results shook me and opened this door of possibilities for me.

I decided to try it out. I mean, I got in top 50, so I might as well just try and apply. I finished all my applications and was scheduled for an interview in April. I was the first of the first to get interviewed. I arrived at UPCM 10 minutes before my call time at 10 AM. I was so nervous because I am not good at speaking to people I don't know and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The girl took me to the Department of Biochemistry and that was where I had my interview. It was the chairman of Biochemistry who interviewed me. To be honest, none of his questions were related to INTARMED or to being a doctor which kind of annoyed me because I had no idea what he was gonna get from me from that interview. Anyway, I just hoped for the best.

On May 12, the results finally came out. I was waiting anxiously for the results, however I already had a strong feeling that I didn't make it. I was hoping that maybe by chance I did make it. But my instincts were right and I didn't make it. As much as I said I already expected it, I was sad about it because I thought I could do it somehow. I also envisioned my life there in UPM already and now I have to go back to reenvisioning my life in Diliman. I was also sad that I wouldn't be with my friend whom I planned to condo with in Manila. I felt like I wasted so much of my time conditioning myself to live in Manila and take INTARMED but I wasn't even in yet.

Now, I am fixing my things for enrollment in Diliman. I am still not 100% sure that MBB is the course I want to take but for now, I'll keep it that way. Even if I didn't get in to INTARMED, I am still happy and thankful because the Diliman life sounds great and I get to drive my own car. I'd like to think of it as God saving me from 7 years of death. Even if MBB is death, it's still easier compared to INTARMED. That concludes my first ever (pre)college dilemma. 'Til next time!

Hay buhahahay!


Picture credits: http://www.philstar.com:8080/nation/2014/10/27/1385027/diliman-building-gets-bomb-threat