MMSU produces 4 topnotchers in nurse exam

January 28, 2015

MMSU is indeed on a roll.

Shortly after emerging as best performing school in the board examinations for civil engineering and pharmacy, MMSU made waves in the November 2014 Nurse Licensure Examination – landing sixth among 481 schools, and producing four topnotchers.

The university’s passing rate is 95 percent against the 57.29 percent national average. Of the 120 MMSU examinees, 118 were first-timers while 2 were repeaters. MMSU’s 114 passers include 113 first-timers and 1 repeater. The examination was administered on Nov. 29-30 in key cities, including Laoag City.

Shower of topnotchers

Four MMSU examinees landed in the prestigious roster of topnotchers: Ralf Jay V. Retotal, second place, 86.60 percent; Christelle T. Garcia, seventh place, 85.40 percent; and Marianne Angelina R. Lorenzo and Allanah Mae B. Sudario, tenth placers, 84.80 percent. All of them belong to Class 2014. Garcia hails from Pasuquin while the rest are from Laoag City.

Retotal is the second of four children. His mother Mary Ann is a market vendor while his late father Santiago died in 2010.  Speaking to the MMSU Newsletter, Retotal recalled in the interview what he went through as part of the admission process of CHS. When the interviewer asked him what he can contribute to the college, he said, “I will try to be a topnotcher.” Looking back, Retotal is happy that he tried enough to make good his promise.

According to CHS dean Manolita Crisostomo, the very impressive results could be attributed to various factors, foremost among them: the full support of the university administration, the dedication of both faculty and students, and the revised BS Nursing curriculum that allows for better preparation for the licensure examination.  

Under the new curriculum, fourth year students undergo competency appraisals conducted both by faculty members and guest lecturers.  After graduation, Class 2014 took review classes at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Review Center whose founder Ruel Bersabe died in August last year.

In a statement released to the media, President Miriam E. Pascua congratulated and commended the passers, especially the topnotchers. “Truly, you have embraced excellence as a way of life,” she said.

All the four topnotchers plan to apply for admission to the MMSU College of Medicine which is expected to open this year.

In 1994, Elizabeth Grace Julian ranked first in the nurse licensure examination while Mylene Macabiog and Leila Pante placed second in 1993 and 2005, respectively. In recent years, two MMSU nursing alumni also became topnotchers: Dharlyn Abbygale G. Agullana, fourth placer in 2013; and Anwar Jan L. Garaza, ninth placer in 2012.