A Twitter user who recently passed the physician licensure exam was surprised to find out that his friends mounted an LED billboard for him as a way to congratulate his milestone.
John Christopher Gardiola, a 26-year-old graduate of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, shared that his friends and cousins initially surprised him with a tarpaulin even if he did not agree to the idea at first.
The tarpaulin featured his face and a text that reads:
“Congratulations! John Christopher L. Gardiola, M.D. for passing the September 2019 Physician Licensure Examination! We are so proud of you!”
Gardiola immediately shared his reaction and included it in the picture he posted on Twitter.
“Salamat sa mga pinsan at kaibigan kong bully! Hahaha P.S. Gusto ko billboard sa Tambo exit,” he wrote.
Not sure if my cousins and friends are super proud of me or just bullies. HAHAHA pero salamat po! Okay na po yan, pakibaba na po. 😂 pic.twitter.com/xLonS5FWDD
— bruce wayne MD (@tamboexit) September 26, 2019
When they kept on kidding him about it, however, he dared them “to do something bigger” which eventually led to the unforgettable mounting of his face and name in an LED billboard.
“Kasi inasar nila ako with the tarpaulin, so I thought if I dared them to do something bigger, titigil na sila but apparently not,” Gardiola said in an online interview with Interaksyon.
The LED billboard was displayed in front of Lipa Medix Medical Center in Lipa City, Batangas for 30 minutes the same day that Gardiola had tweeted about it.
“Not sure if my cousins and friends are super proud of me or just bullies. HAHAHA pero salamat po! Okay na po ‘yan, pakibaba na po,” he wrote on Twitter.
According to Gardiola, he has “no idea” how his friends were able to mount an LED billboard for him.
“I really have no idea how my friends did it. But they just sent me the photo after I told them I’d buy them milk tea if they were able to pull it off, which I thought they wouldn’t,” he shared.
“It was initially a joke, a dare, which I thought they wouldn’t be able to pull off,” Gardiola added with amusement.
One of his friends is a graphic designer, This might explain how they were able to reserve a billboard.
Gardiola said he is hoping his story would inspire others to fulfill their dreams of becoming licensed physicians as well.
He is one of the passers in the physician licensure exam held in September that was administered by the Professional Regulation Commission in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cebu and Davao.
It is the final step toward formally becoming a doctor in the Philippines.
The exam is taken after an individual has graduated from medical school with a degree of Doctor of Medicine.
To qualify as a medical board passer, one must have an average rating of at least 75% with no grade lower than 50% in any subject on the test.
Upon passing, he may finally work as a general practitioner or undergo medical residency training in hospitals.
