After being briefly listed as “Name Withheld,” March 2026 Physicians Licensure Examination (PLE) topnotcher Erwin Ken Parchaso has opened up about his long journey to becoming a doctor, marked by setbacks, delays and an unexpected viral moment.
READ: ‘Name Withheld’ no more: March 2026 PLE topnotcher finally identified
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, April 21, Parchaso, a graduate of Lyceum Northwestern University–Dagupan City, introduced himself to clear the confusion over his identity.
“Hello. Yes, that’s my name up there. And no, my name is not “Name Withheld.””
“I know there was some confusion about that. But I’m here today. Very much real. Very much grateful.”
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) had initially withheld his name in its April 10 results post, only updating it on April 17 to identify him as the top passer of the March 2026 PLE.
READ: When doctors’ board exams topnotcher was left unnamed
Looking back on his journey, Parchaso said he was a retaker who even chose to skip one attempt due to fear and lack of preparation.
“I am a retaker. Well, supposedly a third taker. But on my second attempt, I didn’t even show up. I sat at home, stared at my books, and admitted: “I’m not ready.””
His first attempt, he said, coincided with a major personal turning point.
“My girlfriend, now my wonderful wife, told me she was pregnant.”
“It wasn’t in our plan. Not at that moment. We weren’t ready, or so we thought.”
“I failed that first take. Not because I wasn’t smart enough. But because life happened. And honestly? I wouldn’t trade that failure for anything. It gave me something more valuable than a license, it gave me my family.”
He said that instead of pushing through immediately, he stepped back and eventually took years of preparation before finally completing the exam.
When results were released, he admitted reacting to the viral “Name Withheld” listing without knowing it referred to him.
“I was crying outside our house. I saw that the topnotcher was ‘Name Withheld’ and under investigation. Sabi ko, ‘Siya siguro ang rason bakit hindi ako pumasa. Hindi ako pasok sa curve dahil sa kanya. Buti nga sa kanya! Under investigation siya!'”
That moment, he later realized, came full circle.
“That ‘Name Withheld’ I was blaming? It was me.”
“I was crying over my own name. Wishing ill on myself without knowing it.”
Reflecting on the experience, Parchaso said the biggest challenge was not the exam itself but self-doubt.
“Sometimes the biggest obstacle isn’t the exam… it’s ourselves.”
He also addressed fellow examinees still on their journey.
“Those years were not wasted. They were preparing you, for patience, for humility, for the kind of compassion you can only learn through your own suffering.”
“To my fellow new physicians, we made it… Whether this was your first take or your tenth. Whether your name was withheld or published immediately. We are here. And no one can take that away from us.”
Parchaso also thanked everyone who became part of his journey to becoming a doctor, including his family and friends, his wife and child, his alma mater Lyceum, Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center where he interned and review center Wise.owl by LM Academy.
He ended his post by formally introducing himself:
“I’m Erwin Ken Angcual Parchaso. Not withheld. Not hidden. Just here.”
—With John Marwin Elao and Rosette Adel
