After an illness and accident set him back, this topnotcher conquered two medical board exams
The country's top medical license exams are notoriously difficult, but try telling that to Kharam Molbog, who conquered them twice—a feat he achieved despite a devastating illness and an accident.
Molbog, who hails from Nueva Vizcaya, admitted he wasn't a "very stellar kid" and didn't come from a rich family. He also wasn't preoccupied with securing honor rolls or collecting perfect scores. In fact, he wasn’t the class valedictorian in high school and had also failed the UPCAT. But as a child, he had his eye on becoming a doctor.
When he finally committed to this dream, he focused on doing whatever it took to succeed—even if it meant taking a gap year. Now, he is a two-time top ranker, having secured First Place in both the August 2022 Medical Technologist Licensure Exam and the October 2025 Physician Licensure Exam.
Expectations from parents, peers
Molbog shared that he never received pressure from his parents, saying they were "always very supportive," and that his willingness to excel was his way of giving back to them.
"The way I view it is that if I study well, it's like my way of giving back to them and showing gratitude for all their hard work," he told PhilSTAR L!fe.
He admitted to feeling the weight of others' expectations, but he effectively transformed that stress into fuel to study harder.
"I won't deny din naman na I do receive a lot of pressure from everyone else," he said. "Hindi naman siya parang explicitly stated na parang 'Dapat top 1 ka, dapat summa cum laude ka.' Most of the time, it's just the pressure just comes from being aware that all eyes are on me all the time. Especially for big events like the PLE or the MedTech boards. And most of the time naman, I just use that pressure to drive myself to study even more," he said.
Taking the much-needed break
Studying for exams, as well as dealing with personal challenges, can be overwhelming, but for Molbog, it became a full-blown crisis.
In 2019, during his senior year—a time already stressful due to living independently and facing the pressure to top the MedTech boards—he was diagnosed with extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Feeling severely burnt out under the weight of these compounding challenges, Molbog prioritized his health and wisely chose to take a gap year instead of pushing himself further.
"Sabi ko talaga that time, if I keep pushing myself now, baka mas mahirapan akong iangat ulit yung sarili ko. Parang ganun. So baka mas beneficial for me if I pause now while I am still not totally burnt out. So that's when I decided na mag-stop talaga totally," he told L!fe.
"I didn't take the boards, I didn't go to med school yet. Ipinahinga ko talaga siya nang malala," he added. That time, he also fell short of his goal of graduating summa cum laude.
Although things didn’t go as planned, he later realized that taking a pause had helped him prepare for medical school.
"When I came back to med school, I felt refreshed, I felt recalibrated, and also extremely motivated. For me, effective talaga siya," he continued. "Ever since, I've become a firm believer [in] taking breaks or sabbaticals."
But that wasn't all. During his clerkship in medical school in 2023, he got into a road accident that left him with a 7 cm laceration on his head after hitting the metal frame. Despite the challenges and the demanding workload, Molbog remained determined to pursue his dream by remembering his whys.
"What really pushed me to keep striving despite all of those two is remembering my whys: Why am I here? Why am I striving to be a doctor? So, like, whenever it gets hard, I just think back to the Kharam around maybe 12 years ago. The one who started dreaming of becoming a doctor. I just keep pushing forward because I don't want to let him down," he said.
"Apart from that, iniisip ko din how far I've come, and that if I give up now, it wouldn't do me any good. Nabasa ko nga somewhere, if you're going through hell, keep going. Kasi, the worst thing you can do when you're in a dark place is stop, you're just gonna stay there longer," he added.
In 2024, he graduated summa cum laude and was the valedictorian of his batch. Looking back, he couldn't be more grateful to his support system, which helped him power through the challenges.
He added that his family, friends, girlfriend, as well as his mentors kept him going, reminding him that he's "capable of great things, especially during my moments of doubt."
Blooming late is not equal to blooming less. So, it just means that you are growing at your own pace, which is perfectly okay kasi slow progress is still progress
Thriving as a 'late bloomer'
For students who may think they are not excelling as much as others, Molbog stressed, "slow progress is still progress."
"I'd like to say that blooming late is not equal to blooming less. So, it just means that you are growing at your own pace, which is perfectly okay kasi slow progress is still progress. And that's what you should focus on, not comparing yourself with other people," he told L!fe.
"So based on experience, if and when you find a field that you genuinely love, it will turn your hard work from something that you have to do, into something that you want to do. And I think that's what will keep you going. Passion changes everything talaga," he continued.
Having clinched the top spot in two board exams, Molbog said that he's taking his well-deserved rest.
"I'm really very self-aware whenever I feel like I'm almost burning out. And I think now is an example of that," he admitted.
"I think for now, kailangan ko muna magpahinga," he said. He's also looking at two specialties that he may pursue: internal medicine with a subspecialty in either cardiology or gastroenterology, and radiation oncology.
"I haven't really decided between the two because I feel like if I make a decision now, may influence lang siya by how tired I am at the moment. And ayoko naman nangyari yun kasi it's a decision that I will have to live with for the rest of my life," he said. "So, for now, I will rest, and then I will think."