22/02/2026
Thereโs nothing impossible with hard work, dedication, and โจmanifestationโจ
"๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ; ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐ฌ๐๐ก ๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐จ๐๐ก๐-๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐, ๐๐ฉ ๐ฃ๐ช๐ง๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐๐จ ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฌ๐ฉ๐. ๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ค ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ค ๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฎ ๐ค๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐." - ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐
Meet Tim Guinto (SLMCCM YL3), the current Student Council Chairperson. When he isnโt studying for his exams, he dedicates most of his time working with the Lukan community. His secret is to work with love and intention.
Read our full interview on how he balances the Lukan Dream below ๐
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐'๐๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป? Especially balancing both academic performance and student council duties?
The law sees the profession as a privilege to be practiced only by the competent and the ardent. Every concept and skill we learn becomes an ounce of hope for our future patients. All of us here acknowledge the sacrifice it takes, but what is most admirable is that we keep finding meaning in the suffering.
I don't believe you can truly balance everything here. Med school demands so much from you. It's more like juggling than balancing. Knowing this forces one to "juggle" or focus on one facet of life at a time: catch it well, let it go smoothly, and welcome the next with full attention. There is no perfect balance. It's simply a matter of which commitments you'll sacrifice to excel in others; but choose the right ones at the right time. I hold myself to very high standards in my work, but I can accept that I may not achieve the ideal outcome in everything.
In our act of becoming, we should ask, how do I want to be remembered? The heart goes where it belongs. It knows no fear. Have the audacity to build what no one else sees. This is your chance to create the life you are meant to live. Let us not be mediocre in our own greatness.
๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ "๐ป๐ผ" ๐๐ผ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐?
If it does not align with the life you're trying to create, let that opportunity go. When you know who you are and what you want, saying "no" will open doors to better things. Develop your discernment to identify the noise from the flow.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด?
Motivation might carry you for a short time, but I have learned that we should not rely on it. I know it is easier said than done but we should build discipline instead. You will always know what you want and you will always find ways to get it.
๐๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐
๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐?
Becoming more connected to the community broadened and deepened my definition of success. If a Lukan says we imparted something positive in their med school journey, I can end my term truly happy. Being a leader and also a student, I've realized it's a cycle: your past experiences and decisions shape your willingness to lead, and these roles, in turn, make you a better person. No one simply wakes up and decides to lead. It requires building your skills and confidence over time. When challenges arise, I can simply say, "I've been through worse, I've survived before, and I can thrive again".
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐โ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ท๐๐ด๐ด๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐๐น๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐?
I used to worry a lot when my term started. Are we going to make it? What if we fail? There were just four people in the council before I started the appointment process. But eventually, I learned that help and support are always there, often from unexpected people. It was so beautiful to witness the council slowly being completed by highly competent and dependable people. It always brings me hope. Embrace courage and honesty, and the right people will come. Hope is powerful especially when it is supported.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ฒ๐
๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ?
Don't make decisions rooted in fear. What you want lies on the other side of it. That being said, I wouldn't force anyone into extracurriculars. But everyone should ask themselves: "What kind of med student do you want to be?" The one who devotes all their time to studying? The one chasing endless side quests? The student leader? Create the life you want. It doesn't have to make sense to everyone.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐โ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ, ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฑ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐น ๐ฑ๐๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐?
My strict rule is: First read with anki card making for 2 to 3 readings per day, starting a day after the exams. Sundays and Mondays are focused on my Anki cards. My council duties come randomly or scheduled in between. I'm happy as long as I finish my Anki cards.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐โ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐?
That we had everything figured out. That is far from the truth. No one has everything figured out. We're navigating this journey for the first time too. We're still sometimes clueless, unsure if we're doing the right thing at the right time. Like everyone, we carry baggage and heal from past mistakes. We've simply chosen to dedicate our time to making things turn out better than before.
Trace the Lukan Dream with us. Join Open House 2026: INSIDE OUT.
๐๏ธ February 28, 2026
๐ข Angelo King Auditorium, SLMCCM-WHQM
๐ Registration is officially closed. See you there!
Pubmat: Erle Yabut, CAquino
Caption: Tricia Yap
