Former Pinoy Big Brother housemate Alec Duñgo is now a doctor.
Alec finished medical school at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery with latin honors—cum laude and meritissimus.
Meritissimus, which means "highest merit," is a scholastic recognition given to students with exceptional dissertations and theses.
For a UST medical school student to be hailed cum laude, the honors of bene meritus or meritissimus need to be earned during the final oral exams.
The 25-year-old former reality show contestant shared his latest milestone through a Facebook post last Friday, April 12.
Alec's Facebook post has so far received over 10,000 reactions and more than 2,500 shares at press time.
He dedicated his achievement to his family.
Alec wrote on his post, "Today, my childhood dream turned into reality. Today, I became a doctor. I would have never finished without the help of the Lord.
"You have blessed me so much by letting me go into med school and for helping me finish my last exam - with a bonus! Lord, You truly are amazing! [thank you emoji].
"To my family, Roberto, Jocelyn, Arvin, and Allen. I offer this humbling achievement to you.
"You are my inspiration. Thank you for helping me become the best version of myself, always.
"I share this accomplishment with my Dungo and Chai family, my relatives, and my friends who have always believed in me."
Alec also thanked those who took part in this journey with him.
"To the professors, UST-FMS staff, residents, and interns that I have met and worked with throughout my med journey, thank you.
"To my patients, thank you for making me realize that it isn’t all about books.
"Thank you for teaching me to heal with compassion.
"You have inspired me to strive harder to become the best physician that I can be.
"To my revalida tribemates, Ina and Joanna, and to our tribunal, Dra. Paliza, Dra. So, and Dr. Perez De Tagle - thank you for the experience of a lifetime."
Alec tried his luck in showbiz after joining Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition 4 in 2012.
His PBB batchmates were Joj and Jai Agpangan, Kit Thompson, Tom Doromal, Karen Reyes, and Myrtle Sarrosa, who emerged as the winner of the season.
After joining the reality show, Alec decided to pursue his studies and became a Registered Pharmacist.
Based on his Instagram post, Alec is taking a month-long elective medical program at Tohoku University in Japan.