Then vs Now: Doctor shares how he battled with cancer and became a Physician 10 years later

• As a medical student, Dr. De Jesus didn’t just battle with cancer, but with every hurdle that life put in front of him.
• He is now in his 10th year of being cancer-free. 

Newly licensed physician Dr. Melvin Rey De Jesus shared the story of how he survived cancer and managed to reach his dream of becoming a doctor.

10 years ago, he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He had to go through six cycles of chemotherapy to try and lessen the tumor and fortunately, after the fourth cycle, it was already gone.

Passionate about being in the medical field, he took and passed the nursing licensure examination as soon as he got his bachelor’s degree in 2005. At that time, he wanted to continue studying, but due to financial constraints, the plan was postponed.

Patience is really a virtue as Melvin wasn’t able to continue with his education until nine years later. In 2014, his sister found out from someone that there’s a college of medicine that offers the program at a cheaper price than most universities.

“That is when my dream of becoming a doctor resurfaced. I took the national medical admission test that same year and got a good result. 2015, I started my journey as a first-year medical student,” he said.

The hurdles continued on as Melvin had to work and study at the same time to afford his education.

“I had to sell cooked food to my classmates to make ends meet.”

He also admitted that he was actually a below-average student back then.

“Every end of the semester, my name would always be included in the list of those who will take the remedial exams. I almost failed in one of my major subjects. At times, the thought of giving up crossed my mind,” he said.

2010 as a cancer patient. 2020 as a newly licensed physician.#CancerSurvivor#LicensedPhysician pic.twitter.com/kW8HTMalrH

— Dr. DJ (@BeckongMD) November 26, 2020

“Because medicine is very demanding. You need to allot most of your time to reading books, preparing for never-ending exams. In my case, I can’t. Because instead of reviewing for the exams, I would prepare food which I will be selling to my classmates. I would wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning each day for that. I would even accept home service for haircutting since I also worked as a part-time hair artist at my sister’s salon in Tuguegarao.”

But just like his battle with cancer, Melvin did not give up as his heart is set on becoming a health worker. He added that he knows that there’s a need for doctors to serve the less fortunate and many die without ever seeing one. It motivated him as he pushed through.

And because of his hard work, he is now Dr. De Jesus. The physician is also in his 10th year of being cancer-free.

“I am ready to serve our countrymen and hopefully, I could inspire other people.”

When asked if he had any message to those who are currently experiencing the struggles that he experienced back then, he reminded them of the “three Ps”.

“Passion, perseverance, and prayers. And please be kind to yourself. Do not push yourself too much that your body could no longer bear the weight that you are putting on. Remember, we are the caretaker of our own health,” he said.

“To those who are currently battling with cancer or what we often call the ‘big C’, keep the faith. Trust your doctors. Follow their treatment protocol. This too shall pass.”