Buddy Picking
Ever since I read about the tradition of “buddy picking” from the blog of another Intarmed student, I’ve been looking forward to the day I get my own buddy. It has long been a tradition for incoming LU II students to orient the Intarmed freshmen about what to expect during their first year. Aside from this, each LU I student is given a “buddy” from the LU II batch, who will act as their mentor/guide throughout his/her journey in the UP College of Medicine. Perhaps the most helpful – and quite frankly, the most exciting – part about this system is that the reference materials accumulated over the years (notes, transcriptions, handouts, books, etc.) are passed down from buddy to buddy. The challenges of Intarmed don’t seem as daunting when you have a supportive buddy and a wealth of reference materials in your possession.
From the beginning, it was obvious that Buddy Picking is a big deal for Intarmed students. Weeks before the scheduled day for Buddy Picking, our Freshman Block Coordinator from iMed Batch 2023 (the batch one year older than my batch) required us to answer a personality test and submit the results to her. I assumed this will help them match us with a buddy whose personality is compatible with ours. As the scheduled day neared, our FBC posted a file containing a short profile of all 40 students from Batch 2023, which identified some of their quirks and hobbies, as well as their favorite songs and their “life peg”. It was fun browsing through the profiles, and it only added to my anticipation. A few profiles caught my eye right away, but I didn’t know how the system will work then. Was I supposed to choose my buddy? Will it be assigned based on personality type? Will I get the chance to meet all 40 of them? I had no way of knowing until the actual date.
` On the morning of July 22, I arrived at the gates of UP Manila a few minutes after 8:30 a.m., dressed in sports attire and filled with both nervousness and excitement. As advised by our FBC, I asked one of the guards for directions to “Tipunan”. His directions led me to a wide parking lot located between the College of Public Health and Paz Mendoza, where I immediately spotted a large group of people – some wearing sports attire and some wearing casual clothes – huddled around a large tree with a raised platform at its base. I learned later on that UPM students go to Tipunan to eat lunch or to practice for class presentations. As I approached the large group, I realized that the people wearing casual clothes were the older iMed students from Batch 2023. Not long after I arrived, our FBC separated our batch into groups and announced that our first activity for the day is Amazing Race! With the first clue in our hands, my group – together with one student of Batch 2023 as our “runner” or guide around campus - took off immediately, albeit a little slowly. (It was not supposed to be an intense competition.)
I’ve had my share of experiences playing the Amazing Race (after all, can you actually name a more popular team-building activity?), but what made this one stand out were the challenges at each station. Our runner explained that each station somehow represents an experience their batch went through during their first year. For instance, one station required us to sing karaoke, which was apparently an activity that their Kom professor required them to do. For every clue we received, we also got a slip of paper containing symbols of baybayin, the earliest alphabet of our ancestors. We needed to decode all the symbols and arrange them into a coherent sentence to finish the race. This is good practice for when we need to decode more baybayin for Kom. (Is it just me, or is Kom starting to sound so hassle?!) Aside from reflecting the experiences that await us in LU I, the Amazing Race also served as a prelude to the Campus Tour we had a few days later. As we went around UP Manila from station to station, guided by the clues we acquired, our runner also taught us shortcuts around campus through PGH and pointed out a few important buildings, construction sites (the progress of which were apparently delayed by a sinkhole, or at least that’s what they say), and popular hangouts within campus. In between stations, he also told us about different events we should look forward to, such as Handog and Himedsikan. Overall, I found the activity very organized and well thought out. Seriously. After the race, not only did I meet new people – both from Batches 2023 and 2024, but I also had a better understanding of the UP Manila campus, student events, and LU 1. Kudos to Batch 2023 for making one of my first college experiences memorable.
We were brought to a small auditorium in Calderon Hall, which was beautifully decorated by Batch 2023, for lunch. After eating, we were asked to introduce ourselves one by one in front of our potential buddies from the upper batch. I already met a few of my batchmates during the several orientations in Buenafe Hall, but there were still many unfamiliar faces. In terms of attendance, that was the most complete we’ve ever been so far. Only two of our batchmates couldn’t make it. I listened closely as my batchmates introduced themselves and shared one fun fact. Usually, you can tell a lot about people from the way they speak and carry themselves in front of a crowd and the personal information they choose to share with others. Some fun facts were very amusing, inducing bursts of laughter and cheers from the room. Afterwards, Batch 2023 introduced themselves briefly while their profiles were flashed on the projector screen. Of course, their introductions in the flesh gave me a more accurate representation of their personalities than a mere profile. But thankfully, we were all given an opportunity to get to know them a little better through speed dating.
Basically, we had one minute to speak with each iMed 2023 student present, after which he/she moved on to the next person. As an ice breaker, different questions were also flashed on the screen (GWA or Jowa? Captain America or Iron Man?). This activity gave us an idea of which people we can jive with or relate to easily. It moved at a fast pace (I’ve never met so many people in such a short amount of time before!), but it helped me decide the right buddy for me. I felt even better about my decision when I discovered that the personality type of the buddy I was considering is compatible with my own. During the final activity, a few students of Batch 2023 discussed each LU I subject in detail, including the teaching style of some professors and the upcoming events for freshmen. (Again, I am amazed with the effort our upperclassmen put into this event.) Afterwards, I finally got to choose my buddy.
Overall, I really enjoyed Buddy Picking day. It was draining, both physically and socially, but it was a great introduction to college life. I got to know some of my batchmates a little better as well. Still, I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed it as much if it were not for the careful planning and intense effort that Batch 2023 dedicated to this event. A year from now, it will be our turn to organize this event and to pass down the knowledge and wisdom we’ve attained from our year of experience. But before that, I am looking forward to the experiences ahead of me in LU 1, both the good and the bad.
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