Resilience and the Power of Gratitude: Meet Lance Gill Mendoza Tolentino, the ASMPH Valedictorian of 2024

Lance Gill Mendoza Tolentino's ASMPH journey is a testament to resilience, service, and leadership. As the ASMPH Valedictorian of 2024, Lance has naturally embraced being a physician-leader for others, a calling that has defined his life's path.

From a young age, Lance demonstrated an exceptional commitment to excellence. He graduated as valedictorian from Ateneo de Naga University High School, where he was also awarded the Brother Sergio Adriatico SJ Memorial Award, the highest distinction given to a graduate who exemplifies loyalty, service, and social involvement. He then pursued a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences with Specialization in Biomedical Sciences at the ADMU, consistently earning a place on the Dean’s List. At ASMPH, Lance sustained his academic excellence, consistently ranking in the Top 10 of his batch. “But it really felt more like Tough 10”, he joked. 

And tough it was. Lance comes from a family with limited means. His mother was an elementary school teacher and his father was a former OFW. However, his father’s unfortunate encounter with a scammer while working abroad, placed further financial strain on the family. Since education was very important to his family, his parents, together with the help of some of his relatives, made sure he continued to receive a good education. He was eventually able to enter medical school when he received a full scholarship from his benefactor, Equitable Foundation, Inc. 

Lance's journey in med school was met with a lot of challenges brought about by the pandemic. He had to endure online learning with a highly unreliable laptop. And in 2020, their hometown in Bicol was devastated by five typhoons, including Super Typhoon Rolly. This typhoon caused so much damage that his family endured three months without electricity or internet. But thanks to his very loving relatives, Lance managed to attend his synchronous classes. When there were no scheduled classes, he was involved in helping with repairs in their community.

To make matters even more challenging, Lance's father was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer just before he started his clerkship. Faced with a poor prognosis, Lance actually decided to leave medical school to work and support his family. However, his father, understanding how much becoming a doctor meant to Lance, urged him to continue. “Lalaban lang ako kung lalaban ka,” he recalls his father’s response to his decision. This became a pivotal moment in Lance's life, fueling his determination to succeed despite juggling both scholarly duties and familial duties as a caregiver to his father. He also drew strength from the unwavering support of his “superwoman” mother and supportive relatives, acknowledging that without their help, he would not have succeeded.

Despite his personal struggles, Lance remained engaged in extracurricular activities, finding both solace and purpose in them. He was active in academic competitions, serving as a delegate for quiz bees and conferences. He was also the Co-Head of the Scholar’s Society, where he connected with fellow scholars who were experiencing similar difficulties. He cherished his role as a mentor, or "kuya," to younger students, giving advice or encouraging them to trudge through.

By helping others, Lance flourished at ASMPH, with no clearer testament to his success than graduating as valedictorian from what might be considered the most challenging phase of his academic journey. Interestingly, he even nominated others as he truly believes Batch 2024 is rich in talented and dedicated students. But his peers kept on urging him to; and in the face of such encouragement, he was compelled to honor the trust they have placed on him. 

As someone who doesn’t want to be put in the spotlight, this is truly an overwhelming honor. However, he was able to spend a lot of time discerning what the award means. In a moment of clarity, he realizes that it’s still a call for service. He recognizes that his challenges, along with those faced by his batch, could inspire and encourage future medical students at ASMPH. With this achievement, he looks forward to doing what he always knew he wanted to do—be of service to others.

After the boards in October, he envisions returning to his community to give back and pay forward the generosity he has received. In his words, “lagi naman may magagawa” or there is always something we can do. His experiences in the Community Enhanced Internship Program (CEIP) at ASMPH and his commitment to preventive and public health have only strengthened his resolve, citing home visits and building deep and trusting relationships with patients as the most formative parts of his medical school journey. He also hopes to pursue a residency in Internal Medicine, specializing in Oncology, a field that resonates with him due to his father's battle with cancer. 

Lance continues to be grateful to the overwhelming support of his mother, relatives, mentors, peers, and benefactor, the Equitable Foundation Inc. Despite the odds, Lance’s journey is a powerful reminder that determination and hard work can overcome even the most challenging circumstances. His story is not just one of academic excellence but of a deep-seated commitment to service and leadership for others.