Medical Studies at the

University of Santo Tomas

(UST)
1877-1882
CEIT – 02 – 203P
GROUP 3
ANGELES, Arone
ANTONIO, Gelli Anne
LORENZO, John Nelson
MARIANO, Yvette Kayle
 Introduction
 Rizal’s tragic first romance didn’t affect his studies in
the University of Santo Tomas.
 After finishing his first year of Philosophy and Letters
(1877-1878), he then transferred to the medical course.
 Though Thomasian, he was loyal to Ateneo continuing
extra-curricular activities there.
 He also won many literary laurels, had other romances
with pretty girls and fought against Spanish students
who insulted brown Filipino students.
Mother’s Opposition to Higher Education

 After graduating from Ateneo, Rizal goes to

the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for
higher studies.
 Bachelor of Arts during the Spanish era was
only equivalent to High school and Junior
college courses of today. Merely to qualify its
graduate to enter university.
Mother’s Opposition to Higher Education

 Don Francisco and Paciano wanted Jose to pursue higher

learning in university. But Doña Teodora opposed the idea.
 His mother, Doña Teodora, had second thoughts about
sending her son to school because of the previous incident
involving the execution of friars Gomez, Burgos and
Zamora.
 Don Fracisco kept quiet at just instructed Paciano to
accompany Jose Rizal to manila despite their mother’s
tears.
 RIZAL ENTERS
UNIVERSITY
 In April 1877, Rizal nearly 16 years of age, enrolled in the UST
taking course on Philosophy and Letters with 2 reasons:
-His father liked it
-He was ”still uncertain as to what career to pursue”.
 Consequently, during his first-year term (1877-78) in UST, he
also studied Cosmology, Metaphysics, Theodicy, and History
of Philosophy.
 During the following term (1878-79) Rizal took up the
medical course. Another reason why he chose medicine for a
career was to be able to cure his mother’s growing blindness.
Finishes Surveying Course in Ateneo (1878)
 During his first term in UST (1877-78), Rizal also studied in Ateneo, taking up
vocational course which gave him the title of perito agrimensor (expert
surveyor).
 Rizal excelled in all subjects in Ateneo, obtaining gold medals in agriculture and
topography.
 At the age of 17, he passed final examination in surveying course but because he
is below of age, the title couldn’t be granted at that time. The title was then
issued to him on November 25, 1881.
 Though Thomasian, due to his loyalty, he frequently visited Ateneo.
 Jesuit professors, unlike Dominicans, loved and inspired him to ascend greater
knowledge.
 SHIFTING TO MEDICINE
After completing his first year, Rizal decided to take up medicine as
his university course. This change of heart was due to two factors:
1. Father Ramon Pablo, rector of the Ateneo, had advised him to
pursue the course.
2. Rizal's mother had failing eyesight and he thought he owed it to
her to become a doctor and cure her condition.
Rizal's performance at the University of Santo Tomas was not as
excellent as his time at the Ateneo. His grades after shifting to
medicine had suffered as well:
 RIZAL'S poor performance
 Rizal was not happy at UST and this reflected on his grades
(Zaide & Zaide, 1999). There were three main factors that
contributed to his unhappiness at the university, namely:
1. The Dominican professors were hostile to him.
2. Filipino students suffered discrimination.
3. The method of instruction at UST was obsolete and repressive.
 Likewise, there were three main reasons for his struggling
academic performance (Guerrero, 1998):
1. Rizal was not satisfied with the system of education at the university.
2. There were plenty of things to distract a young man in the peak of his
youth.
3. Medicine was not Rizal's true vocation
 Victim of Spanish Brutality
 When Rizal was a freshman medical at UST, he experienced his
first taste of Spanish brutality.
One dark night in 1878, he was walking in the street and
perceived some man passing him, but due to darkness he didn’t
recognize the man and didn’t salute nor say corteous ”Good
Evening”. The man turned out to be a lieutenant of Guardia Civil, he
turned upon Rizal and whipped out his sword, brutally slashing his
back.
The wound was painful and lasted 2 weeks. Rizal reported the
incident to General Primo de Rivera, the Spanish Governor General
of the Philippines but nothing came out of his complaint because he
was an Indio and the abusive lieutenant was a Spaniard.
 2 PRIZE-WINNING
LITERARY WORKS OF
RIZAL
1. TO THE FILIPINO YOUTH - The judges were
composed of Spaniards, totally impressed by Rizal’s
poem,they granted the first prize to him.
2. THE COUNCIL OF THE GODS - they awarded the first
prize to Rizal’s work because of its literary
superiority.
 Champion of Filipino Students
 Rizal was the champion of the Filipino students in their frequent fights
against arrogant Spanish students, who insultingly call their brown
classmates, ”Indio, chongo!”. In retaliation, Filipinos call them ”Kastila,
bagus!”. Hostility often exploded in angry street rumbles.
 Rizal participated in street brawls.
 In 1880, he founded a secret society of Filipino students in UST called
Compañerismo (Comradeship), members were called ”Companions of Jehu”.
 Rizal was the chief of the secret society and his cousin from Batangas,
Galicano Apacible was the secretary.
 There was a time in their fights, when Rizal was wounded on the head, his
friends brought him in his boarding house and Leonor Rivera aided and
washed his wound.
 UNHAPPY DAYS AT THE
UST
 Rizal found the atmosphere at UST suffocating.
 He was unhappy at the Dominican institution for 3 reasons:
1. Dominican professors were hostile to him.
2. Filipinos were racially discriminated against by the Spaniards.
3. The method of instruction were obsolete and repressive.
 In his novel, El Filibusterismo, he described how Filipino students were
humiliated and insulted by Dominican professors and how twisted the method
of instruction was. In Chapter XIII, ”The Class in Physics”, his science subject
was taught without laboratory experiments. Laboratory aparatuses were kept
inside the showcases to be seen by visitors, in reality, students can’t even
touch them.
 Rizal failed to win high scholastic honors due to the unfriendly attitude of his
professors.
 Decision to Study Abroad
 After finishing Rizal’s fourth year of medical course, he decided to go
to Spain because he could no longer endure the discrimination and
hostility in the UST.
 Many approved of this. However, for the first time, he did not seek
his parent’ permission for he knew that they would disapprove it.
 He also didn’t tell his beloved Leonor because he knew she couldn’t
keep a secret.
 Rizal’s parents, Leonor, and the Spanish authorities have no idea of
his decision to go abroad to finish his medical studies in Spain.
 He believed that professors in Spain were more liberal than of those
who’re in the UST.
12 THINGS THAT WOULD’VE
HAPPENED IF JOSÉ RIZAL
WERE A MILLENNIAL TODAY
1. He’d probably
look like one of
those dapper
hipsters we see
today.
2. Rizal would be your
“Mr. Suave” that makes
plain denim jacket,
jeans, and sunglasses
the total package to
look like dream man!
Extra pogi points for his titles.
3. He’d be active on social media
— voicing out his opinions and
sentiments online.
 Their group
chat name
would be
“Solid sa La
Solidaridad”

4. Rizal and his “squad”: Marcelo H. del Pilar,

Graciano Lopez Jaena, Antonio Luna, Mariano Ponce,
Jose Maria Panganiban, and many more, would be the
definition of #squadgoals.
 5. You’d probably see him and his squad in high-end
bars — either drinking wine or chugging down a glass of
malt beer while telling a story about a girl he met on
Tinder.
6. Seeing the
youth he once
referred to as
“the hope of
this nation”
doing stupid
things on
social media:
7. He’d still be the same “breezy”
guy who’s always matinik to all
women!
 8. His
Instagram
stories would
probably look
like this
 9. Well, who
knows! He
might even join
the Snapchat
flower crown
hype!
10. His poetry
would always
be featured in
Poems Porn, or
he’d probably
be one of the
admins.
11. His Instagram feed would have all of his marvelous
travels across Europe and other countries around the
globe. Definitely a #FeedGoals.
 12. He’d still
probably use
his influence,
even on social
media, to elicit
awareness
among his
countrymen
and talk about
the injustice
happening in
the country.