“A physician bringing doctors’ voices from the frontlines to the boardrooms.”
Hometown: Manila, Philippines
Fun Fact About Yourself: I belong to the rare 1% of Filipinos who can’t carry a tune – my third-grade teacher diplomatically suggested I join cooking club instead of choir. Determined to still make music somehow, I learned to play the piano, cello, and guitar. Now I’m always on pitch… (as long as I’m playing, not singing).
Undergraduate School and Major:
- Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), University of the Philippines College of Medicine
- BS Psychology, University of the Philippines Diliman
Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health), Corporate Strategy and Development Associate
What makes the case method so attractive as a means to learn and become a better manager? In medicine, we’re trained to combine hard data with active listening—because a patient’s story is just as crucial as the numbers printed on their lab results. Similarly, the case method emphasizes that great managers must also be great listeners. While your initial analysis might seem obvious, the diversity of perspectives from 90+ classmates often reveals blind spots in your thinking, teaching you that better understanding comes from learning to listen.
The case method uniquely simulates real-world decision-making where the right answer isn’t always clear. It trains you to synthesize different viewpoints and frameworks on the fly, teaching you to articulate your position clearly while remaining humble enough to change course when presented with compelling counterarguments.
For me, the most valuable aspect is the safe space it creates for intellectual give-and-take. I’ve seen how the quietest voices often hold the most profound insights. This dynamic not only broadens your worldview but transforms abstract concepts into actionable strategies, much like moving from textbook learning to patient care in medicine.
Aside from your classmates and cases, what was the key part of Harvard Business School’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? HBS’s mission to educate leaders who make a difference resonates deeply with me. As a physician in the Philippines, I witnessed how health outcomes depend on more than just clinical care—they’re shaped by systems, resources, and access.
While it was a difficult decision to step away from direct patient care, I saw an urgent need to help transform the systems that shape how healthcare is delivered. I believed HBS, with its emphasis on developing purposeful leaders, would help me figure out how to create this impact at scale.
What drew me specifically to HBS is its belief that business can be a force for good. In emerging markets, where private-sector innovation and resources often fill critical gaps, this mindset is transformative. The school’s focus on developing leaders who can drive meaningful change while building financially sustainable solutions provides exactly the foundation I need to tackle complex healthcare challenges I one day hope to solve.
What course, club, or activity excites you the most at Harvard Business School? I’m counting down the days until FIELD Global Immersion Capstone this spring! The program sends us first-year students to work on projects with local companies across 14 different countries. Having just learned about this year’s destinations, I’m particularly excited about the possibility of working in South America – a continent I’ve never visited.
FIELD perfectly captures what drew me to HBS – the opportunity to apply and contextualize classroom learning to real-world situations. What makes it even more special is the chance to work with classmates outside my section. It’s the kind of hands-on, immersive learning experience that pushes you out of your comfort zone while showing you just how much you’ve learned and grown throughout the year.
When you think of Harvard Business School, what is the first word that comes to mind? Why?
Intentional. While HBS offers boundless opportunities – from enriching academic courses and conferences to countless social events to diverse professional paths – the true value lies not in trying to do everything, but in choosing purposefully. The school provides incredible resources across every dimension, but it’s up to each student to design their own meaningful journey.
HBS isn’t meant to be the peak of one’s career, but rather a launching pad for thoughtful growth. Success here is not necessarily about maximizing every waking moment or meeting absolutely everyone, but about being intentional with your choices – knowing your North Star and selecting experiences that align with your purpose. It’s about understanding that these two years are just the beginning of a longer journey, and making conscious decisions about how to best use this remarkable springboard.
Looking at your recruitment, what was the moment when you realized Harvard Business School was the right program for you? Why? I realized HBS was the right program for me during my interview. Having meticulously studied my application, my interviewer asked thoughtfully tailored questions that made me reflect deeper on my experiences and journey. While I’d heard about the rapid-fire nature of HBS interviews, it felt more like an engaging conversation – one that celebrated where I’d been while revealing where I could go at HBS.
As I shared my stories, I realized this was a glimpse of the case method in action – a space where individual voices and experiences matter. Despite my non-traditional business background and introvert tendencies, the interview showed me how I could potentially make meaningful contributions to the classroom. The thoroughness of the interview process in itself spoke volumes about HBS’s commitment to carefully curating a class where every unique perspective matters, and I knew then that this was exactly where I needed to be.
Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: In the last 6 months of my tenure at AC Health, I had the privilege of leading the establishment of our hospital network’s first Catheterization Laboratory – a specialized facility crucial for treating heart attacks and other cardiovascular emergencies. As Project Manager, I stepped out of my strategy comfort zone to lead a cross-functional team through construction, procurement, and protocol development, often being the only woman and physician in our daily technical discussions. Despite the challenges of learning everything from construction timelines to engineering requirements, we successfully inaugurated the Cath Lab this July, right before I left for HBS!
The project’s success opened an opportunity to create even greater impact. Working closely with our Chief Strategy and Investment Officer and our network’s leading cardiologists, we developed a compelling case for expanding this project into a full Heart and Vascular Care Center. Securing C-suite approval for this major expansion was particularly meaningful to me because it proved how bringing together clinical needs and business strategy can transform healthcare delivery for the better.
Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? When I began my HBS journey, stepping into a classroom filled with some of the most brilliant and accomplished individuals I’ve ever met, imposter syndrome couldn’t help but sneak in. But early in the semester, during our Technology and Operations Management class, a key moment changed this perspective.
We were discussing a case about a major hospital’s COVID-19 response, with the case’s key protagonist – the hospital Chief Operating Officer – present in our section’s class. Drawing from my experience, I found myself naturally asking about physician buy-in for operational changes, particularly in systems entrenched in legacy practices. Later, my professor emailed with encouraging feedback, noting how my insight had captured one of the case’s critical dilemmas. That moment helped me crystalize how my background in medicine can bring valuable perspective to our discussions, whether it’s explaining the complexities of drug pricing or connecting healthcare delivery challenges in developing nations to global business issues. My greatest accomplishment has been finding the confidence to take my seat at the table and trust that my voice belongs here –- not just for myself, but to represent the perspectives of frontline workers and underserved communities.
What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Harvard Business School’s MBA program? My advice is simple but sincere – be unabashedly yourself. Don’t craft responses you think admissions wants to hear. Instead, use the application process as an opportunity for genuine self-reflection. I found it almost therapeutic, helping me put my journey in perspective – from my early days in medical school to my transition into healthcare strategy.
The application process asks you to both celebrate how far you’ve come and chart where you want to go. Take time to identify your North Star – whether that’s a cause you’re passionate about, a community you want to serve, or a change you want to create in the world – and reflect on how HBS fits into that journey. When you write from this place of authenticity and self-awareness, your genuine passion naturally shines through.
DON’T MISS: MEET HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL’S MBA CLASS OF 2026
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