by Karl Gerard Reyes Crisostomo Φ2019B and Jasper Ian Amparo Alindayu Φ2019A
Last September 5, the Phi Kappa Mu Fraternity and the Phi Lambda Delta Sorority brought the newest freshmen of the UP College of Medicine to an exciting adventure in unfamiliar territory at Disorientation: Uncharted!
With the COVID-19 pandemic still looming across the country, this year’s iteration of the much anticipated Disorientation party is the first-ever to be held remotely through the popular online platform Zoom. Nevertheless, brods and sisses of Phi still welcomed the newest batch of students in the UP College of Medicine with the same vigor as the years before.
The adventure started with a rapturous introduction by Justine Karl Patrick Calachan Dantes Φ2019B and Robyn Gayle Kho Dychiao Φ2020, which set the tone for the rest of the event. As the participants were organized into separate breakout rooms, the rest of the afternoon was filled with various high yield orientations on the modules that the freshmen would have to conquer in their first semester in UPCM. Phi upperclassmen shared their knowledge on the nuances of the different modules, with essential must-knows and pertinent information that would surely be of great benefit to these students over the course of the year. From talking about OS 202 and the various ways to obtain bonus points, to the best ways to prepare for SGDs in OS 201, the orientation facilitators exemplified Phi excellence once more by doing all this with flair, enthusiasm, and unparalleled mastery of the different courses.
Along with each orientation, the freshmen participants also faced challenges through games that were related to the modules discussed. These games were entertaining spins on popular games meant not only to test the students on their problem solving skills and existing medical knowledge, but also provide a means for them to get to know each other. Highlights included a version of the Price is Right where instead of the titular game, the players had to guess the specific calorie count of popular food items during the OS 201 orientation, and a spin on 4 Pics 1 Word focused on relevant gynecologic terms in HD 201. Other games included a version of Jeopardy solely focused on the topics covered by the HD 202 module, and a game of Catchphrase filled with fun questions that referenced key OS 202 concepts. This showed that while medical school in and of itself was a daunting endeavor, there were ways to dive into it that were both ingenious and creative.
Troves of treasure were also up for grabs through a raffle which consisted of vital medical tools and instruments that would serve the newest medical students well in the years to come. Two gift certificates on Apple App Store or Google Play Store, 5 copies of OB Gyne Gold, 2 Neuro Kits and Sphygmomanometer sets, and a 3M Littmann Master Classic II Stethoscope were among the exciting prizes given out by the end of the event.
While the night was meant to be an exploration of things to come and a preparation for the journey that lies ahead, it also provided a brief respite from the pandemic and all things associated with it. Things may not have been the same as they were the years prior, but much like how the spirit of PHI persists even in the most trying of circumstances, Disorientation lives on!
