Chapter 5:

Medical Studies at the

University of Santo
Tomas (1877-1882)
Prepared by:
Agripa, Diona
Arab, Al-Wahid
Mother’s Opposition to Higher
Education

 Doña Teodora opposed the

idea and told her husband,
“Don’t send him to Manila
again; he knows enough. If
he gets to know more, the
Spaniards will cut off his
head.”
Mother’s Opposition to Higher
Education
Years later, Rizal wrote in his journal:
“Did my mother perhaps have a
foreboding of what would happen to
me? Does a mother’s heart really have
a second sight?”
 University of Santo Tomas

After graduating with the highest honors from

the Ateneo, Rizal had to go to University of
Santo Tomas for higher studies.
Jose Rizal Rizal’s Marker in
UST
Rizal Enters the University

 In April 1877, Rizal who was then nearly 16

years old, matriculated in the University of Santo
Tomas, taking the course on Philosophy and
Letters.
 Rizal enrolled for two reasons: (1) his father
liked it (2) he was “still uncertain as to what
career to pursue”.
 He had written to Father Pablo Ramon, Rector
of the Ateneo, who had been good to him during
his student days in that college, asking for
advice on the choice of a career but he was
unable to advise Rizal.
 During his first-year term (1877-1878), Rizal
studied Cosmology, Metaphysics, Theodicy,
and History of Philosophy.
 It was the following term (1878-1879)
that Rizal, received the Ateneo
Rector’s advice to study medicine,
took up the medical course, enrolling
simultaneously in the preparatory
medical course, and the first year
medical course.
Finishing Surveying Course in
Ateneo (1878)
 Rizal took the vocational course leading to
the title of perito agrimensor (expert
surveyor).
 He excelled in all subjects in the surveying
course, obtaining gold medals in
agriculture and topography
 Rizal is loyal to Ateneo. He continued
to participate actively in the school’s
extra curricular activities:
o President of the Academy of Spanish
Literature
o Secretary of the Academy of Natural
Science
o Member of Marian Congregation
Romances with Other Girls

Shortly after losing

Segunda Katigbak, Rizal
paid court to a young
woman in Calamba. He
called her “Miss L”. He
described her as “fair
with seductive and
Segunda attractive eyes”
Katigbak
Rizal’s first love
 During his sophomore year,
when Rizal boarded in the
house of Concha Leyva in
Intramuros, he met Leonor
Valenzuela. He described
her as tall girl with a regal
bearing. He sent her love
notes written in invisible ink
which consist of salt and
water.
Leonor
Valenzuela
At the start of Junior year, he lived in “Casa Tomasina” at
no. 6 Calle Santo Tomas Intramuros
 His land-lord uncle, Antonio
Rivera had a pretty
daughter, Leonor Rivera, a
student at La Concordia
College. Leonor was born in
Camiling, Tarlac on April 11,
1867

Leonor Rivera
 •Rizal described her as a
frail, pretty girl “tender as a
budding” flower with kindly
wistful eyes”.
•In her letters to Rizal.
Leonor signed her name
as “Taimis” to camouflage
their intimate relationship
from their parents and
Rizal’s sketch of friends.
Leonor River
Victim of Spanish Officer’s
Brutality
 One dark night in Calamba, during
summer vacation in 1878, he was walking
in the street. He vaguely perceived the
lieutenant of the Guardia Civil. Not
knowing who the person was, he did not
salute or greet the officer. With a snarl, he
brutally slashed Rizal at the back with a
sword.
 Rizal reported the incident to General
Primo de Rivera, the Spanish governor
general of the Philippines at that time.
 In a letter addressed to Blumentritt, dated
March 21, 1887, he related:
“I went to the Captain-General but I
could not obtain justice; my wound
lasted two weeks.”
“To The Filipino Youth” (1879)
 In 1879, Liceo Artistico-Literario (Artistic-
Literary Lyceum) of Manila, a society of literary
men and artists, held a literary contest

 The 18 year old Rizal submitted his poem

entitled
 A La Juventud Filipina (To The Filipino
Youth).
 The Board of Judges, composed of
Spaniards, was impressed by Rizal’s poem
and gave it the first prize which consisted of
a silver pen, feather- shaped and decorated
with gold ribbon.
 He was sincerely congratulated by the
Jesuits, especially his former professors at
the Ateneo, and by his friends and relatives.
 Inexquisite verses, Rizal
beseeched the youth to rise from
lethargy, to let their genius fly
swifter than the wind and
descend with art and science to
break the chains that have long
bound the spirit of the people
To The Filipino Youth
Theme: “Grow, O Timid Flower”
Hold high the brow serene, O youth,
where now you stand
Let the bright sheen Of your grace
be seen,
Fair hope of my fatherland!

Come now, thou genius grand, And bring

down inspiration; With thy mighty hand,
Swifter than the winds violation, Raise the
eager mind to higher station.
 The winning poem of Rizal is a classic
in Philippine literature for two reasons:
1. It is the first great poem in Spanish written by a
Filipino, whose merit was recognized by
Spanish authorities
2. It expressed for the first time the nationalistic
concept of Filipinos, and not the foreigners,
were the “fair hope of the Fatherland”.
“The Council of the Gods” (1880)

 Rizal participated in another contest organized

by the Artistic-Literary Lyceum to commemorate
the fourth centennial of the death of Cervantes,
Spain’s glorified man-of-letters and famous
author of Don Quixote.
 He submitted an allegorical drama entitled El
Consejo de los Dioses (The Council of Gods)
 The Spaniard judges awarded the first
prize to Rizal’s work because of its
literary superiority over the others.
 The winning allegory of Rizal was a
literary masterpiece based on the
Greek classics.
 The gods discuss the comparative
merits of the great writers Homer,
Virgil and Cervantes and finally
decide to give the trumpet to Homer,
the lyre to Virgil, and the laurel to
Cervantes. The allegory closes
gloriously closes with the naiads,
nymphs, satyrs and other
mythological characters dancing and
gathering laurels for Cervantes.
Other Literary Works
 Rizal produced other poems and a
zarzuela entitled Junto al Pasig (Beside
the Pasig) which was staged by
Ateneans on December 8,1880, on the
occasion of the annual celebration of the
Feast Day of Immaculate Conception,
Patroness of Ateneo. He expressed his
nationalist ideas in this piece.
 Inthe same year (1880) ,he wrote
a sonnet entitled A Filipinas for
the album of the Society of
Sculptors . In this sonnet , he
urged all Filipino artists to glorify
the Philippines.
 In
1879, he composed a poem
entitled Abd- el-Azis y Mahoma,
which was declaimed by an
Atenean Manuel Fernandez on
December 8, 1879 in honor of
Ateneo’s Patroness.
 Later, in 1881, he composed a poem
entitled Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon. He
wrote this poem as an expression of
affection to Father Pablo Ramon, the
Ateneo Rector, who had been so
kind and helpful to him
Rizal’s Visit to Pakil and
Pagsanjan
 In the summer month of May 1881,
Rizal went on a pilgrimage to the
town of Pakil, famous shrine of the
Birhen Maria de los Dolores. Hew
was accompanied by his sisters –
Saturnina, Maria and Trinidad and
their female friends
 Rizal and his companions were fascinated by the
famous turumba, the people dancing in the
streets during the procession in honor of the
miraculous Birhen Maria de los Dolores. As they
danced, the dancers sang:
 Turumba, Turumba,
Mariangga Matuwa tayo’t
masaya Sumayaw ng
turumba

 Puri sa Birhen Maria

 In Pakil, Rizal was infatuated by a pretty girl
colegiala named Vicenta Ybardolaza, who
skill played the harp at the Regalado home.
 From Pakil, Rizal and his party made a side
trip to Pagsanjan for two reasons- it was the
native town of Leonor Valenzuela and to
see the world famed Pagsanjan Falls.
 Years later Rizal mentioned the Turumba
in Chapter VI Of Noli Me Tangere and
Pagsanjan Falls in his travel diary (United
States – Saturday, May 12, 1888), where
he said that Niagara Falls was the
“greatest cascades I ever saw” but “not so
beautiful nor fine as the falls at Los Baños,
(sic) Pagsanjan”.
Champion of FilipinoStudents
 Rizal was the champion of the Filipino
students in their frequent fights. Arrogant
Spanish students who were often
surpassed by Filipinos in their class work
insultingly called their brown classmates
“Indio, chongo!”. In retaliation, the Filipino
students called them “Kastila, bangus!”.
 Rizal participated in these student
brawls. Owing to his skill in fencing,
his prowess in wrestling, and his
indomitable courage, he
distinguished himself in these student
skirmishes.
 In 1880, he founded a secret
society of Filipino students in
the University of Santo Tomas
called “Compaǹerismo”
(Comradeship), whose
members were called
“Companions of Jehu”, after
the Armaeans are ruled the
Kingdom of Israel for 28
years.
Companions of
Jehu
Rizal was the chief of his
secret student society,
with his cousin from
Batangas, Galiciano
Apacible, as secretary.
As chief, he led students
into combat aginst
Spanish students in
various street fights.
Unhappy Days at the UST
 Rizal was unhappy at this Dominican
institution of higher learning because (1)
the Dominican professors were hostile to
him, (2) the Filipino students were racially
discriminated against by the Spaniards,
and (3) the method of instruction was
obsolete and repressive
 Because of the unfriendly attitude of
his professors, the most brilliant
student of Ateneo, failed to win high
scholastic honors. Although his
grades in the first year of the
Philosophy course were all
“excellent”, they were not impressive
in the four years of his medical
course.
 His scholastic records in
the University of Santo
Tomas (1879-82) were
as follows

Rizal’s scholastic
records
 1877-1878 (Philosophy & Letters)

Cosmology & Metaphysics . . . . . . . . . . Excellent

Theodicy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Excellent
History of Philosophy . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . Excellent

1878-1879 (Medicine) - 1st Year

Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fair
Chemistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Excellent
Natural History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Good
Anatomy I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Good
Dissection I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Good
 1879-1880 (Medicine) - 2nd Year

Anatomy 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Good
Dissection 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Good
Physiology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Good
Private Hygiene .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Good
Public Hygiene. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Good

1880-1881 (Medicine) – 3rd Year

General Pathology . . . . . . . . . . Fair

Therapeutics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Excellent
Surgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Good
 1881-1882 (Medicine)- 4th Year

Medical Pathology . . . . . . . . . . Very Good

Surgical Pathology . . . . . . . . . . Very Good
Obstetrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Very Good
Decision to Study Abroad
 After finishing the fourth year of his
medical course, Rizal decided to study in
Spain. He could no longer endure the
rampant bigotry, discrimination and
hostility in the University of Santo Tomas.
His older brother readily approved his
going to Spain and so did his two sisters
Saturnina (Neneng) and Lucia, Uncle
Antonio Rivera, the Valenzuela family,
and some friends.