From wearing a pageant crown to preparing for a career in medicine, Rabiya Mateo is proving that some dreams simply take time.
The Miss Universe Philippines 2020 titleholder has officially begun her medical school journey at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), entering the university’s Faculty of Medicine and Surgery as she works toward her longtime goal of becoming a doctor. Reports from ABS-CBN, GMA News, Philstar.com, The Varsitarian, and other Philippine outlets confirm that Mateo has started her first year at UST this August.
At 29, Mateo is embarking on a path that she had envisioned years ago—but one she previously had to put on hold while building a career and helping support her family.
From physical therapy graduate to beauty queen—and now medical student
Before she became a household name through pageantry and entertainment, Mateo already had a background in the health sciences.
She earned a physical therapy degree from Iloilo Doctors’ College and had long expressed her desire to become a physician. According to an interview with The Varsitarian, Mateo said becoming a doctor had been a dream since her younger years, including an aspiration influenced by her father.
However, financial responsibilities forced her to take a different route first.
Mateo explained that she needed to help provide for her mother and brothers, leading her to work before eventually entering pageantry and show business.
That decision ultimately took her to one of the biggest stages in the world.
Miss Universe Philippines crown changed everything
Mateo won the Miss Universe Philippines 2020 crown and went on to represent the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2020 competition, where she finished as a Top 21 semifinalist.
Her pageant success opened the door to a career in entertainment, where she took on acting, hosting and other showbiz projects.
But while the spotlight became part of her life, the dream of becoming a doctor never completely disappeared.
Now, years after earning her first degree, Mateo is returning to school to pursue medicine.
She didn’t just enter med school—she made headlines with her NMAT score
One of the biggest indicators that Mateo was serious about medicine came months before her UST enrollment.
In March 2026, Mateo’s National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) performance became a major talking point after she reportedly earned a 741 General Performance Score, placing her in the 99th percentile/top 1% of examinees. ABS-CBN, GMA News and PhilSTAR L!fe all reported on the impressive result.
The score even sparked humorous comparisons online to the viral fictional character Linda Walker, but behind the internet buzz was a serious academic achievement.
Her NMAT result helped reinforce that her decision to pursue medicine was more than a celebrity side project—it was a long-term goal she was actively preparing for.
Why Rabiya chose UST
Mateo ultimately chose the University of Santo Tomas for medical school, a decision she described as meaningful because of the institution’s long history in medicine.
In an interview with The Varsitarian, she pointed to UST’s legacy and its connection to national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, who studied medicine there.
For Mateo, becoming part of that tradition represents more than simply earning another degree. It is a chance to finally pursue the profession she had envisioned for herself years earlier.
A new uniform, a new chapter
Photos shared through UST-related publications showed Mateo wearing the official uniform of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery as she participated in activities marking the start of the academic year.
She also attended the Thomasian Welcome Rites on August 13, marking the beginning of her life as a medical student.
Her boyfriend, actor Jake Cuenca, has also publicly shown his support for Mateo’s new chapter. Earlier reports noted his excitement after she was accepted into UST’s medical program, while more recent coverage showed him cheering her on as she began school.
Rabiya’s message: You can have more than one dream
Perhaps the most striking part of Mateo’s transition is that she does not see medicine as an abandonment of everything she accomplished before.
Instead, she sees it as another dream added to an already unconventional journey.
“You can have a lot of dreams in your life,” Mateo said in an interview cited by The Varsitarian and other outlets. She emphasized that having one goal does not mean a person has to give up every other ambition.
That message may be what makes her latest chapter resonate beyond the celebrity world.
Mateo is not starting over from zero. She is bringing with her a health-sciences background, years of work experience, a pageant career, entertainment experience and a hard-earned academic milestone.
Now comes perhaps her most demanding challenge yet.
The crown is no longer the goal.
The white coat is.
And if her NMAT performance is any indication, Rabiya Mateo is entering this next chapter with something more than ambition—she has already shown that she has the academic drive to compete.
From Miss Universe Philippines to medical school, Mateo’s story is a reminder that a delayed dream is not necessarily a forgotten one. Sometimes, it is simply waiting for the right time.
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