Dr. Geraldine Zamora-Racaza is taking a year off. And after graduating cum laude from the UP College of Medicine last May, then placing second in the Board Exams last August, she certainly deserves that break.

By the time you read this, the tall twenty-seven year old will have gotten married last November. “All I really want is someone who’s kind-hearted. Mabait sa janitor, sa pusa, yung ganoon. And now I’m getting married to my first boyfriend. We’ve been together for a year and a half.” A happy ending for someone who shared that she would have been content to be an old maid.

Turning a little serious, Geraldine shares that she has always dreamt of being a doctor. “It’s been my dream since I was a little girl, maybe because there are no doctors in my family,” she shrugs, “I really can’t imagine myself in any other profession, but I need this year off to reflect on what field to specialize in. I’m leaning towards cardiology though.”

Taking up Physical Therapy at the University of Santo Tomas as her pre-med, she was pressured by many to go UST all the way for med proper. “Transferring to UP College of Medicine was one of the biggest decisions I had to make. But because the opportunity was there, I decided to see for myself why so many people wanted to get in.”

And for someone who didn’t really want to get into UP, she sure ended her stay there with a bang: not only did she graduate cum laude, she was also class valedictorian and was awarded Most Outstanding Intern and Most Outstanding Medical Graduate.

But one thing special about her is her love for dance. “My mom tells me I’ve been dancing since I could walk,” she laughs, “Today, I dance modern jazz, a bit of Latin dance and street.” It’s no wonder then that she became president of UP MedRhythmics, a dance troupe that was only officially recognized by the school when they started winning inter-school dance competitions.

And it was a combination of her love for dance and the compassion that made her a doctor that led to an event that holds a special place in her heart. “One of my most fulfilling achievements so far is spearheading a concert called Melangé,” she says, “Melangé –which is French for “mixture”—was a mixture of talents in the form of song, dance, and art, all roled into a presentation with the end goal of providing not only entertainment, but also help for our patients.”

It took three organizations to put up the event: UP MedRhythmics, UP Medicine Choir, and UP MediCine. For Geraldine, the three organizations share a common goal. “Basically, we want to use art as a means of being of service to the Filipino people.”

All 21 members of UP MedRhythmics performed in Melangé, showing their prowess in different kinds of dance, such as modern jazz, hiphop, ballroom, cheerdance, street, and even interpretative dance. They were joined by the UP Medicine Choir, which has won consecutive inter-med school competitions, to the point that they were banned from joining next year just so other schools could have a chance. UP MediCine, a new organization in the UP College of Medicine, showcased their artistic talents through the event’s backdrops and video clips shown during dance intervals.

The funds raised by the benefit concert were given to Palliative Care (PAL Care), a non-profit organization that gives palliative support to terminally-ill patients in the Philippine General Hospital.

That first concert was so successful that it became a tradition of sorts to hold similar events. Melangé II is in the works this coming March. It will be held at the PhilAm Theater on U.N. Avenue and promises to offer more variety in its repertoire. The event will still be for the benefit of terminally-ill patients through the help of PAL Care.

While Geraldine may be busy adjusting to her new life as a married woman, one thing is for sure: her love for dance and compassion for others has surely set the ball rolling. As she says, “It doesn’t mean that even if you’re young, you can’t help. You can always help in your own small way.”

And with the right balance of beauty, brains, and bright personality, Dr. Geraldine Zamora-Racaza is sure to help this world in very big ways.