Rabiya Mateo Is Going Back To School At 29 To Pursue Her Dream Of Becoming A Doctor

"At 29, I feel like I'm a kid fulfilling her dreams, and this is an opportunity for me to have a round two for my studies." That's how Rabiya Mateo described this new chapter of her life in an interview with The Flame, the official student publication of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Faculty of Arts and Letters. She shared the reflection as she officially begins her journey as a medical student at UST.

And if you've kept up with Rabiya, you'll know that becoming a doctor isn't a random career pivot. Long before she won Miss Universe Philippines 2020 and entered showbiz, medicine had already been part of her plan. In fact, she completed a degree in Physical Therapy as her pre-med course in 2018.

Now, as she returns to school, Rabiya is making it clear that she's not letting society's expectations dictate what her life should look like. In an interview with The Varsitarian, the official student publication of UST, she opened up about choosing to pursue her dream instead of worrying about the milestones people often expect women to prioritize.

"I hope that I can inspire more women to continue their dreams, to go back to school, and continue their calling. At my age, society expects me to get married, to have kids. That is the usual track, but I really want to break that stigma, and I really want to live a good life for myself," she said.

While Rabiya spent the last few years working hard in pageantry and the entertainment industry, becoming a doctor remained a calling she never truly let go of.

"Don't listen to this world because this world is cruel. Listen to that voice inside your head telling you that you can do it. Regardless of how big or how small that dream is, if it's gonna make you a better person and it's gonna help you serve your community, do it," she added.

Rabiya has been preparing for this moment for quite some time. Back in March 2026, she passed the NMAT and placed in the Top 1% of examinees nationwide. Now, she officially became one of the 602 freshmen of UST's Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, with classes beginning this August.

But even before school started, Rabiya had already begun preparing for this new chapter, including stepping back from showbiz to fully focus on medical school. Now that classes have officially begun, she’s sticking to that decision.

"I'm setting aside show business. If it's for me, who knows, after med school, it's still there. But my sole focus is now with my studies. I'm not going to do things at the same time," she told The Varsitarian.

For Rabiya, medicine is more than a dream career. It's also deeply personal. Part of her motivation comes from wanting to follow her dad's footsteps, better understand her own experiences with mental health, and eventually use her knowledge to help others. ICYDK, Rabiya revealed that she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and anxiety distress in 2025.

Despite knowing how demanding the journey ahead will be, she's choosing to meet it with the same determination that carried her through pageantry and entertainment.

"Now that I'm going to be entering med school, I still wish to be as hopeful and as delusional as I was before, because I don't want to just stop thinking that I'm going to be a doctor and that's it," she said.

For Rabiya, this new chapter is proof that dreams don't always follow a straight timeline. While many people may expect her to focus on settling down, she's choosing to focus on something else for now: finally becoming the doctor she's always wanted to be. 🩺✨