| Dr. Dexter Rebancos & Dr. Maritoni Abraham Caring for people’s health |
By Eunice Abraham
Their patients may know them as Dr. Abraham and Dr. Rebancos and their friends may know them as Marie
and Dex; but to me, they are simply Mom and Dad. My parents, Dr. Maritoni M. Abraham and Dr. Dexter R.
Rebancos, have been caring for patients in the Greater Milwaukee area for over a decade.
My mother was born and raised in Manila and obtained a B.S. in Chemistry at Far Eastern University (FEU),
where she met my dad. After FEU, she attended Our Lady of Fatima Medical School, graduating in 1986.
My dad, on the other hand, was born and raised in Bicol (southern-most region of Luzon). He travelled all the
way to Manila to pursue his undergraduate degree at FEU, and later, his medical degree, which he earned in
1986. He met my mom during his undergrad (and apparently kept in touch with her even after she transferred
to Our Lady of Fatima Medical School), and the rest is history.
Fortunately, my mom had family already settled in Wisconsin, so she and my dad were able to start a new
life in the United States. My mom visited her family in the U.S. a few times before finally settling here in
November 1988. My dad followed in 1990.
Although luckier than some who make the big move to the United States, starting a new life wasn’t easy for
my parents. As foreign graduates, they needed to fulfill requirements such as an internship and a Board exam.
They then had to take the United States Medical Lincensure exam (USMLE), a series of three exams needed
to prove that their training was equivalent to training in the United States.
Taking the USMLE is no cake walk. However, this isn’t the toughest battle for foreign graduates who want to
practice medicine.
“Passing is tough, then getting into residency for training is even tougher, because we are competing with U.
S. graduates who are the priority,” my mom said. Foreign graduates often end up doing residency in the
specialties that most U.S. graduates do not like.
Despite the many ups and downs, my parents persevered and were able to establish themselves in the
Greater Milwaukee area. My dad is a family practitioner and my mom practices child psychiatry. Both are very
passionate and interested in their field.
My dad wanted to do family practice, he said, “because I like taking care of the very young to adult, and
treating the whole family, and being their doctor as they age.”
“Psychiatry for me was interesting; listening to the different stories of their lives and making a difference,
through medicines and therapy,” my mom said. “Yes, we don’t touch our patients, but psychiatrists touch their
emotions and understand their pain.”
Not only do my parents love what they do, they also find their jobs very rewarding despite the long process
they endured to get to where they are today. Throughout all the continuing education that goes with shifting
medical trends, being on-call 24/7, and the risk of unpredicted outcomes, my parents find that the benefits
outweigh the downsides.
“We find it very rewarding when you can see the difference you can make in their life through healing,
whether it’s physical, emotional or psychological, which in an indirect way gives them hope for other things,”
my mom said.
My parents are devoted to providing care for the sick, whether in the Philippines or in the United States.
“I’ve always wanted to be of service to people and I enjoy social contact,” my mom said. “[I] believe that no
matter what the economic state of the country is, they will always need doctors.”
Likewise, my parents are proud to be Filipino doctors able to practice their profession in the U.S.
“As a Filipino doctor, practicing in America means a great deal, not only representing my country, but also
my school,” my mom said. “It does not matter where you graduate, you still can offer great service to people
anywhere and to anybody.”
My parents and other Filipino doctors like them not only represent the Philippines, but they also prove that
one does not need to be born in the country where he/she serves its citizens who are in need of care and be a
great doctor. My mom said practicing in the U.S. also proves the high quality of education and training in the
Philippines. “Even though our country is so small, it still produces good professionals,” she said.
Despite their success in the United States, my parents have not forgotten the beautiful island they came
from. My dad, who is the current president of the Philippine Medical Association of Wisconsin (PMA-W), went
on a medical mission to the Philippines early this year with various other doctors, nurses and volunteers. My
parents journeyed long and hard to be successful physicians in Wisconsin, and I am very proud to be the
daughter of Dr. Marie Abraham and Dr. Dexter Rebancos.
and Dex; but to me, they are simply Mom and Dad. My parents, Dr. Maritoni M. Abraham and Dr. Dexter R.
Rebancos, have been caring for patients in the Greater Milwaukee area for over a decade.
My mother was born and raised in Manila and obtained a B.S. in Chemistry at Far Eastern University (FEU),
where she met my dad. After FEU, she attended Our Lady of Fatima Medical School, graduating in 1986.
My dad, on the other hand, was born and raised in Bicol (southern-most region of Luzon). He travelled all the
way to Manila to pursue his undergraduate degree at FEU, and later, his medical degree, which he earned in
1986. He met my mom during his undergrad (and apparently kept in touch with her even after she transferred
to Our Lady of Fatima Medical School), and the rest is history.
Fortunately, my mom had family already settled in Wisconsin, so she and my dad were able to start a new
life in the United States. My mom visited her family in the U.S. a few times before finally settling here in
November 1988. My dad followed in 1990.
Although luckier than some who make the big move to the United States, starting a new life wasn’t easy for
my parents. As foreign graduates, they needed to fulfill requirements such as an internship and a Board exam.
They then had to take the United States Medical Lincensure exam (USMLE), a series of three exams needed
to prove that their training was equivalent to training in the United States.
Taking the USMLE is no cake walk. However, this isn’t the toughest battle for foreign graduates who want to
practice medicine.
“Passing is tough, then getting into residency for training is even tougher, because we are competing with U.
S. graduates who are the priority,” my mom said. Foreign graduates often end up doing residency in the
specialties that most U.S. graduates do not like.
Despite the many ups and downs, my parents persevered and were able to establish themselves in the
Greater Milwaukee area. My dad is a family practitioner and my mom practices child psychiatry. Both are very
passionate and interested in their field.
My dad wanted to do family practice, he said, “because I like taking care of the very young to adult, and
treating the whole family, and being their doctor as they age.”
“Psychiatry for me was interesting; listening to the different stories of their lives and making a difference,
through medicines and therapy,” my mom said. “Yes, we don’t touch our patients, but psychiatrists touch their
emotions and understand their pain.”
Not only do my parents love what they do, they also find their jobs very rewarding despite the long process
they endured to get to where they are today. Throughout all the continuing education that goes with shifting
medical trends, being on-call 24/7, and the risk of unpredicted outcomes, my parents find that the benefits
outweigh the downsides.
“We find it very rewarding when you can see the difference you can make in their life through healing,
whether it’s physical, emotional or psychological, which in an indirect way gives them hope for other things,”
my mom said.
My parents are devoted to providing care for the sick, whether in the Philippines or in the United States.
“I’ve always wanted to be of service to people and I enjoy social contact,” my mom said. “[I] believe that no
matter what the economic state of the country is, they will always need doctors.”
Likewise, my parents are proud to be Filipino doctors able to practice their profession in the U.S.
“As a Filipino doctor, practicing in America means a great deal, not only representing my country, but also
my school,” my mom said. “It does not matter where you graduate, you still can offer great service to people
anywhere and to anybody.”
My parents and other Filipino doctors like them not only represent the Philippines, but they also prove that
one does not need to be born in the country where he/she serves its citizens who are in need of care and be a
great doctor. My mom said practicing in the U.S. also proves the high quality of education and training in the
Philippines. “Even though our country is so small, it still produces good professionals,” she said.
Despite their success in the United States, my parents have not forgotten the beautiful island they came
from. My dad, who is the current president of the Philippine Medical Association of Wisconsin (PMA-W), went
on a medical mission to the Philippines early this year with various other doctors, nurses and volunteers. My
parents journeyed long and hard to be successful physicians in Wisconsin, and I am very proud to be the
daughter of Dr. Marie Abraham and Dr. Dexter Rebancos.
A family photo taken last Christmas