JUST READ AND CARRY ON

Medicine is a one big process. The concepts to know, terms to memorize and pages to read are truly overwhelming. It took me 5 years from graduating in College (2013) to pursue my dream. At 27, here I am wondering whether or not I made the right decision and whether or not I can survive the rigor of the training. My first year is filled with the greatest hurdle. I have not yet fully adjusted to the demands of my course and the pathway to Medicine is not yet clear to me. I am just drawing support to a God I know.   In the literal sense, I was broken several times—most especially in my grades and performance. I have read my books, understood the principle, memorized facts and worked hard for my subjects. But nothing seems enough. I still failed in my Anatomy. This is the subject so unfamiliar, bizarre and complicated for me. I tried hard enough to know but my brain is slow to process the image, as if it is rejecting the idea of cadavers, anatomical positions, related injuries an...

The joy of being alive is incomparable despite poverty, struggles, torture and pain. It isn’t easy to experience difficulties, but still it is worth the fight.   Every single moment of our life is a reminder of the unending grace God has bestowed upon us. The continuous battle you and I are facing will never come to an end, because tests and life lessons persist until death. Only death and God can judge us whether we have used our talents and time wisely breathing on this complex yet beautiful World created by our Divine Designer. As the year is coming to an end, we remember the good deeds we have done for ourselves, family, neighbors and society.   Have we done enough to love ourselves and let that love radiate towards others? Did we heal ourselves of our wounds and hatred so that we may be able to heal others in the process? Have we forgiven ourselves for the mistakes committed so that we may be able to forgive those who have hurt us? Because love starts within us; men...

My five months in Medical School was a roller-coaster ride. The joy of being with like-minded people, surrounded by passionate classmates and having strong support from each other has enormously brought me euphoria. I am happy with the company of these people. Theirs is innocence, friendship and happiness. Honestly, I have never been in this kind of Chemistry with people. I am usually the isolated, silent, low-key, socially-indifferent man. But here I am rediscovering myself, my values, my priorities and my principles. I thank God with tears of joy for allowing me to meet these kinds of people in my life. At least to a certain degree, I was changed. Sometimes I literally want to cry during review sessions and after examinations. The demands of academic pressure are overpowering often times.   The voluminous information to be retained after reading is unpleasantly difficult to process. My self-worth has been scarred and this has brought me to tears in most cases. Breakdowns do...

Majority of my time in the Christmas season is just like the ordinary. Rarely have I enjoyed this special period of the year. While for many, especially the children are looking forward for the excitement of this joyous season, I felt less Christmas. Probably, I am too hard on myself not to appreciate the love, kindness, care, carols, generosity of the people around me. I am too engrossed with my life, I failed to see and share what I have and who I am every season of the year. The essence of this year is remembering Jesus’ birth. His was (and still is) a world of love, compassion, mercy, generosity and kindness. The humility of his birth and his presence will always be celebrated in many forms. This season we are asked to extend our gifts of love, caring, kindness, patience not only to our family members but also to strangers, community members especially the vulnerable population, marginalized and needy. With commercialization in this modern time, it seems that Christmas ha...

Getting into medicine is one thing, but staying and thriving in the program is another. The difficulty of this course can not be overemphasized. One who has a low frustration level will not tolerate the voluminous and comprehensive amount of information to learn and memorize. Patience and industry (from an ordinary medical student point of view) is required to stay alive in the program. Every single day your stamina is tested. As a student from a lower socio-economic background, balancing finances and studying for all these exams are equally challenging. Needless to say, excruciating pain and cries (in the literal sense) has enveloped my core. In spite of these, I am drawing energy from Divine Providence. My strong connection to a Spiritual Being is not an understatement. In the school that I am enrolled in, our first year grading system is extensively dependent on term examinations. Majority of our subjects does not give any quizzes nor other source of point system to pull us ...

Welcome to the world of cadavers. Anatomy dissection, formalin-exposed medical students will be leaving here in a while. These creatures who bravely donated their bodies for the advancement of scientific learning are commendable. They deserved to be accepted on the gates to heaven, cleansing their earthly sins. The sight of dead people perfectly preserved in a fluid of formaldehyde. The smell of rotten rats stinking on your sanitary nostrils. The noise of your classmates destructing your concentration. Everything falls out of perspective. I have no idea what to do with these bodies, not having enough knowledge and competency is never an excused in the life of a medical student. This is not college expecting spoon-fed materials and receiving instructions and supervisions most of the time. Working independently under minimal supervision is not uncommon practice in this setting. I am not shocked to see all these bodies lying around waiting to be explored. Since this is still...

08.23.18. Freshmen orientation. 9AM-4PM/ 08.24.18. General Assembly 8:00-12:00 Excitement to unknown things, anxious of being together, noise, silence, awkward moments. What more can you expect from this orientation? Personally, I wasn’t feeling true and good to myself on this very day. Lots of emotions going on and wasn’t feeling very fresh. Although our seniors were welcoming and inviting, I wasn’t still convinced that I am finally here in this hallway at this hour. The plenary room was not overly decorated, the chairs were orderly arranged, and the air-conditioning temperature set in moderation. Keep in mind, this is Tuguegarao how hot can it get? We were introduced to some faculty; the dean had his words regarding school policies, scholarships, rules, regulations and somehow tips on surviving this rigorous training. A thorough discussion regarding rules and academic policies of the institution was facilitated by the Basic Medical Head and Secretary Dr. Bernal.  The so...

The homily session delivered by no other than Rev. Fr. Ranhillo Aquino was relevant and insightful. He gave an analogy of having a driver’s license yet being put in no good use. What you do with your license is more important than having the license per se. In like manner, having a diploma or certification is futile if not utilized for the benefit of many. Converting the paper into something beneficial to create an impact to the community, the family, or the public is a challenge to us (the graduates). For graduation according to him is not the end of the life long journey. The grades does not even matter to say the least. He stated that the word graduation was derived from the latin word gradus meaning steps or increments. Just like a ladder or probably a graduated cylinder, graduation connotes a degree of measure. The graduates are one step away from their previous circumstance. Having been imbued with the right sets of skills and knowledge to face the reality of life, graduates a...

So ayun isa akong pharmacist, matalino may honor na grumaduate noong College sa magandang Private University, scholar pa ako mga bes. Nagtatrabaho na ako ngayon bilang isang Instructor sa isang Unibersidad sa North Luzon. Dati nagtrabaho ako bilang LabTech sa UB ng 6 na buwan bago ako nag board exam at pumasok bilang pharmacist samalaking drugstore. Nag enjoy ako ng 1.5 years sa trabaho bilang retail pharmacist. Pagkatapos noon ay nag resign ako dahil naboboring na ako sa paulit ulit na ginagawa—nagtitinda ng gamot, nagiinventory ng mga expired medicines and hinahanap yung mga nawawalang gamot—mga usual na gawain sa Pharmacy. Then, nag DOH ako. Bilang isang supervising pharmacist, iniikot ko  ang buong probinsya sa North Luzon. Lahat ng 9 na rural health units nito ay pinupuntahan ko. Nag stay ako doon ng 2 to 3 nights, kinakausap ang mga tauhan ng RHU, yung doctor, yung midwife, nagiinventory kung saan ginagamit ang mga gamot na binibigay ng gobyerno, etc. Okay naman ako sa ganon...

As a novice cycling enthusiast (albeit the incomplete gear and old bicycle I used), I had the pleasure of visiting the entire 42 plus barangays of the City. From the plains of Agbannawag, the beautiful curves of Nambaran and Tuga to Masablang, the rolling hills of Bulo, Malalao and neighboring barangays, the roller coaster mountain hills of Naneng and the scenic, beautiful roads of Balong-Dilag constitutes the impressive power of the four districts of the City. Rice, corn, mango, bananas, coffee, coconuts are everywhere in the places. Wide, monstrous roads showcasing the engineering of highways greet everyone with a fresh view.  Located strategically in between mountains, the valley of Tabuk with several plateaus is truly a blessing in disguise. The tapestry is too much of an art, intricately weaved and crafted by nature in such an impeccable way. Travelling along the neat roads provide one with euphoria that is unnerving to a novice cycler. The adventure is worth the effort...