Tuesday, August 5, 2008

I AM (LEGEND) doctor


i am a member of pinoymd yahoogroups, and there has been a long email thread recently about the plight of doctors (salary, status, hirap ng buhay). I dont know if i met Carl during residency, but i sure can relate to him on the realities of training in that big hospital sa Taft Ave. Here's my response to his post.

and btw, this is not a will-smith-wannabe-post :-)

Dear Carl,

Wow, i wasnt able to read this the first time. It is a sad reality that not all of us are "Anak ng Diyos", people have the general notion that all Doctors are on the top tier of the society (financial-wise). And even if you want to tell them that we're no different from all the fresh graduates of the University, it's just hard to change such an established notion.

The truth is, having a diploma, additional two letters at the end of our name (and probably a few more post residency) a white coat and a stet hanging on our shoulders are not 100% ticket to success. We still have to work our way up and climb the long ladder to success.

The harsh reality of our economy not only affects the tambays in the kanto, the millions of mang pandoy and the countless indays. Doctors are not immune to experience the difficulties of establishing a practice.

On a positive note, we studied so many years to attain doctorhood. We met so many people along the way. All the prelims, midterms, removals, practicals, decuries and board exam made us logical people. So i'm sure all of us can pass this chapter of struggle in our career. In the end, its the benefit we contribute to the society that makes a mark to the lives of people we have touched and healed. One patient at a time.

Carl, hope you're all good in the new path you have chosen. Doctors are survivors. And to all of us, keep evolving, tandaan mo, hindi ka nag-iisa. Kudos Carl for this great contribution.

rheiboy17

24 comments:

Panaderos said...

Great post. It's truly one's actions and contributions that make a person, not just one's title. Respect and credibility are two things that must be earned in any profession.

I take my hat off to you and your colleagues who continue to serve our country in spite of all the challenges and difficulties you face on a day-to-day basis. Mabuhay kayo!

rheiboy17 said...

panaderos: thanks. and i'm sure you're making us proud on the other side of the earth. Mabuhay Ka rin at ang iba pang mga Pilipino sa buong mundo.

btw, around 10 million filipinos are now overseas (roughly 10% of our population).

and yes, tumaas na ang pandesal at tinapay ayon sa balita kagabi. haaay.

tuloy ang buhay.

Anonymous said...

i agree. no matter how many letters you add to your name, it just won't make you who you want to be because there is no magic in those name extenders, it's just you. on a sad note, you know what, i am not the biggest fan of doctors because most i've been with at the hospital have this i'm-god mentality. nakakainis bakit sila lang ba ang anak ng diyos! haynako!

Anonymous said...

and oh, i'll add you to my links. do the same if you can! lol. you seem to be unlike the doctors i have here. lol

rheiboy17 said...

prinsesamusang: araykupo. just like any other profession, may tunay, meron hindi. may masungit at may mabait. yung mga nakasalamuha mo na doctor, pagpasensiyahan mo na. ako na ang humihingi ng paumanhin for them.

pero there are great doctors that really make a difference. our oath is to first, do no harm. and i will forever follow ang aming sinumpaang sumpa (redundant na ba?)

hehehe, salamat sa pagbisita.

rheiboy17 said...

prinsesa musang: opo, nilagay ko na ang site mo sa favorites ko. i placed all the blogs i visited in my favorites, kaso sa IE na yun naka save, saka ko na iedit ang site ko. :-)

hanggang sa muling pagbisita, meow!

lei said...

pedia ka nga pala. ayan, may mahihingan na ko ng advise (for free?) haha. joke lang.

saludo ako sa inyong mga doctors. promise! favorite ko nga ang haus md at grey's anatomy..

sana magkaron din ng ganung tv series dito saten para marealize ng iba yung other side of being a doctor. i mean.. yung mga good side. kase nga yung iba hindi talaga maganda ang iniiwang impression sa mga patients nila. kalungkot lang na nadadamay ang mga tulad nyong nasa puso ang propesyon. :)

lucas said...

yeah...my professor in college once told me that establishing a name as a doctor is very hard indeed...some md's usually take nursing in the process...

anyway...my endorphins are overflowing right now...hehe...thanks for your comment.

rheiboy17 said...

roneiluke: establishing a name in whatever field is hard. we just have to keep our cool and stay focused.

siempre bisitahin ko post mo lagi. malakas ka saken eh.

Anonymous said...

hey, i'll spread the word to my doc friends ;-) thanks for dropping by my blog and for your comment. and i do hope you're human. hahaha!

rheiboy17 said...

caryn: wag kang mag alala, tao po ako. thanks for dropping by also. nilagay ko na blogsite mo sa favorites. saka ko na lang i edit yung blog roll ko.

Michelle said...

wow, nice post! gusto ko pa naman mag doktor dati. kala ko yayaman ako pag maging doktor na ako. hehe hirap pa rin pala maging doktor ano? mahal na ang tuition tapos hirap pang maka graduate sa daming chapters na dapat basahin. kailangang magsunog talaga ng kilay para makatapos ng doktor. pero at least, ok pakinggan kung ang tawag sayo eh Dok. hehe Anyways, hindi ko talaga pinalampas ang bagong news sa buhay ko. salamat sa pag drop by sa maliit kong bahay. :)

rheiboy17 said...

michelle: ganyan talaga ang buhay. kahit doctor, tao rin. ika nga ng biyenan ni johnny puruntong - magsumikap ka! hehehe. sa doctor ganun din, kailangan magsumikap dahil walang instant success.

michelle, malamang buntis ka na! congratulations!!!!

[chocoley] said...

Hey nice post, tht's really a diff process to do. Good thing I have couple more months to finish my college, and earn some grands for a living :)

rheiboy17 said...

dazedblu*: thanks for visiting. yup. i really agree that processes differ from one field to another.

congratulations, lapit ka ng magtapos. stay focused. your diploma is just one weapon to attain success, haluan mo na rin ng swerte, panalangin, tiwala sa sarili at diskarte. :-)

[chocoley] said...

Oh thanks abt it :)

Btw. Teens? No it's okay may Osacars for plu, hihi :) and wth, at hindi mo pa napapanood ang Juno? Eh may kopya ka na. :P

duke said...

ayoko magkoment. baka humaba lang nang husto ang koment na ito. at mamura ko na naman ang gobyerno.

hay.

buhay.

rheiboy17 said...

duke: aba, tamang tama ang itsura ng profile mo sa comment. grrrrrr.

:-) sya sya, kumukulo ang dugo mo. hinay hinay lang.

grrrrr.

Anonymous said...

I really admire doctors because of their passion to heal and cure, which is the main motivation of their ambition. Hopefully things will change in Pinas for the better for our medical doctors. WE NEED THEM - BADLY at that.

rheiboy17 said...

bw: i definitely agree, i just read that to date, around 10,000 doctors have already shifted to nursing (99% passing rate) and 6,000 of them have left the country already to practice as RNs.

We badly need doctors here. sigh.

[chocoley] said...

Nuh.. updates?

rheiboy17 said...

dazedblu*: my apologies, a bit busy with work (yeah i know, excuses, excuses, excuses)

rheiboy17 said...

lei: i read your comment. salamat. sige, tanong ka lang, i can provide my medical opinion anytime. :-)

rheiboy17 said...

lei: i read your comment. salamat. sige, tanong ka lang, i can provide my medical opinion anytime. :-)