the calendar says it's Halloween today.
so ano ngayon?
my calendar says FD ako ngayon and then tomorrow OD ako.... at sa Medical Ward na ko magdu-duty....
yun pa, may saysay na calendar entry.
happy birthday ate nice! :)
Friday, October 31, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
what i'm learning in NICU
Since October 16 until the 31st, I'm rotating at the NICU or the neonatal intensive care unit. Here we get to take care of the neonates, or the newborns, right after they leave their mommy's tummies. I used to hate this department because unlike other girls i know, i have never been fond of babies. I don't go coochy-coochy-gaga over them. I don't even know how to hold them. I thought (and i still do, but with more humor and less loathing) that newborns are like little worms... all they do is squirm and squirt and scream... hahaha. Now, it's been 10 days since i've been exposed to these little creatures and i'm starting to think that they might not be so bad after all. :)
Before Medicine, i have never held a newborn in my arms. Call it ignorance, fear or loathing or just plain lack of exposure to babies, but i have never willingly, voluntarily held a newborn in my arms just for the sake of holding. A few days ago, i picked up one of my patients because she was crying... I picked her up and sang to her... And then she quieted down... and slept in my arms. And if i was anywhere other than the NICU at that time, I would have burst into tears. That scene has been repeated several times. And each experience leaves me reeling with new feelings that i have yet to make sense of. I guess whatever instincts are in me are being brought to the fore these days.
One thing i know: these babies have wormed their way into my heart. Though i doubt that I'd be leaning towards Pediatrics when the time comes for me to choose. At least i don't fear or loathe the babies now like i used to.
God bless the children. They remind me of how i should be towards my Father in heaven. Dependent, trusting, easily comforted, content just to be held close. Unquestioning, non-judgmental.
God bless the mothers. And God be with those who try to end the lives of the children growing inside them. God have mercy on those who have succeeded in doing so. God bless those who chose not to.
Before Medicine, i have never held a newborn in my arms. Call it ignorance, fear or loathing or just plain lack of exposure to babies, but i have never willingly, voluntarily held a newborn in my arms just for the sake of holding. A few days ago, i picked up one of my patients because she was crying... I picked her up and sang to her... And then she quieted down... and slept in my arms. And if i was anywhere other than the NICU at that time, I would have burst into tears. That scene has been repeated several times. And each experience leaves me reeling with new feelings that i have yet to make sense of. I guess whatever instincts are in me are being brought to the fore these days.
One thing i know: these babies have wormed their way into my heart. Though i doubt that I'd be leaning towards Pediatrics when the time comes for me to choose. At least i don't fear or loathe the babies now like i used to.
God bless the children. They remind me of how i should be towards my Father in heaven. Dependent, trusting, easily comforted, content just to be held close. Unquestioning, non-judgmental.
God bless the mothers. And God be with those who try to end the lives of the children growing inside them. God have mercy on those who have succeeded in doing so. God bless those who chose not to.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Movie lines quizzes, copied from K...
1. Pick 15 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them on your blog for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. Looking them up is cheating, please don’t cheat.
2. Things never happen the same way twice, dear one.
3. You said, uh - You said you hated me, and there was something in there about how the only way you'd ever touch me again was if you came down with leprosy.
4. We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?
5. Girl: What do you want to be married to me for, anyhow?
Boy: So I can kiss you anytime I want.
6. I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
7. I want adventure in the great wide somewhere. I want it more than I can tell. And for once it might be grand, to have someone understand... I want so much more than they've got planned.
8. "Ohana" means "family." "Family" means "no one gets left behind." But if you want to leave, you can. I'll remember you though. I remember everyone that leaves.
9. The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.
10. But the things that matter. We've pretended for some time now that you're a part of this family, haven't we? You've come to mean so much to us all that now, it doesn't matter if it's true. And even if it isn't true, even if that can never be... I need to go on pretending... until the end... with you.
11. I thought Tristan would never live to be an old man. I was wrong about that. I was wrong about many things. It was those who loved him most who died young. He was a rock they broke themselves against however much he tried to protect them.
12. Just 'cause you're beautiful, that doesn't mean that you can treat people like they don't matter.
13. There must be something between us, even if it's only an ocean.
14. I love you. I've loved you for nine years, I've just been too arrogant and scared to realize it, and... well, now I'm just scared. So, I realize this comes at a very inopportune time but I really have this gigantic favor to ask of you. Choose me. Marry me. Let me make you happy. Oh, that sounds like three favors, doesn't it?
15. In case I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time tonight.
OD, FD and OC...
Ayan, ito ang second part ng medical schooling na laging tinatanong saken and sadyang hindi maintindihan ng nanay ko, among others. Hehe..
4th year in our Medical College is Internship/Clerkship year. This is the year before graduation, where we get to be the fleas in the hospital. We are the lowest creatures in the planet of Health Providing and we do the paper work and scut work needed like getting the xrays, filling up discharge forms, monitoring a patient every hour pag toxic sya and all the menial stuff that Residents don't do. We get to hold the retractors for hours during an operation, and if the Surgeon finds you capable, he may even let you put in a stitch or two. And that is a big IF. Hahaha. As Dr. de los Reyes reminded us last Saturday, we don't have the right yet to practice medicine. Everything we order in the charts stems from the authority given to us by the Residents.
Ang buhay namin as Clerks/Junior Interns ay umiikot lang sa tatlong status: OD, FD at OC.
ON DUTY (OD) - and duty hours mo ay 24 hours. We sign in at 730am of, say, Monday, and we sign out at 730am of Tuesday. You don't really get a lunch break. Or designated sleeping time. IF nothing is happening at the ER or anywhere ka posted, then one of you can take turns eating pero you shouldn't take too long kase nga you're supposed to be always at your post for the entirety of that 24 hours. You can't leave hospital premises for the entire day. Masaya kami pag walang "toxic" na patient (meaning hindi pa sya likely to die in the next 24hours) kase mejo nakakatulog kami sa gabi.
FROM DUTY (FD) - also known as Post Duty. This is the day where you function mainly on auto-pilot. You are officially bangag and you should not get near anything more complicated than a light switch. Hahahaha. Perks: 8 hours na lang ang duty mo. From 730am of one day to 5pm na lang of that same day. And you are the last call in anything. Pero, ito yung day after you were On Duty. So continuing the example kanina na kunyari Monday ka OD, so Tuesday ka na FD. You sign out at 730am diba pero you sign in again immediately at 730am again as FD. So in effect... 32hours kang nasa hospital.... (Gets ba yon?) Pero pag FD ka, you get 12noon to 130pm off. So you get a lunch break where you can get off hospital premises and go home to your dorm and take a much needed bath. Mag-ingat ka lang at wag lumapit muna sa kama dahil instant ang tulog na aabutin mo pag humiga ka at usually di ka makakagising before 130pm. Ang responsibility mo as FD is mostly paperworks (except sa Dept of Surgery kung saan walang kaibahan ang mga status, harhar) kase nga bangag ka na by this time, at pwede kang magtulog-tulog sa wards... Pag nagkataon na may Rounds sa araw na yon... gudlak na lang sayo. Smile and wave ka na lang sa Consultant.
ON CALL (OC) - as the status indicates, you are on call from 730am to 5pm of that same day. So kung Monday ka OD, Tuesday ka FD, then Wednesday ka OC. Supposedly, well rested ka before you came in kase FD ka naman the previous day. On this day, dakila kang alalay ng mga On Duty and everybody else in the hospital. (Although lahat ng interns ay dakilang alalay ng lahat ng tao everyday, pinaka-dakila ka sa lahat sa araw na ito... hahahaha.) Ikaw ang taga-hatid and sundo sa mga patients sa Xray at CT scan or ultrasound. Ikaw taga-hanap ng mga films, taga sulat ng mga IV fluids to follow sa mga charts sa mga floors, taga-sunod ng kahit anong iutos ng mga taong mas malakas ang boses sayo. hehe. After 5pm, uwi ka na at matulog dahil kinabukasan.... On Duty ka na ulit.
So if you can still remember, OD ka ng Monday, FD ka Tuesday, OC ka Wednesday... OD ka nanaman ulit ng Thursday, then FD on Friday, OC on Saturday and so on for the entire 365 days of duty.. Paikot-ikot lang yon, pabalik balik. Walang day off. Pero, pag FD or OC ka on a Sunday or Holiday, ang hours of duty mo ay from 8am to 10am lang. Iiwan nyo na lahat ng On Duty sa hospital after that. So kawawa ka pag Sunday or Holiday ka On Duty.
May mga Departments na hindi OD, FD, OC ang status. Sa NICU, Anesth, and Ortho ay OD, FD lang ang mga status. So ibig sabihin, you go on 32hours straight duty days. For your entire rotation there, every other day ka lang makakauwi ng bahay para maligo... Eeeewww.... Hahaha.... Monday OD then Tuesday FD ka na. Tapos OD ka ulit sa Wednesday, then FD sa Thursday. Ganon lang until matapos ang rotation na yon.
Sa ER naman... OD, FD lang din ang status pero pag FD ka, you're not expected to report at the hospital. It's like a day off. It's the only department with a day off. Pero buong araw ka rin naman tulog on that day. Dito ako from october 1 to 15. I think i already wrote about that previously....
In effect, we go on 32hours straight na duty, then 8hours. Daig pa namin ang call center people sa duty-han. Pero daig nila kami kase may bayad sila, at malaki pa. Haha. Kami, wala. Ang 'privilege' na lang of taking care of a life ang bayad namin. Naks naman! :)
Any other questions? :)
4th year in our Medical College is Internship/Clerkship year. This is the year before graduation, where we get to be the fleas in the hospital. We are the lowest creatures in the planet of Health Providing and we do the paper work and scut work needed like getting the xrays, filling up discharge forms, monitoring a patient every hour pag toxic sya and all the menial stuff that Residents don't do. We get to hold the retractors for hours during an operation, and if the Surgeon finds you capable, he may even let you put in a stitch or two. And that is a big IF. Hahaha. As Dr. de los Reyes reminded us last Saturday, we don't have the right yet to practice medicine. Everything we order in the charts stems from the authority given to us by the Residents.
Ang buhay namin as Clerks/Junior Interns ay umiikot lang sa tatlong status: OD, FD at OC.
ON DUTY (OD) - and duty hours mo ay 24 hours. We sign in at 730am of, say, Monday, and we sign out at 730am of Tuesday. You don't really get a lunch break. Or designated sleeping time. IF nothing is happening at the ER or anywhere ka posted, then one of you can take turns eating pero you shouldn't take too long kase nga you're supposed to be always at your post for the entirety of that 24 hours. You can't leave hospital premises for the entire day. Masaya kami pag walang "toxic" na patient (meaning hindi pa sya likely to die in the next 24hours) kase mejo nakakatulog kami sa gabi.
FROM DUTY (FD) - also known as Post Duty. This is the day where you function mainly on auto-pilot. You are officially bangag and you should not get near anything more complicated than a light switch. Hahahaha. Perks: 8 hours na lang ang duty mo. From 730am of one day to 5pm na lang of that same day. And you are the last call in anything. Pero, ito yung day after you were On Duty. So continuing the example kanina na kunyari Monday ka OD, so Tuesday ka na FD. You sign out at 730am diba pero you sign in again immediately at 730am again as FD. So in effect... 32hours kang nasa hospital.... (Gets ba yon?) Pero pag FD ka, you get 12noon to 130pm off. So you get a lunch break where you can get off hospital premises and go home to your dorm and take a much needed bath. Mag-ingat ka lang at wag lumapit muna sa kama dahil instant ang tulog na aabutin mo pag humiga ka at usually di ka makakagising before 130pm. Ang responsibility mo as FD is mostly paperworks (except sa Dept of Surgery kung saan walang kaibahan ang mga status, harhar) kase nga bangag ka na by this time, at pwede kang magtulog-tulog sa wards... Pag nagkataon na may Rounds sa araw na yon... gudlak na lang sayo. Smile and wave ka na lang sa Consultant.
ON CALL (OC) - as the status indicates, you are on call from 730am to 5pm of that same day. So kung Monday ka OD, Tuesday ka FD, then Wednesday ka OC. Supposedly, well rested ka before you came in kase FD ka naman the previous day. On this day, dakila kang alalay ng mga On Duty and everybody else in the hospital. (Although lahat ng interns ay dakilang alalay ng lahat ng tao everyday, pinaka-dakila ka sa lahat sa araw na ito... hahahaha.) Ikaw ang taga-hatid and sundo sa mga patients sa Xray at CT scan or ultrasound. Ikaw taga-hanap ng mga films, taga sulat ng mga IV fluids to follow sa mga charts sa mga floors, taga-sunod ng kahit anong iutos ng mga taong mas malakas ang boses sayo. hehe. After 5pm, uwi ka na at matulog dahil kinabukasan.... On Duty ka na ulit.
So if you can still remember, OD ka ng Monday, FD ka Tuesday, OC ka Wednesday... OD ka nanaman ulit ng Thursday, then FD on Friday, OC on Saturday and so on for the entire 365 days of duty.. Paikot-ikot lang yon, pabalik balik. Walang day off. Pero, pag FD or OC ka on a Sunday or Holiday, ang hours of duty mo ay from 8am to 10am lang. Iiwan nyo na lahat ng On Duty sa hospital after that. So kawawa ka pag Sunday or Holiday ka On Duty.
May mga Departments na hindi OD, FD, OC ang status. Sa NICU, Anesth, and Ortho ay OD, FD lang ang mga status. So ibig sabihin, you go on 32hours straight duty days. For your entire rotation there, every other day ka lang makakauwi ng bahay para maligo... Eeeewww.... Hahaha.... Monday OD then Tuesday FD ka na. Tapos OD ka ulit sa Wednesday, then FD sa Thursday. Ganon lang until matapos ang rotation na yon.
Sa ER naman... OD, FD lang din ang status pero pag FD ka, you're not expected to report at the hospital. It's like a day off. It's the only department with a day off. Pero buong araw ka rin naman tulog on that day. Dito ako from october 1 to 15. I think i already wrote about that previously....
In effect, we go on 32hours straight na duty, then 8hours. Daig pa namin ang call center people sa duty-han. Pero daig nila kami kase may bayad sila, at malaki pa. Haha. Kami, wala. Ang 'privilege' na lang of taking care of a life ang bayad namin. Naks naman! :)
Any other questions? :)
OD, FD and OC...
Ayan, ito ang second part ng medical schooling na laging tinatanong saken and sadyang hindi maintindihan ng nanay ko, among others. Hehe..
4th year in our Medical College is Internship/Clerkship year. This is the year before graduation, where we get to be the fleas in the hospital. We are the lowest creatures in the planet of Health Providing and we do the paper work and scut work needed like getting the xrays, filling up discharge forms, monitoring a patient every hour pag toxic sya and all the menial stuff that Residents don't do. We get to hold the retractors for hours during an operation, and if the Surgeon finds you capable, he may even let you put in a stitch or two. And that is a big IF. Hahaha. As Dr. de los Reyes reminded us last Saturday, we don't have the right yet to practice medicine. Everything we order in the charts stems from the authority given to us by the Residents.
Ang buhay namin as Clerks/Junior Interns ay umiikot lang sa tatlong status: OD, FD at OC.
ON DUTY (OD) - and duty hours mo ay 24 hours. We sign in at 730am of, say, Monday, and we sign out at 730am of Tuesday. You don't really get a lunch break. Or designated sleeping time. IF nothing is happening at the ER or anywhere ka posted, then one of you can take turns eating pero you shouldn't take too long kase nga you're supposed to be always at your post for the entirety of that 24 hours. You can't leave hospital premises for the entire day. Masaya kami pag walang "toxic" na patient (meaning hindi pa sya likely to die in the next 24hours) kase mejo nakakatulog kami sa gabi.
FROM DUTY (FD) - also known as Post Duty. This is the day where you function mainly on auto-pilot. You are officially bangag and you should not get near anything more complicated than a light switch. Hahahaha. Perks: 8 hours na lang ang duty mo. From 730am of one day to 5pm na lang of that same day. And you are the last call in anything. Pero, ito yung day after you were On Duty. So continuing the example kanina na kunyari Monday ka OD, so Tuesday ka na FD. You sign out at 730am diba pero you sign in again immediately at 730am again as FD. So in effect... 32hours kang nasa hospital.... (Gets ba yon?) Pero pag FD ka, you get 12noon to 130pm off. So you get a lunch break where you can get off hospital premises and go home to your dorm and take a much needed bath. Mag-ingat ka lang at wag lumapit muna sa kama dahil instant ang tulog na aabutin mo pag humiga ka at usually di ka makakagising before 130pm. Ang responsibility mo as FD is mostly paperworks (except sa Dept of Surgery kung saan walang kaibahan ang mga status, harhar) kase nga bangag ka na by this time, at pwede kang magtulog-tulog sa wards... Pag nagkataon na may Rounds sa araw na yon... gudlak na lang sayo. Smile and wave ka na lang sa Consultant.
ON CALL (OC) - as the status indicates, you are on call from 730am to 5pm of that same day. So kung Monday ka OD, Tuesday ka FD, then Wednesday ka OC. Supposedly, well rested ka before you came in kase FD ka naman the previous day. On this day, dakila kang alalay ng mga On Duty and everybody else in the hospital. (Although lahat ng interns ay dakilang alalay ng lahat ng tao everyday, pinaka-dakila ka sa lahat sa araw na ito... hahahaha.) Ikaw ang taga-hatid and sundo sa mga patients sa Xray at CT scan or ultrasound. Ikaw taga-hanap ng mga films, taga sulat ng mga IV fluids to follow sa mga charts sa mga floors, taga-sunod ng kahit anong iutos ng mga taong mas malakas ang boses sayo. hehe. After 5pm, uwi ka na at matulog dahil kinabukasan.... On Duty ka na ulit.
So if you can still remember, OD ka ng Monday, FD ka Tuesday, OC ka Wednesday... OD ka nanaman ulit ng Thursday, then FD on Friday, OC on Saturday and so on for the entire 365 days of duty.. Paikot-ikot lang yon, pabalik balik. Walang day off. Pero, pag FD or OC ka on a Sunday or Holiday, ang hours of duty mo ay from 8am to 10am lang. Iiwan nyo na lahat ng On Duty sa hospital after that. So kawawa ka pag Sunday or Holiday ka On Duty.
May mga Departments na hindi OD, FD, OC ang status. Sa NICU, Anesth, and Ortho ay OD, FD lang ang mga status. So ibig sabihin, you go on 32hours straight duty days. For your entire rotation there, every other day ka lang makakauwi ng bahay para maligo... Eeeewww.... Hahaha.... Monday OD then Tuesday FD ka na. Tapos OD ka ulit sa Wednesday, then FD sa Thursday. Ganon lang until matapos ang rotation na yon.
Sa ER naman... OD, FD lang din ang status pero pag FD ka, you're not expected to report at the hospital. It's like a day off. It's the only department with a day off. Pero buong araw ka rin naman tulog on that day. Dito ako from october 1 to 15. I think i already wrote about that previously....
In effect, we go on 32hours straight na duty, then 8hours. Daig pa namin ang call center people sa duty-han. Pero daig nila kami kase may bayad sila, at malaki pa. Haha. Kami, wala. Ang 'privilege' na lang of taking care of a life ang bayad namin. Naks naman! :)
Any other questions? :)
4th year in our Medical College is Internship/Clerkship year. This is the year before graduation, where we get to be the fleas in the hospital. We are the lowest creatures in the planet of Health Providing and we do the paper work and scut work needed like getting the xrays, filling up discharge forms, monitoring a patient every hour pag toxic sya and all the menial stuff that Residents don't do. We get to hold the retractors for hours during an operation, and if the Surgeon finds you capable, he may even let you put in a stitch or two. And that is a big IF. Hahaha. As Dr. de los Reyes reminded us last Saturday, we don't have the right yet to practice medicine. Everything we order in the charts stems from the authority given to us by the Residents.
Ang buhay namin as Clerks/Junior Interns ay umiikot lang sa tatlong status: OD, FD at OC.
ON DUTY (OD) - and duty hours mo ay 24 hours. We sign in at 730am of, say, Monday, and we sign out at 730am of Tuesday. You don't really get a lunch break. Or designated sleeping time. IF nothing is happening at the ER or anywhere ka posted, then one of you can take turns eating pero you shouldn't take too long kase nga you're supposed to be always at your post for the entirety of that 24 hours. You can't leave hospital premises for the entire day. Masaya kami pag walang "toxic" na patient (meaning hindi pa sya likely to die in the next 24hours) kase mejo nakakatulog kami sa gabi.
FROM DUTY (FD) - also known as Post Duty. This is the day where you function mainly on auto-pilot. You are officially bangag and you should not get near anything more complicated than a light switch. Hahahaha. Perks: 8 hours na lang ang duty mo. From 730am of one day to 5pm na lang of that same day. And you are the last call in anything. Pero, ito yung day after you were On Duty. So continuing the example kanina na kunyari Monday ka OD, so Tuesday ka na FD. You sign out at 730am diba pero you sign in again immediately at 730am again as FD. So in effect... 32hours kang nasa hospital.... (Gets ba yon?) Pero pag FD ka, you get 12noon to 130pm off. So you get a lunch break where you can get off hospital premises and go home to your dorm and take a much needed bath. Mag-ingat ka lang at wag lumapit muna sa kama dahil instant ang tulog na aabutin mo pag humiga ka at usually di ka makakagising before 130pm. Ang responsibility mo as FD is mostly paperworks (except sa Dept of Surgery kung saan walang kaibahan ang mga status, harhar) kase nga bangag ka na by this time, at pwede kang magtulog-tulog sa wards... Pag nagkataon na may Rounds sa araw na yon... gudlak na lang sayo. Smile and wave ka na lang sa Consultant.
ON CALL (OC) - as the status indicates, you are on call from 730am to 5pm of that same day. So kung Monday ka OD, Tuesday ka FD, then Wednesday ka OC. Supposedly, well rested ka before you came in kase FD ka naman the previous day. On this day, dakila kang alalay ng mga On Duty and everybody else in the hospital. (Although lahat ng interns ay dakilang alalay ng lahat ng tao everyday, pinaka-dakila ka sa lahat sa araw na ito... hahahaha.) Ikaw ang taga-hatid and sundo sa mga patients sa Xray at CT scan or ultrasound. Ikaw taga-hanap ng mga films, taga sulat ng mga IV fluids to follow sa mga charts sa mga floors, taga-sunod ng kahit anong iutos ng mga taong mas malakas ang boses sayo. hehe. After 5pm, uwi ka na at matulog dahil kinabukasan.... On Duty ka na ulit.
So if you can still remember, OD ka ng Monday, FD ka Tuesday, OC ka Wednesday... OD ka nanaman ulit ng Thursday, then FD on Friday, OC on Saturday and so on for the entire 365 days of duty.. Paikot-ikot lang yon, pabalik balik. Walang day off. Pero, pag FD or OC ka on a Sunday or Holiday, ang hours of duty mo ay from 8am to 10am lang. Iiwan nyo na lahat ng On Duty sa hospital after that. So kawawa ka pag Sunday or Holiday ka On Duty.
May mga Departments na hindi OD, FD, OC ang status. Sa NICU, Anesth, and Ortho ay OD, FD lang ang mga status. So ibig sabihin, you go on 32hours straight duty days. For your entire rotation there, every other day ka lang makakauwi ng bahay para maligo... Eeeewww.... Hahaha.... Monday OD then Tuesday FD ka na. Tapos OD ka ulit sa Wednesday, then FD sa Thursday. Ganon lang until matapos ang rotation na yon.
Sa ER naman... OD, FD lang din ang status pero pag FD ka, you're not expected to report at the hospital. It's like a day off. It's the only department with a day off. Pero buong araw ka rin naman tulog on that day. Dito ako from october 1 to 15. I think i already wrote about that previously....
In effect, we go on 32hours straight na duty, then 8hours. Daig pa namin ang call center people sa duty-han. Pero daig nila kami kase may bayad sila, at malaki pa. Haha. Kami, wala. Ang 'privilege' na lang of taking care of a life ang bayad namin. Naks naman! :)
Any other questions? :)
Friday, October 10, 2008
medical schooling
Okay, i get asked so many times that I guess its time I explained some things...
To study medicine, you have to go through a pre-med course. This can be any 4-year college course you may want. I have classmates who are licensed Medical Technologists, two Registered Nurses, one licensed Chemist, several Public Health graduates, one Food Technologist, one MBB graduate, and sandamakmak na Biology grads. Biology seems to be the popular pre-med course, but had i known what Med was really like, I'd have chosen Nursing or MedTech or even Physical Therapy as a pre-med course.
While still in college, you could already take the NMAT. Your score there determines your chances of getting into your medical school of choice. you could take the NMAT any number of times you want so you can get a more competitive score. PGH takes no less than a 90percentile score. some schools take anything above 60.
And then you go into medical school. They also call this medicine proper. It takes 4 years. This is not Residency where you specialize in a Department. It's just medschool. Parang college lang ang set-up. We don't have a PE subject or English subject, though. We have Anatomy, Physiology, Neuroanatomy, Psych, Biochem, Ortho, Pedia, Medicine, Pharmacology, etc... etc...
The first three years of medical school is spent in the school. Simpleng student ka lang na pumapasok sa class, may exams, may teachers, may library, may lunch time, may uwian. Parang nagcollege ka nga lang ulit. But then you eventually reach fourth year and then you become Interns or Clerks. Fully hospital-based na kayo by this time and you become the fleas in the hospital, aka utusan ng mga Residents. (The Residents are those taking "specializations". Like sa Gray's Anatomy, Surgical Residents sila... ganon.)
When you're an Intern/Clerk, wala nang classroom sessions. (Pero may exams pa rin, oral at written.) 365 days ang duty namin. from April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009 ang Internship namin. Walang sembreak yan at walang Christmas break. And well, we didn't get a summer break nung summer either...
We have rotations in the different Departments ng hospital. Sa aming hospital, we go through Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery/Orthopedics, and OB-Gyne for our majors na ward and OPD and then minors namin ang Psychiatry, Anesthesiology, EENT and Community. Ako, i've already finished one month in Surgery Ward, one and a month months in OB-Gyne Ward, and two weeks in Ortho. Tapos ko na rin ang three months ko sa OPD through the 4 major departments. Ngayon, sa ER ako, Medicine and Pedia, and then NICU for 2 weeks. After that is one month each at the Medicine and Pediatrics Wards. Sa January 1, we start with ENT, Psych, Anesthesia, and then Community rotation na kami until Graduation. Ayon. We take a Comprehensive Exam by February, which we have to pass before we can graduate.
After graduation, we go into Post-Graduate Internship. Dito, di na kami estudyante na may grades and all sa isang school. We apply at a hospital and then magpapa-alila kami doon ng walang bayad. Walang sweldo. Hindi pa rin ito specialization. This is just the interim (one year) before we can take the Board Exam. Requirement ito before you can take the Board. And then if you finish your PGI (kung saan ako ay nag-apply sa DOH Integration Program na sana matanggap ako) ay kukuha na kami ng Board Exam.
And then if you pass the Boards, you can now enter into a Residency Training Program which is what they call 'specialization' and this is entirely up to you. Di na to requirement. If you don't want further training you can already practice Medicine as a General Practitioner.
But if you want to, you can train as a Resident in a hospital in the Departments of Pedia, Internal Med, Surgery, Psych, OB-Gyne, or Family Med. Dito, may sweldo ka na. Ang hospital ang magse-sweldo sa yo. Depende kung ano department mo sa haba ng training. Surgery takes 5 more years, IM is 3 years i think, Pedia is 4, OB is 4 din. And then kung mejo masipag ka talaga, pwede ka pa magsub-specialize. Take Internal Medicine for example. You can specialize in Cardio, Pulmo, Neuro, Endoc, or sa kung saang parte ng katawan ang type mo. Meron din yang mga exams syempre, at specialty boards. At syempre, added years of study yon. Haha. If you want, you can go forever just studying medicine. :)
Sa ngayon, i'm just an Intern. Next year PGI. And then the Boards. Beyond that, I can't see yet. Hehe...
To study medicine, you have to go through a pre-med course. This can be any 4-year college course you may want. I have classmates who are licensed Medical Technologists, two Registered Nurses, one licensed Chemist, several Public Health graduates, one Food Technologist, one MBB graduate, and sandamakmak na Biology grads. Biology seems to be the popular pre-med course, but had i known what Med was really like, I'd have chosen Nursing or MedTech or even Physical Therapy as a pre-med course.
While still in college, you could already take the NMAT. Your score there determines your chances of getting into your medical school of choice. you could take the NMAT any number of times you want so you can get a more competitive score. PGH takes no less than a 90percentile score. some schools take anything above 60.
And then you go into medical school. They also call this medicine proper. It takes 4 years. This is not Residency where you specialize in a Department. It's just medschool. Parang college lang ang set-up. We don't have a PE subject or English subject, though. We have Anatomy, Physiology, Neuroanatomy, Psych, Biochem, Ortho, Pedia, Medicine, Pharmacology, etc... etc...
The first three years of medical school is spent in the school. Simpleng student ka lang na pumapasok sa class, may exams, may teachers, may library, may lunch time, may uwian. Parang nagcollege ka nga lang ulit. But then you eventually reach fourth year and then you become Interns or Clerks. Fully hospital-based na kayo by this time and you become the fleas in the hospital, aka utusan ng mga Residents. (The Residents are those taking "specializations". Like sa Gray's Anatomy, Surgical Residents sila... ganon.)
When you're an Intern/Clerk, wala nang classroom sessions. (Pero may exams pa rin, oral at written.) 365 days ang duty namin. from April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009 ang Internship namin. Walang sembreak yan at walang Christmas break. And well, we didn't get a summer break nung summer either...
We have rotations in the different Departments ng hospital. Sa aming hospital, we go through Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery/Orthopedics, and OB-Gyne for our majors na ward and OPD and then minors namin ang Psychiatry, Anesthesiology, EENT and Community. Ako, i've already finished one month in Surgery Ward, one and a month months in OB-Gyne Ward, and two weeks in Ortho. Tapos ko na rin ang three months ko sa OPD through the 4 major departments. Ngayon, sa ER ako, Medicine and Pedia, and then NICU for 2 weeks. After that is one month each at the Medicine and Pediatrics Wards. Sa January 1, we start with ENT, Psych, Anesthesia, and then Community rotation na kami until Graduation. Ayon. We take a Comprehensive Exam by February, which we have to pass before we can graduate.
After graduation, we go into Post-Graduate Internship. Dito, di na kami estudyante na may grades and all sa isang school. We apply at a hospital and then magpapa-alila kami doon ng walang bayad. Walang sweldo. Hindi pa rin ito specialization. This is just the interim (one year) before we can take the Board Exam. Requirement ito before you can take the Board. And then if you finish your PGI (kung saan ako ay nag-apply sa DOH Integration Program na sana matanggap ako) ay kukuha na kami ng Board Exam.
And then if you pass the Boards, you can now enter into a Residency Training Program which is what they call 'specialization' and this is entirely up to you. Di na to requirement. If you don't want further training you can already practice Medicine as a General Practitioner.
But if you want to, you can train as a Resident in a hospital in the Departments of Pedia, Internal Med, Surgery, Psych, OB-Gyne, or Family Med. Dito, may sweldo ka na. Ang hospital ang magse-sweldo sa yo. Depende kung ano department mo sa haba ng training. Surgery takes 5 more years, IM is 3 years i think, Pedia is 4, OB is 4 din. And then kung mejo masipag ka talaga, pwede ka pa magsub-specialize. Take Internal Medicine for example. You can specialize in Cardio, Pulmo, Neuro, Endoc, or sa kung saang parte ng katawan ang type mo. Meron din yang mga exams syempre, at specialty boards. At syempre, added years of study yon. Haha. If you want, you can go forever just studying medicine. :)
Sa ngayon, i'm just an Intern. Next year PGI. And then the Boards. Beyond that, I can't see yet. Hehe...
LCDC memories
Because it's now LCDC season... :)
I attended only 3 LCDCs. LCDC 2k2, Against the Flow, I was in 3rd year college and i went as camper. LCDC 2k4, Christstruck, I was a counselor. And then LCDC 2k5, my first LCDC outside of Manila, I led a group in a BS Workshop. "Nakakasira ng buhay" talaga ang mga camps na yan. Hahaha. Diba? Diba? Hehe. Kung hindi siguro ako nag-attend ng mga LCDC, or EchoCamp or KC, malamang artista na ko ngayon. Hahaha!
I can no longer remember my campmates but I can still remember what the Lord impressed upon my heart at those camps. And I can vividly recall certain moments and certain people... Hala, produkto pala talaga ako ng mga ivcf camps... and those camps have provided me with hope and strength in my walk.
I went to LCDC 2k2 with lots and lots of baggages. And I left light and free. :) I can't say that it was the camp where i resigned to God's prodding my heart to become a doctor because that happened in another camp... haha. But LCDC 2k2 was the camp when my brother, Jade, and I became friends. At least that's how I think of it. We've always been siblings, but in LCDC, that relationship gained meaning for me. I also learned to tell him I loved him and the rest of the family. I can recall the two of us praying together for each other and for nanay and tatay and manong jaja and him hugging me after. While hugging, I told him, "Manong, gusto ko talaga maging doktor...", and he told me he was proud of me. :) To God be the glory.
I didn't get to be counselor during my KC year, 2003, because I was holed up in elbi doing my thesis. I was out collecting blood from the severed arteries in the necks of the poor ducks while my KCmates were teaching other college students how to study the Word. Haha.
And there was LCDC 2k4, when the Lord asked me to let go of Medicine, and I did. And He gave it back to me in full, with extras. Blessed be the name of the Lord. I was a GT then in elbi and a Sunday school teacher at church. Haha, i dragged my churchmates to this camp kicking and screaming, and i'm soo soo glad i did. When I look at where they are now and how their relationship with the Lord is, my heart gets so full fit to bursting with gladness that the Lord is so gracious in their lives. Praise Him indeed.
LCDC2k5 was disorienting for many reasons. It was my first and only camp here in West Visayas. Nag-lead lang ako ng BS Workshop group. My dad was the expositor. We were speaking in Ilonggo. It was a camp special to me because I got to be with my KCmates from the Region and it felt like i was on vacation and having a week-long KC reunion. Haha. And it was the camp na nananahimik ako sa isang tabi nang pinag-pray ako ng isang staff that the Lord would honor my desire for Mission work. Nakakapanindig-balahibo.
Like i said before, nakakasira ng buhay yang mga camps na yan ng ivcf. Haha. *wink*
Blessings be to all the would-be delegates of the LCDCs around the Philippines. May the Lord speak to your hearts and shatter your spirits.
Be ready to run with the horses. :)
I attended only 3 LCDCs. LCDC 2k2, Against the Flow, I was in 3rd year college and i went as camper. LCDC 2k4, Christstruck, I was a counselor. And then LCDC 2k5, my first LCDC outside of Manila, I led a group in a BS Workshop. "Nakakasira ng buhay" talaga ang mga camps na yan. Hahaha. Diba? Diba? Hehe. Kung hindi siguro ako nag-attend ng mga LCDC, or EchoCamp or KC, malamang artista na ko ngayon. Hahaha!
I can no longer remember my campmates but I can still remember what the Lord impressed upon my heart at those camps. And I can vividly recall certain moments and certain people... Hala, produkto pala talaga ako ng mga ivcf camps... and those camps have provided me with hope and strength in my walk.
I went to LCDC 2k2 with lots and lots of baggages. And I left light and free. :) I can't say that it was the camp where i resigned to God's prodding my heart to become a doctor because that happened in another camp... haha. But LCDC 2k2 was the camp when my brother, Jade, and I became friends. At least that's how I think of it. We've always been siblings, but in LCDC, that relationship gained meaning for me. I also learned to tell him I loved him and the rest of the family. I can recall the two of us praying together for each other and for nanay and tatay and manong jaja and him hugging me after. While hugging, I told him, "Manong, gusto ko talaga maging doktor...", and he told me he was proud of me. :) To God be the glory.
I didn't get to be counselor during my KC year, 2003, because I was holed up in elbi doing my thesis. I was out collecting blood from the severed arteries in the necks of the poor ducks while my KCmates were teaching other college students how to study the Word. Haha.
And there was LCDC 2k4, when the Lord asked me to let go of Medicine, and I did. And He gave it back to me in full, with extras. Blessed be the name of the Lord. I was a GT then in elbi and a Sunday school teacher at church. Haha, i dragged my churchmates to this camp kicking and screaming, and i'm soo soo glad i did. When I look at where they are now and how their relationship with the Lord is, my heart gets so full fit to bursting with gladness that the Lord is so gracious in their lives. Praise Him indeed.
LCDC2k5 was disorienting for many reasons. It was my first and only camp here in West Visayas. Nag-lead lang ako ng BS Workshop group. My dad was the expositor. We were speaking in Ilonggo. It was a camp special to me because I got to be with my KCmates from the Region and it felt like i was on vacation and having a week-long KC reunion. Haha. And it was the camp na nananahimik ako sa isang tabi nang pinag-pray ako ng isang staff that the Lord would honor my desire for Mission work. Nakakapanindig-balahibo.
Like i said before, nakakasira ng buhay yang mga camps na yan ng ivcf. Haha. *wink*
Blessings be to all the would-be delegates of the LCDCs around the Philippines. May the Lord speak to your hearts and shatter your spirits.
Be ready to run with the horses. :)
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
across the miles
Lord, thank you for the internet. And thank you for esvee. A million million times thank you for friends. Thank you for this family.
I friend and I was talking through YM. I got a hug. And i could feel it physically. As in. Pati ako nagulat. Naiyak ako.
I guess i'm so frayed at the edges now. I just didn't realize how much. Oo okay pa naman ako. Pero barely. Haha. So brittle that it takes so little to shatter me these days.... Stress ba ito? Or kulang lang talga ako sa yakap dito? I guess kulang nga ako sa yakap dito. At maulan kase. At magpapasko na. At stressful lang talaga ang napili kong buhay. Sana pala nag-artista na lng ako?! *laughs*
Erich Segal said in his book Doctors said that doctors distance themselves from their patients and don't care so much not because we lack compassion but for self-preservation. If we cared for all our patients we'd all break from the strain. Or go nuts with load. I guess i know what he means. And i didn't know how close to breaking i was until i got hugged by a friend. Even if that hug was sent (or should i say 'said') through the internet. Ang powerful nga naman ng mga salita noh?
But then if we didn't care, what kind of physicians would we be? I guess it's only prudent to not make the patient's problems our own but it is also not wise to be unfeeling in treating. That would take the heart of this supposedly caring profession.
I guess i just wanted to say that i really appreciate the hugs you send. I feel them. Physically. I do. And i thank you so much for sending them. It keeps me sane.
So thank you.
Sa yakap.
*yakaptight*
I friend and I was talking through YM. I got a hug. And i could feel it physically. As in. Pati ako nagulat. Naiyak ako.
I guess i'm so frayed at the edges now. I just didn't realize how much. Oo okay pa naman ako. Pero barely. Haha. So brittle that it takes so little to shatter me these days.... Stress ba ito? Or kulang lang talga ako sa yakap dito? I guess kulang nga ako sa yakap dito. At maulan kase. At magpapasko na. At stressful lang talaga ang napili kong buhay. Sana pala nag-artista na lng ako?! *laughs*
Erich Segal said in his book Doctors said that doctors distance themselves from their patients and don't care so much not because we lack compassion but for self-preservation. If we cared for all our patients we'd all break from the strain. Or go nuts with load. I guess i know what he means. And i didn't know how close to breaking i was until i got hugged by a friend. Even if that hug was sent (or should i say 'said') through the internet. Ang powerful nga naman ng mga salita noh?
But then if we didn't care, what kind of physicians would we be? I guess it's only prudent to not make the patient's problems our own but it is also not wise to be unfeeling in treating. That would take the heart of this supposedly caring profession.
I guess i just wanted to say that i really appreciate the hugs you send. I feel them. Physically. I do. And i thank you so much for sending them. It keeps me sane.
So thank you.
Sa yakap.
*yakaptight*
Monday, October 6, 2008
October duty
This month, October, nag-shift na kami. Tapos na kami sa OPD, which was from July to September. Ngayong October, I'll be staying two weeks at the ER, one week each for Pedia and Medicine, and then two weeks at the Neonatal ICU.
This two weeks at the ER is an every-other-day duty. Meaning we go on duty for 24hours, that's 730am to 730am the next day... and then we are off duty for 24 hours naman. So every other day we get no sleep, and every other day we don't wake up. Hahahaha. Today, From Duty na ako... I got home at about 8am... slept after eating breakfast... and woke up at about 4pm..... Where has the day gone? Hahaha. And tomorrow, duty nanaman. Yun lang naman ang cycle ko until the 15th.
Sa 16 we go to the NICU na. There, we go on 32hour shifts.... First we go On Duty for 24 hours and kami ang in charge of every little baby who makes its way into the world that day sa kung ano mang paraan. Hehe. And after that we're From Duty but we can't leave the hospital until 5pm kase kami naman ang in charge sa mga discharging and taking care of all the neonates outside the ICU.
We don't get a sem break. And we don't get a Christmas break either. So don't ask na lng what I'll be doing come sem break coz you're just breaking my heart sa inggit. Haha. Nanay keeps asking when I'll be flying over for Christmas vacation when i've been telling her since April when we started internship that we won't get to have a Christmas break! haaaay.....
Anyway...
Happy birthday to Daniel... my best seatmate ever! and to Alison.... :) Happy birthday Al!
*bighugs to all*
This two weeks at the ER is an every-other-day duty. Meaning we go on duty for 24hours, that's 730am to 730am the next day... and then we are off duty for 24 hours naman. So every other day we get no sleep, and every other day we don't wake up. Hahahaha. Today, From Duty na ako... I got home at about 8am... slept after eating breakfast... and woke up at about 4pm..... Where has the day gone? Hahaha. And tomorrow, duty nanaman. Yun lang naman ang cycle ko until the 15th.
Sa 16 we go to the NICU na. There, we go on 32hour shifts.... First we go On Duty for 24 hours and kami ang in charge of every little baby who makes its way into the world that day sa kung ano mang paraan. Hehe. And after that we're From Duty but we can't leave the hospital until 5pm kase kami naman ang in charge sa mga discharging and taking care of all the neonates outside the ICU.
We don't get a sem break. And we don't get a Christmas break either. So don't ask na lng what I'll be doing come sem break coz you're just breaking my heart sa inggit. Haha. Nanay keeps asking when I'll be flying over for Christmas vacation when i've been telling her since April when we started internship that we won't get to have a Christmas break! haaaay.....
Anyway...
Happy birthday to Daniel... my best seatmate ever! and to Alison.... :) Happy birthday Al!
*bighugs to all*
note to self: learn to speak in tagalog again
I realized lately that my tagalog is now a mess. It's pretty pathetic to listen to. And i hate it. Grrrrr.....
I had a patient last night who was speaking in Tagalog and i said, "E kelan pa po ba kayo nagsimulang gumamit nyang mga bulong nyo?" hahahahah. I could not catch myself in time. Natawa na lng ako at inulit ko na lng ung sentence. Tumama nako the second time. Wahahahaha. Ampangeeet!!!
Tapos nag-explain ako.... "Ito pong reseta ko, mga gamit ito para matakdan natin sya ng linya... ng dextrose... ah.... lalagyan po natin sya ng linya para po.... ah..... ma-transfuse-an natin sya ng dugo.... (aside: ano ba tagalog ng "transfuse"?) tapos kelangan po naka-oxygen sya ngayon kase mababa na po ung hemoglobin nya. Bulig.... er... tulong lang po ito sa kanya....." Wahahahahahaha! Nakaka-pilipit ng dila pala mag-tagalog ulit. Ang all that said in a distinctly Ilongga cadence... yak. Yak! di nako marunong magsalita ng tagalog!! Grrrrr.....
Paano nila nalaman na Ilongga ako? sa paglakad ko ba?
Hahahahahahaha!!!!!
I had a patient last night who was speaking in Tagalog and i said, "E kelan pa po ba kayo nagsimulang gumamit nyang mga bulong nyo?" hahahahah. I could not catch myself in time. Natawa na lng ako at inulit ko na lng ung sentence. Tumama nako the second time. Wahahahaha. Ampangeeet!!!
Tapos nag-explain ako.... "Ito pong reseta ko, mga gamit ito para matakdan natin sya ng linya... ng dextrose... ah.... lalagyan po natin sya ng linya para po.... ah..... ma-transfuse-an natin sya ng dugo.... (aside: ano ba tagalog ng "transfuse"?) tapos kelangan po naka-oxygen sya ngayon kase mababa na po ung hemoglobin nya. Bulig.... er... tulong lang po ito sa kanya....." Wahahahahahaha! Nakaka-pilipit ng dila pala mag-tagalog ulit. Ang all that said in a distinctly Ilongga cadence... yak. Yak! di nako marunong magsalita ng tagalog!! Grrrrr.....
Paano nila nalaman na Ilongga ako? sa paglakad ko ba?
Hahahahahahaha!!!!!
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