Mandatory Birthday Post

I have one every year.

A Letter from a Brother

September 15, 2013

To you,

One of the biggest preconceptions we all had at some point in our lives before and upon entering the world of Medicine is the belief that doctors save lives. Perhaps by now you are thinking that I will say that this is a lie, since I seem to make a habit of contradicting everything you thought you knew about med school and being a doctor. I am sorry to disappoint you, for the truth straddles the in-between shades of gray as is the typical fashion in this world.

Reflections in Ward 4 Bed 43 and Beyond

I spent the afternoons of the last week of lectures in Ward 4, Bed 43 in PGH. That week was to end with the last module exams before finals, but I didn't care. My father's sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, the extent of which has been recently revealed by lab tests and the long awaited biopsy to be stage 4 and very aggressive.

Reason to be Healthy

I don’t want to die a meaningless and senseless death.

Death has been a subject of constant reflection since I learned to commute a fraction of my way to school this semester. Walking along Pedro Gil, I often find myself asking: shall I get stabbed tonight after getting robbed? Would I get hit by a reckless vehicle while crossing Taft? Raped and murdered, perhaps?

Week Five Past Five, Still Alive

The eleventh week starts on Monday and ends the head and neck anatomy class with exams until Tuesday. Morning lectures followed by afternoon exams, with only lunch breaks in between. Such is the life of a medical student. Not only do lectures and discussions and all other class activities revolve around exams, exams are the center of our universe. This is important, remember this, they will ask this in the exam. 

A few weeks earlier (feels more like months) before another exam, a classmate fainted on her way to the comfort room. She looked really tired  before the incident, dozing off while reading our anatomy book. Didn't seem to be getting enough sleep. See, exams are even more important than sleep in this part of the universe. Studying one week before the exam is already cramming.

Geno Subersibo

Mga 361 araw bago ang araw na iyon, ihing-ihi ako. Noong araw na iyon, natatae naman ako. Sumabay na ako sa unang biyahe ng sasakyan para ihatid ang mga kapatid ko. Tulad ng dating gawi, sa sasakyan ako nag-almusal, may kasamang kape sa baso.

The UERMMMCI Adventure

Lolo Pepe died, and was to be buried that day so mommy went to Batangas. Like real, live grown-ups, we were on our own.

In Which an Interview Schedule is Texted, and Instructions are Ignored

When I applied for UERM, I wrote in the application form my mother's cell number as my own so I wouldn't worry about not receiving the text about the interview schedule. I seldom have load, my inbox is always full, and I often forget to charge my phone.

And so it came.