The Freudian Slip Of A Bacolodnon

The month of March is about to close and 30 days more and a new turn in the circle of life begins. The chapter of PGIship closes and a new chapter of pre-board jitters and drama shall unfold. In this jungle that is called the medical animal kingdom, we step an inch closer to the canopies where the predators linger to give way to another set of fresh meat, ready prey for the hungry vultures. While we were junior interns, Dr. Guancia called my group as the coackroaches. We were the first of the firsts, the first group of medical students to ever rotate in the Department of Medicine. The next group before us was dubbed as the group of slugs. Yes, we were once prey ourselves. Now that we have turned into PGIs, we have slightly elevated ourselves just an inch above the jungle floor. The road to the top has just begun. For the incoming junior interns, the feeling is perhaps an amalgamation of mixed sentiments. In between the excitement lies the feeling of dread and anxiety. The medical serfd...

I shall have my head under the guillotine for this but my better conscience and sense of right have all provoked me to write down what my spirit feels. Recently, some news have come to me about the plans of my alma mater regarding the rotations of the incoming junior interns for 2007-2008. I was told that the college of medicine has decided not to allow the junior interns to undergo rotation at the Bacolod Our Lady of Mercy Specialty Hospital, the hospital where I am currently rotating as a Post graduate Intern, the same hospital the USLS College of Medicine dubs as its base hospital. Instead, the college of medicine has decided to send the junior interns at Riverside Medical Center. I am not sure about the exact details of the plan but I was told by outgoing junior interns that the incoming junior interns will only be allowed 1 week to rotate in BOLMSH and that there are certain departments that will not have any J.I.'s at all. Earlier, a fellow PGI told me that one of the visitin...

Last Thursday, my eldest son just graduated from nursery and has been approved by his teacher of moving up to kindergarten. It was my first time to attend a graduation ceremony as a parent with my child graduating. My son finished as the top student of his class, earning his First First Honor. He was also given the awards for Best in Math and Best in Science. He also received other non-academic awards like Most Diligent, Most Friendly and Well-Groomed Pupil. Like any proud parent, my wife and I took turns coming up the stage to help our son wear his medals in front of his schoolmates. I was so proud of him. I knew from the start that my son would turn out to be smart, in fact, even smarter than his dad. My son is a genius and has all the potentials to be great. As a parent, the heavy responsibility to make sure that these potentials are to be taken care of falls upon me. It was perhaps the longest graduation ceremony I have ever attended. There were at least 4 song and dance presentati...

I am a father once again. My daughter Robie Anne Sophia just turned 1 week old last Saturday and so far, the adventure of parenthood has just started. It is back to the waking up in the middle of the night changing diapers and mixing milk formula for the hungry princess. It is back to the cuddling and playing after work and the buying of baby clothes and stuff. It is also back to spending for baby's needs and like any other young parent who started the road into parenthood unprepared, this part of the job is quite difficult. It is a hard climb to the top of the molehill but it is definitely quite an adventure. I love my life and being a father for the second time is another chapter in this rollercoaster life. If I am given another choice, I would have still chosen this same life. I love my wife. I love my son. And now I am loving my princess, Robie Anne Sophia. Why Robie Anne Sophia? Robie is taken from our names: Ro ann and Bie n. Anne was added at the last minute, taken from a Sa...

It has been two weeks since I wrote down on this blog. The last two weeks have been quite hectic not to mention memorable and historical. Last March 10, 2007, at 12:59 a.m., my wife gave birth to a 5-lb baby girl. We named her Robie Anne Sophia and she was only 36 weeks. We did had quite a few troubles with this one. She came out with a tight nuchal cord around her neck, had a relatively high white count with stabs in her CBC and we had to bring her home with a heplock on her arm. The next 5 days at home were spent giving her Ampicillin and Gentamycin IVTT. She had nonetheless good suck and was able to consume at least 1 oz of her milk formula almost every 2 hours. Now we just had her repeat CBC and showed a still relatively high white count but without the stabs and C-reactive protein was negative. I was told by the medtech though that the serum appeared kinda dark yellow. Robie Anne does look a little sallow but at least we are out of the heplock. I was kinda worried about this one. ...

People, Beware the Ides of March. Good News: I am now rotating in my electives under the department of OB-GYNE Bad News: There will still be 24-hour duty days unlike last year when there were none. Good News: Other than OB-GYNE, I am also rotating for 2 weeks under Radiology Bad News: There will still be 24-hour duty days under OB-GYNE. I really thought I can have 2 weeks free of 24 hour duty days so I can start reviewing for the board exams, you know, start early so I can cover more grounds, but it doesn't look like the case. Good News: I am done with Medicine. Bad News: I am writing the good news part with such elation. I used to like Medicine but I don't know what happened. Actually, I do. But that's for another blog Good News: My wife and I visited our OB-GYNE yesterday and she is now 2 cms open, 80% effaced. Bad News: She is still pushing at her 36th week and already she is poised to give birth. All we are doing now is some bed rest and prayers that she may at least no...