Quo Vadis, Doc?

Last September 20, I went to Cebu to take my oath as a professional medical doctor. I took three oaths: the oath of professionalism, the oath of hippocrates and oath of membership to the Philippine Medical Association. Unfortunately, I still haven't received my PRC certificate and my PRC number. I registered as early as Augusut 28 but only 50 of those who attended the oath taking in Cebu received their certificates and license numbers. We were 133 all in all. Five of those who took their oaths were from USLS: me, Ken, Mary Ann, Bam, and April. The oathtaking was held at the luxurious Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, Cebu City. I did not stay long in Cebu. I was barely 24 hours in the city. I immediately went back to Bacolod during the wee hours of the morning.

The oathtaking was my deadline. A self-imposed deadline. Where to now, Bien? The long journey towards a personal destiny begins. Which destiny to choose, I am not yet certain. For one, I have to consider my family. In all of my decision-making, the family factor is the primary consideration. It is not that my family is an excess baggage. Once you are a family man, priorities are changed. Certain dreams have to take a backseat. My wife did it for me on the very first day of our married life. She too wanted to be a doctor. But she had to shelve her dream and become a mother and caring wife for a former medical student. Now, it was my turn to take the back seat.

While both my wife and I wanted me to take up residency, there are certain factors to consider. I cannot litanize them here but my wife and I talked about all of them and weighed every consideration. We are not totally leaving out the thought of residency. However, there are some things that have to be re-prioritize as of the moment.

While I am desiring to take up a specialty, I am somehow also attracted to serve the community, as a community physician. I felt almost a calling to serve and give preference to those who cannot seem to afford the most basic of our health services. It is perhaps a professional suicide to go into this field, but deep in my conscience I feel some sense of fulfillment whenever I go into a community and serve.

A doctor is more than just a "physicians", a healer. As taught in medical school, a doctor is also an educator, a leader, an administrator and motivator. The public health sector provides one with opportunities to be exactly this.

Whether one goes into specialty training or public health, the compensation is ample, although in residency training the pay is not as much...yet. But when one starts private practice as a specialist, the economic gains are tremendous, assuming one has a good practice.

Friends are divided in their advice. Perhaps it is because whatever choice is made, the end result still depends on the person. If one finds himself happy as a specialist, then he has to be a specialist. If one finds himself happy as a general practitioner or a family and community physician, then he has to be a family physician. Either way, there should be no regrets.

So, quo vadis, bayen? Where does your road lead you? Where does God want you to go? I wish to pretend that I know the answer but in truth I am at a lost. If I were to pray now my only prayer would be for God to lead me into a life of happiness. It may not necessarily be successful, but for as long as it is a happy life. For if one is genuinely happy, then success becomes irrelevant.

"People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost." - Jackson Brown, Jr