Looking through my files to delete clutter, I came across this blog entry that never made it to the presses and was apparently written during one of those days when I was feeling really "angry" and "militant", seemingly agitated by what someone had said to me earlier... :P Here goes...
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Quite a number of people have asked me why I remained loyal to CGH, the hospital where I had my postgraduate internship, especially those people who opted to remain at UST who sometimes sneer sarcastically when asking whether I liked it there. (Bato-bato sa langit, ang matamaan wag magagalit, ang pikon ay laging talo.. Besides, kayo naman ang nagaantagonize sakin eh. ;P)
The answer is quite simple really. I loved it there, and having come from the very hierarchical internal community of UST, it was like a breath of fresh air. Make no mistake, working there wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. For a private hospital, the patient load there is just insane, especially in Obstetrics. Hehehe The hospital itself wasn’t small either, and presented a lot of ground to cover. Although some people may contend that they had a tough time in UST with it’s endless warrens of narrow corridors that you need to navigate to reach patients’ rooms, try being on duty at CGH while in charge of two separate buildings!
Why then, did we like it there despite the toxicity and the obvious physical burden? I guess mainly because of the friendlier and less hostile atmosphere. I’m not just talking about the way residents treated interns, but the general interaction of everyone in the hospital as a whole. Doctors (including interns) and nurses generally get along really well. Consultants don’t treat underlings like dirt, and senior residents generally don’t treat their juniors like neophytes. Even the interaction with the other members of the hospital staff (like the guards, manongs, etc..) are generally favorable. It’s a more relaxed, friendly atmosphere which facilitates better cooperation between health care providers. In short, the system makes you feel that you’re an important part of something, and doesn’t kick you in the shins and forces you to eat dirt. :P
People may contend that staying at UST is better, as you are more exposed to the academic side of things. I don’t dispute the fact that you may have the opportunity to learn more. However, having my internship “outside” gave me a glimpse of how a “real” hospital works, away from the academe and away from all the politicking and shaming of underlings, and I found that it was quite efficient! I was really impressed with the way things were handled there. The consultants may not be academics, but they were damn good at their jobs! A sick person was able to go home healthy, with less financial strain (since I understand that CGH has relatively lower prices). It was that simple. Isn’t that what physicians were meant to do? To heal the sick and ailing? ;)
In CGH we also experienced unparalleled generosity from our consultants. Our summer outing to Batangas was sponsored by solicitations from the various consultants and departments. There was one time when the monthly allowance for the residents and interns was really late. The chairwoman of the Department of Pediatrics used the department’s fund to pay the Pedia residents and interns while we were still waiting for our delayed stipend. We had to pay it back when the money eventually came out of course, but still, the idea that she would go out of her way to do that to make sure her people were getting paid struck a chord in the hearts of many.
We also have our share of “nasty” consultants, but they were the exception rather than the rule (unlike some other places where it’s the other way around :D).
Its just too bad that a few people from our batch were always sourgraping and whining so much about what they didn’t like about the hospital that word spread throughout UST that CGH wasn’t an “ok” place to go (despite the consensus of the majority who loved the place). The end result was that in the following year the hospital got only a handful of applicants from UST, which is really sad because CGH used to be labeled as a “2nd UST”, due to the fact that it was traditionally filled to the brim by interns from UST. Even the nurses lamented this fact, and some have even told me that they missed the good old UST days, when everything would be running smoother.. I don’t exactly know what they meant with the statement, but I was really honored by it. ;)
Let me make this clear. I don’t hate UST. I studied there and done my share of work there as well. In fact, I’m extremely proud to be a Thomasian doctor. I’m just deeply saddened that it could be so much more, but the system is so firmly entrenched that it’s impossible to change it for the better.. L Its so sad that instead of opting to have internship at the alma mater, people are fleeing to other hospitals to escape the apparently stifling system. I can’t really describe why we feel so uncomfortable about it. As one of my co-interns put it, the moment she set foot upon UST hospital, it was like the air was different, stress levels shot up, and a general feeling of gloom was prevalent. Or maybe we’re just used to a happier place.. ;) Oh well… *sigh*
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