2015 Yearender

Wow, I'm actually making a yearender post ON TIME! :P

This has been a great year, with its own ups and downs, all of which made they year so much more unique. :D

It has been a year of tremendous change for me, starting with my graduation from Internal Medicine, to passing the PSBIM, to starting first year anew as a fellow in subspecialty training. :)

Of course, there's also the small matter of finally finding my Other Half, which may have drastically changed my life forever. ;)

This has also been a year of loss, with an uncle passing away recently after a prolonged battle with cancer..

Before the post goes all over the place, I'd like to break everything down into little bite-sized chunks as I am apt to do...

- Fist of all, many thanks to the Great One upstairs who has always been there for me, my family, my friends, and pretty much everyone else in this world. We have to remember that it is only through Him and His holy will that everything  that is has come to pass.

- A big thank you to my wonderful folks and bro who were always there for me regardless of how stuff went. Thank you for putting up with me, being the rascal hat I am. :P I love you! :D

- I would also have to give thanks to my new mentors who teach us fellows day in and day out the nuances of the subspecialty we chose to pursue. Thank you for all the patience you show, and all the learnings we get from you.

- Also worthy of being mentioned here are my former bosses from the old hospital whom I see from time to time when they make their rounds. Its always nice to see a friendly face, or hear a friendly voice through the phone. :)

- Thank you to my new co-fellows at the hospital. We've had about less than a year to get to know each other, and the seniors are graduating in 3 months. Thank you for all that I've learned from all of you, whether it be senior or batchmate. For my batchmates, let's make our final year a memorable one! Good luck everyone!

- Special mention goes to our Chief Fellow. Thank you boss, for making us feel at home and comfortable in the new and sometimes daunting environment of a national specialty hospital. You've always acted so kindly towards us, and acts as a protective big brother who takes care of everyone. Good luck with your exams boss! Kayang-kaya mo yan!

- Thank you to the nursing and support staff at the new hospital. Thank you for making us feel welcome and for embracing us as a part of the family.  We doctors would not be able to do the things we do if you were not there beside us, accompanying us along the way

- To our patients, especially those in the service ward or OPD. Thank you for entrusting yourselves to our care. We learn much from you as we treat you and monitor your progress day by day. It warms my heart when we are able to send you home safe and sound, but we are also saddened for those who are unable to make it.

- Lastly, to my precious Other Half.. We've come such a long way already from our humble beginnings, and look where we stand now.. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would actually meet someone like you.. Yeah, in the past, to me you were just a concept, an abstract ideal which I thought would never come to pass.. But now here you are.. someone who gets me from even a very fundamental level.. :) Thank you for everything, and I'm looking forward to more great things to come :D

At the ER

It's time for another rotation at the Emergency Room, the rotation I like the least.. :( at least now the end seems to be in sight, with only roughly 20 ER duties to go before I will be totally rid of this forever..

It's really a struggle to get up and go to work day in and day out, especially if you feel that you've made some crappy life decisions along the way.. Makes me kinda wish I could turn back time and steer my life in a completely different direction.. Make no mistake, there have been blessings that came my way as well, but all the trauma and hardships I've been through seems to trump it all, and in the end there's just no contest..

I guess what I want to say is that I'm sick of having to worry about everything and that it would be nice to have nothing to worry about for a change...

Mortality and Morbidity

Amidst all the banter here at the office while waiting for the start of the conference, I'm able to sneak in a little time to type an entry..

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During Conference

Luckily the laptop is still open and I'm tucked away at the end of the table so I can keep on typing. Its a duty day again today.. At least I was able to squeeze in a little personal time yesterday before going home. :) I'm really grateful for the time well spent. Its amazing how much you can accomplish when everything is within arms' reach, so to speak. ;)

Gosh, thisis taking quite a while.. I hope OPD won't be too busy today. I'm feeling really sluggish enough as it is, and I still have quite a laundry list of things to do..

My batchmate is inviting me to go out with them tommorrow. Though I'm grateful for the invite, I would very much rather go straight home to my bed to rest. And who know, there might be another oppotunity to have a little private time again. :)

I love sleep. Aside from the obvious benefit of allowing you to rest your aching body, it also affords a brief getaway from everything else, a special time away from all the hustle and bustle of the routine of daily life. :P

Pacquiao? Wag na lang

I don't have much time, so for this entry I will be brief and concise.. and a bit angry as well..

I don't like Manny Pacquiao anymore. He was so much better as a boxing champion and nothing else. The fact that he dabbled in politics, and even had the nerve to enter professional basketball just because of who he was sickens me to the core.. And now he wants to run for a seat in the Senate, Philippine goverment being a big joke by itself already. The sad part is, the stupid voting masses will definitely vote for him just because of his godawful popularity, never mind that he was only present at congress for four days during his entire tenure. He's making a joke out of everything he tries to get himself into. The sad thing about this is that he's acting like everything is all right. I have the greatest respect for the hardworking simple people of this country, but Pacquiao being in the position he's in, should stop being so childish and simple-minded and realize that this is something that he is not meant to do.. Such an arrogant, simple-minded fool! I have said that people deserve the leaders they choose. If everything goes to shit, I don't think I wanna stay here anymore.. since I did not choose that man to lead me.. People may laugh about how adorably stupid he may act, and the masses would embrace him for that because he is "one of them".. Kaya hindi umuusad ang Pilipinas eh.. The people who don't have any idea how to vote correctly are the ones with the greatest voting power just because of sheer numbers. 

Making the most of it..

Wow, my third entry in a day.. This has got to be some kind of record for me.. I guess that's what happens when you're looking for any sort of catharsis to make you feel better about a lot of things that you've kept bottled up for some time..

Hmm.. I've been thinking of writing a book for the longest time. Not a story, because I've tried that but failed miserably given my nature to summarize things. :P Maybe an autobiography of sorts.. I won't be posting anything here, although admittedly some of the content may seem familiar to the readers (?) of this blog. Yeah.. I could make it chapter by chapter, then figure out the chronology when everything is written and done. :D

Solitude

Sunday duties suck, but if there's one consolation, it's the fact that the hospital is more or less empty the entire day, and that means you end up with a relatively quiet hospital.

Other people would be uncomfortable with the silence, I however, tend to bask in it. I even try to make my footsteps as light as possible when walking through the corridors so as not to disturb the beautiful void which pervades the hospital environs..

I understand people completely when they talk about running off to a weekend getaway to the beach or some hillside cabin so as to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. While the youger set would probably just use these getaways to make more noise such as beach parties in boracay, we of the *sigh* older generation would tend to shy away from all the frivolousness and just find a quiet nook to be alone with out thoughts or cuddle up with someone we love. ;)

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Was able to spend a bit of much-needed quality time with brother over the weekend break, which consisted mostly of NBA 2K sessions, as well as introducing him to a new anime. :D This was capped off with a relatively simple ChickenJoy lunch before we went on our respective activities for the day. We first thought of going out, but were too lazy to really get moving and just opted for delivery. Hehe.

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Ugh, I'm gonna be at the ER again this November.. then again in February, for hopefully the final time.. :P Its no secret that I really loathe the ER.. But I guess these last 20 duties are something I have to go through before I'm really rid of the ER forever.. As second year I may be expected to cover the firsties from time to time, but the fact that you're no longer organic there will be a load off my mind..

Ward calls! Gotta go!

The sad thing about having an awesome day..

..is that the following normal day is guaranteed to suck even more. :( That's the way life balances itself out I guess.. Sigh..This becomes even more pronounced when you are still a doctor in training, following a schedule which required you to regularly go on grueling duties which saps both your energy and happiness.. A sad reality which we have to face day in and day out. I really ca't wait for training to end..

Still, I enjoyed yesterday though, no matter how brief it was.. :)

Running on Fumes

It can't be helped. Every day I go to work still feeling like a pile of crap.. It's sad.. Its as though I'm just trudging through the weekdays just to live for the weekend.. :(

I just want to be done with everything, so that I may finally enjoy some semblance of control over my life.. Schedules and deadlines will never go away, but I will have the luxury of being able to choose which of those I would follow..

I really need to get back to exercising. I have given up on the ideal that I would have as much time for the gym as before, even if I (hopefully) hit my senior year next year. I'm so out of shape (although people say that round is a shape) thanks to the unhealthy duty lifestyle, prophylactic eating, the endless unecessary treats by the pharmas, and the general lack of activity upon reaching home because one has already been drained by the demands of the previous workday.. I should start by doing bodyweght exrcises since these require no other equipment for the most part.:P

I currently find solance in the playlists I presently have in my phone and laptop, especially my anime tracks. :) Never has zoning out while soundtripping been more pleasant. :P Its just sad I can't use my headphones while on duty though, since I might miss and important text or call from the consultant/wards..

Sigh, I just realized my post is ER again for next month.. No matter, 2 more months remaining, then hopefully I will be rid of ER duty for the rest of my life. >.<

Waiting Waiting Lang..

*Late entry

It's approximately 8:30 AM and here I am in the department office awaiting the moderator for my journal report. Man, I feel so tired.. We had to go to the monthly interhospital conference which was unfortunately held in a pharma company's headquarters far away in Paranaque and ended up with me finally reaching home at around 11:30PM due to the lateness of the event and the severe traffic along EDSA.. and to make matters worse, I was from duty yesterday, so imagine how lousy I feel right now..:(

I wish residents and fellows would not have to be compelled to attend such time consuming late-night functions, seeing as they already carry such a heavy workload in the context of their training. Pharma people may think that they are giving the trainess comfort food with a bit of medical education, but in my point of view, they're just contributing to the already unhealthy lifestyle endured by the residents in fellows in training, by asking the to eat really rich food then go home late at night.

Call me a killjoy, but I fail to appreciate treating us to nights out on our birthday, when people would drink and sign videoke, both of which are not really my cup of tea. I admit that I hardly enjoyed the last one I went to, and got home completely drained since I was already from duty (again) that night.. Then again, I'm nottoo much of a night person anyway..

I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I would much rather appreciate being able to go home on time and sleep on my bed. If there was a pharma company who would provide me with free transportation to my home hassle-free, I would gladly support them with no strings attached :P You don't need to feed me or shower me with ballpens and other useless little trinkets. Just get me to my resting place in one piece when I'm dead tired from duty and we'll call it even.

Idle Thoughts While At Hemodialysis

12nn

I normally dislike accompanying patients to dialysis because it just eats up too much time. But I'll make an exception for once since it's still office hours. Being the floater of the month certainly has its advantages hehe. A very different story unfolds when these ambulance conductions occur past 5pm, mainly because you have a designated duty post which you're forced to leave behind and just play catch-up later when you eventually return, usually at some godforsaken hour..

I find myself more and more disillusioned with each passing day, which further strengthens my resolve to finish up so I can finally get my life started when these two years of fellowship are over. Enough is enough, as I have already given the best years of my life to training. Being a well-recognized doctor would be great, but that's not really something I'm aspiring for. I just want to be able to finally live my life according to my own design, while earning enough to make ends meet plus a little something extra for comfort and insurance.. Professional renown and adulation do not interest me. My experiences have showed me that a really busy life is one that is not worth living. An interesting question is whether I would go through all this again if I was given the chance to relive my life.. The answer used to come by so easily, but now I'm forced to think again.. It's really unfotunate that things have to be this way, but I guess the best advice I could give my future kids is to not go into medicine and instead live life to its fullest.. There are so many different ways to help people, and being a doctor is not necessarily the most noble one anyway, is it?

This essay forces me to reflect on a number of things.. Since when have I been this selfless? Its true that I was a bit turned off by someone who once sarcastically asked me if altruism still exists. But then again, that was someone who seemed a bit too off and disconnected from life for my taste. and to tell the truth, she seemed a little too weird.. Sorry, just had to get that out there :P

2pm 

Dang! Times up! The patient is being disconnected from the machine, and we're probably leaving in a few minutes. Still, I'll make the most of the time here by staying seated in this comfy chair until it's really time to move. :P One can never really get enough rest when he/she goes on duties like we do. . I just really want everything to be done and over with. I guess living life for so long under a routine which you have no control over really took its toll on me.. It got a little better when I was in my senior year of residency since I was the one calling the shots, but I was still pretty much tied to the demands of the hospital and department. I mean, I haven't had a vacation in like, forever.. :/

Oops, gotta go!!

A note of thanks..

While browsing, I noticed that my blog posts appear to all have a handful of hits (around 2-4 on the average). Upon realizing this, I thought I'd take the time to say thanks to the people out there who drop by my blog (either on purpose or just by accident). If you see anything you like, please feel free to drop a line and say hi.I appreciate the readership :) I haven't had anyone post a meaningful comment since I moved the blog here from the now-defunct Multiply.

I guess that is what's missing from the world today: people showing more gratefulness and just plain civility towards each other. :)

So I lost my iPad...

Damn, I feel so stupid, but helpless at the same time..

My trusty iPad was nowhere to be found when I left the hospital this afternoon. I have a feeling that it was stolen.. It kind of sucks because I know I last left it at the Fellows' Callroom,. supposedly the safest place to put your stuff. :(

Oh well.. I hope it can be found, but I'm not holding my breath.. :/

Lonely Fellow..

After my little online rant the other day, I kinda felt better, although I had a really toxic duty during that evening. Then when the time came for me to go home in the afternoon, I felt strangely calm and at peace.. Let me elaborate..

The fast few weeks have been kind of long and dragging for me.. I was feeling really down, unhealthy, and to tell you quite frankly, I felt sick (both literally and figuratively). Although things weren't really going bad in training, I felt a kind of loneliness which I had not felt since way back when I was just starting out as a medical resident. I was kind of moping around, clearly dissatisfied with my life. It didn't help that my female batchmates have one by one decided to turn their backs on me for some reason.. I mean, I don't think I did anyone wrong, nor did I get anyone into trouble. It may be true that I'm not really the most fun guy to be with, and that I only speak when I am spoken to (since I don't really have anything to talk to them about). I'm seen as no -nonsense, whereas they seem to be enjoying taking everything lightly except when it comes to work (where they get really worked up about everything). And they wonder why I don't seem to open up to them..

Getting to know me is a long process, as I don't really trust people with the details of my life that easily. That is why I do not really post any personal stuff on these social networking sites, and would like to keep my friend list to a minimum if possible. I am not a socia media narcissist like some other people who feel the obligation to take a new selfie every now and then and refresh their profile photo for whatever reason they may have.

I guess my sociability problem stems from the feeling of relative contentment I have with my life right now. I am not particularly wanting for anything. I am able to go home and be with my family on a regular basis (if you can call a resident/fellow's schedule "regular"). I fortunately have a special someone in my life who gives me something to look forward to in the future. :) I do not have any pressing aspirations to become fantastically wealthy, nor am I desiring a lavish lifestyle which I would have to work myself to death in order to maintain.. I guess all these things created this attitude that "I don't really need anything or anyone else", which is fundamentally wrong by itself..

But it's so hard to be sociable when you aren't really fond of things that sociable people do, like going out, drinking, and karaoke. I would very much rather snuggle up at home on my bed or spend the entire day playing NBA on a console. :P

I guess I have to wrap this up soon. The preop-postop conference starts in a few minutes.

Working Angry

I should not be blogging right now, since I'm supposed to be in the midst of preparing for a big-ass conference to be presented on Monday. But something in my head is screaming for its bloody release, so here we go..

I went to work this morning feeling absolutely lousy, and it didn't help that the traffic was just terrible when I left home, resulting in my coming in late for the 2nd time in 2 months.. :/ I'm really suspecting that I may have Obstructive Sleep Apnea, but I don't really have the time to get myself checked out. A funny thing since the Sleep Lab is on the floor where we make our rounds..

Truth be told, I think I'm starting to lose my faith in humanity.. You hear all this sad news from abroad about these individuals who have the nerve to actually call themselves "people" who are killing people left and right in an attempt to put up a rogue nation of sorts all in the name of their "religion". It sickens me that a wonderful thing like faith in an all-powerful diety can be perverted to evil means by selfish or twisted individuals for their own personal or misguided "selfless" gains.

I am not a religious bigot by any means, but its really frustrating when you hear the more conservative people from the same sect denouncing  theses monsters and yet they actually do little else.. Are they just paying lip service just so that their religion won't be seen in a bad light but the global community at large, whilst at the same time secretly rooting for these terrorists since they seem to promise a kind of religious utopia exclusive for them (no matter how perverted or horrible it may be for the other peoples, but who really cares about them anyway since they're all just unbelievers, eh?).

Its hard not to be suspicious, because all over the world you see them clamoring for special treatment, secession, and whatnot. What's wrong with just playing nice with everyone else? We're people too, you know. So what if we dont worship the same diety? Strict adherence to ancient texts which endorses the genocide of other people or treeating them poorly just because they don't worship who you worship is totally unfair, esecially if those people are just minding their own business.. Why can't you just leave them alone? Why do you have to push the issue? Religious belief is a very tricky thing, and people who are nuts have used it on many instances as a pretext for death and destruction. Maybe its time to reevaluate the teachings that you have. I have been looking into my belief system as well, and as a decent human being, I don't think I will be following any inflammatory statements regarding people of other faiths anytime soon because PEOPLE ARE STILL PEOPLE!!

I really want to respect everyone's belief system as long as they don't impinge on the rights of others. But that's the main problem here now, isn't it? There is a loss of respect for the rights of others. Just like a self-centered infant who always wishes to be the center of attention, or an impatient child who gets angry just because the grown-ups won't let him get his own stupid way, these misguided militants deserve to get their asses kicked before they could harm more people and ruin more lives.. I hope the moderate people among them finally wake up and see what is truly happening, and DO SOMETHING for the sake of human decency.

If these rouges are not true practitioners of your religion, then bring them to justice yourselves, or take a very big role in bringing them down, instead of the just watching as the rest of the world tries to fight them off while you sit smugly in your homes and wait for the dust to clear, and probably laugh at the rest of us if we fail to put them down. You have a stake in this too! Or maybe you just think that you'll be better off supporting the other side since they are technically your "brothers" anyway so you can just sit and watch the world burn.. Now I'm just sad for what humanity has become.... :(

Whoa.. That was uncharacteristically long, angry, and religiously flavored... I'm sorry. I'm just so fed up with the world right now.. There are other issues which kind of grind my gears, but this is the most pressing issue for me, which has been simmering beneath the surface for the longest time.. I'm not really comfortable discussing religion here as it would ruin the light-natured spirit of the blog, but this is also my own space where I can place whatever I want, especially issues which really get me ticked off.. I promise to tone down the rhetoric though, because this isn't really healthy either.

Doctors get stressed out too, you know!

Ok, so this is a rant. But i do what i can to survive, to prevent myself from burning out. Other people go out at night, have drinks, and indulge in all sorts of other "nightlife" activities. I don't do that. In fact, i would much rather curl up in bed and hide from civilization for the next week or so if given the chance.

Truth be told, I'm not really a very sociable person. Sure, i know how to interact socially with others like a normal guy, but constant exposure to complete strangers kind of takes its toll on me. Call me socially withdrawn, but i guess that's the truth. I don't mind clinic consults and whatnot, because you can go home and be yourself and be alone with your thoughts. That's why i really have a hard time at the ER. The physical and mental demands of going on 24+ hours duty is bad enough, added to the miscellaneous stresses that different personalities of the patients and watchers bring, and you have a coxktail for an early meltdown..

Part of me kind of wishes that I did not have my fellowship here, where the fellows are still the frontliners due to the absence of medical residents who are supposed to man these areas in other less specialized institutions. That's the price of quality training I guess. The policies may seem a bit heavy, but that's the way it has been since the inception of the institution..

I guess its because I'm already a little tired of everything. Admittedly, I'm not as young as I used to, and my endurance for pulling all-nighters seem to have dramatically decreased. Add that to health concerns which may already be cropping up as I age, and you have a very tired physician desperately trying to hold on with the hope that the end will come soon and that tommorrow will be a better day..

This is what happens when you don't have wifi and have gotten tired ofyour offline games..

I find it really sad that there are only a handful of iPad games that are really worthwhile. I mean, one can only play so much Zombie Tsunami or CSR Racing before his mind yearns for something new a d different. I used to have that with SimCity. It was a well-structured time sink of a game with an acceptable level of complexity and just the right amount of the building time element to keep you coming back for more, especially since its fre and plays offline. But I digress..

The point of this post is one of those "Favorite Lists" which I will make up on the fly as I go along. So here goes..

*WARNING: an accepteble level of geekiness may be required to comprehend what I'm gonna be writing about..

1. Favorite Autobot - Wheeljack

2. Favorite Decepticon - Soundwave (everyone loves Soundwave!)

3. Favorite Gestalt - Bruticus (even though he has a soft spot in the back)

4. Favorite Anime (all-time) - Taiho Shichauzo (its the first one that I religiously watched from start to finish on TV, and was fanboying so much that I was inspired to write my own Episode synopses before there was wikpedia))

5. Favorite Saiyan - Vegeta

6. Favorite Dragonball Villain - Cell

7. Favorite Seirin player - Junpei Hyuga 

8. Favorite member of the Generation of Miracles - Aomine

9. Favorite Serin opponent (team) - Kaijo

10. Favorite Spirit Detective (YYH) - Yusuke

11. Favorite Shohoku player - Kaede Rukawa

12. Favorite SlamDunk opponent (team) - Shoyo

13. Favorite SlamDunk opponent (player) - Akari Sendoh

14. Favorite Giant Robot (animated) - Voltron (Lions)

15. Favorite Voltron Lion - Red

16. Favorite Giant Robot (Live action) - Mask Robot (Maskman)

17. Favorite GI Joe - Sgt. Slaughter :P

18. Favorite COBRA - Cobra B.A.T.

19. Favorite Visionary (Good or Evil) - Witterquick

20. Facvorite Centurion - Max Ray

21. Favorite Thundercat - Panthro (he drives the friggin' Thundertank!)

Being Grateful

Downtime is such a prized resource, even moreso when duty at the Emergency Room.

I'm niow starting my fifth month of fellowship. While it hasn't been all fun and games, everything seems to be going well. :)

I wanted to take this time out to reflect on stuff that I really did not have the time for these past months since I was still adjusting to the new demands of the training program..

Looking back at where I came from in order to get to where I am now, I can't help but be grateful for having been trained at my mother institution for the following reasons:

- it made me tougher and more confident on managing patients on my own, which came in really handy when I was handling service patients as a fellow.

- it taught me how to be REALLY patient with certain kinds of people, especially patient's relatives.

- it taught me an entire truckload of clinical skills/procedures that I would otherwise not have developed as a resident in a private institution.

- it taught me to perfect my mastery of the vernacular so that I would be able to explain better to patients and relatives, and be understood fully and clearly.

- it allowed me to develop some semblance of leadership with which I could use to get things done in certain situations where cooperation is needed.

- it taught me to play nice and get along with the other services, no matter how annoying they were. Referrals are still referrals.

- it taught me to be a good junior, and a firm but fair senior.

- it taught me how to decide quickly and decisively in certain clinical situations in order to minimize the loss of life.

It taught me a lot about responsibilty and being accountable for one's actions.

- lastly, it taught me that diplomacy and politics, though as repugnant as it may seem sometimes, is necessary in order to protect the interests of your people.

Wow, that was a long list.. I'm actually quite surprised with how it turned out, since it just seemed to flow spontaneously from my mind.

That should be enough for the moment. I think I hear activity outside.. :/

Downtime at the Library

Being fortunate enough to have some downtime after my daily rounds, I decided to try out visiting the institution library since I heard that the Internet access is quite fast here. :D

As some of my more avid (?) readers know, I used to be a big fan of hanging out at the computer room duting my time in medical school.. Whoch is actually the main reason why this blog came to be in the first place. :P

It's such a joy to find a nice and peaceful oasis amidst all the craziness of training and the hospital.. I think that this will be a reasonable escape for me for the next year and a half while I complete my fellowship.

I have found myself looking forward to the future even more, now that an apparent end to training is in sight.. All of these new "what if" scenarios are starting to come out, and new issues such as marriage, housing, and investments are starting to catch and hold my attention, and since we are on the topic of marriage...

There is this girl I met.. Not the previous one who (seemed to have) made my world go around. I have finally dismissed her as a passing infatuation, and quite possibly just a rebound attraction after the end of my previous long-term relationship. No, this new girl is something else... She's someone I may have dreamed of meeting when I was younger but I never really thought that she would actually exist.. :)

We've known each other for just a relatively short time, but I think I already like where this is going.. We'll just see what happens.. ;)

Follow the Fellow

After having read a profound and eloquently-written piece by one of my co-fellows, I felt a bit inspired to head back to the writer's table and make a new entry.

I have almost completed my 4th month of fellowship. Its really amazing how tine could fly by so fast. 

After having gone rhrough one of the more grueling weeks i have experienced so far, having a little bit of freedom is a luxury I intend to maximize for the next week or so..

We have just finished our first quarteryly examinations, as well as a practical test for procedures. I can't really say that I did well, but I think I did enough.. :P

There was also a series of presentations I had to make.. 3 in a span of four days!  Add that to the ever-growing mountain of unfinished charts i had at the records section, as well as the added responsibility of being the ABG reader of the week, plus the passing of my personal census logbook and my part in the annual admission census.. Whew!! It was incredible that I survived all that.. :P

Of course, it helps if one is inspired to do great things by someone special.. ;)

I have had the privilege of being introduced to a great anime about basketball "Kuroko no Basket" (The Basketball that Kuroko Plays).  It was sooo awesome! :D Very Highly Recommended!

I hear there's even one about Volleyball. I'll bet "little sister" would be interested in that one naman. :)

Next month will find me at the ER once again. I hope I can make it through those ten duties unscathed :P

Some thoughts on the BBL and the greater underlying issue.

Just a quick hit to start the day.

Post is entirely not mine, but was written by someone called "Anito" who posted this in the comments section of an article on the Inquirer website..

It is eloquently written and raises some pretty valid points, echoing some of my personal sentiments on the issue..

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"Among the many fundamental flaws of the BBL is its plan to carve out a political entity upon the demand of MILF, a group with a record of killing other Filipinos in order to establish a separate territory primarily based on difference in religion (while utilizing other issues like "historical injustice"). Why are we seeing this Islamic demand throughout the world for separation from other human beings?

Part of the reason can be found in Koran... and sane Muslims should actively convince their fellow Muslims not to take the Koran too seriously.

The Koran may have been of use, even crucial for survival, in the desert tribal warfare of the 7th century of Mohammed. But it has become gravely deficient and even hazardous as a moral guide or some sort of an MOI (manual of operating instructions) in a modern world where various cultures, religions and moral values are all hanging together... along with nuclear weapons that can blow the world to nothingness if some fanatic were to get hold of them.

I have read the Koran and it constantly repeats, to the point of obsessiveness, these two following tenets:

1) Though there were other prophets who revealed the word of God/Allah -- including Adam, Abraham, David, Moses and Jesus -- the prophet Mohammed's Koran is the FINAL WORD of God. Anyone who does not believe that it is the FINAL WORD is damned and deserves to be treated as a criminal. In Malaysia, Sharia Law still prescribes the death sentence for Apostasy or Riddah in states like Kelantan and Terangganu; in other states, it is a crime punishable by jail.

2) If you let pagans, Jews, and Christians know about this FINAL WORD of God and they still remain unbelievers, they displease Allah and deserve to be beheaded, deceived, or at the very least subjugated and required to pay tax as punishment.

These tenets are so central and so constantly emphasized in the Koran that the only sane way for the modern Muslim or general reader to read the Koran is not to take it too seriously.

With the Koran's insistence and obsession with its FINALITY, is it any surprise that those who take it seriously are unable to move on and adapt to this century?

It is encouraging that there are now Muslim-born voices like Ayaan Hirsi Ali (the Somali-born writer now facing a fatwah death sentence from the holy Imams) who is openly asking Muslims to take a serious and critical look at the central tenets of the Koran and their faith. It would go a long way to allay fears by "non-believers" if they hear more open-minded, courageous voices like hers.

I agree with those, including Muslim friends, who say that there are many outdated and even repugnant verses in the Bible. The difference is that violence towards apostates and non-believers is not the burning and central tenet in the Bible as it is in the Koran. This might explain why everyday when we wake up and as soon as we turn on Yahoo News, we learn about some violence somewhere in the world made in the name of Alllah. One would need to enroll in a course in speed reading just to keep up.

Based on the above observations, I don't buy the argument that there is nothing wrong with the Koran...and that it is just being taken out of context. People should just wake up and recognize that these books are made by men who are fallible by nature. BTW, I don't take the Bible too seriously either... which doesn't mean that I don't believe in the Divine.

Let me add that I love and treasure the beautiful calligraphy and arabesques using Koranic text that centuries-long generations of Islamic artists have created. Let us hope that they don't fall victim to the wholesale destruction of age-old monuments going on in the Middle East right now."

Thanksgiving again...

Its' just one bit of good news after another...

I just received word that I had been accepted to a fellowship program I had applied to a few months back prior to the boards, one which I dreamed of entering ever since my senior year in residency..

Blessings abound when you least expect them.. Thank You so much.. :D I'll do my best to make good and continue on with the task. :D

Chinese Resto Mano-A-Mano: Three-Way fight!

For this edition of the food fight, I shall be ptiing the three heavyweights among the freestanding Chinese restos here around Manila. (Hotel restos don't count since they have an unfair advantage. :P)

It is a common tradition among Filipino-Chinese families to have the regular clan get-togethers in one of these three restos I would consider as "Chinese Fine Dining". Recently, the cousins and I got together when we were grouped together at a table to finally settle once and for all which one seems to be the best. (In a span of 2 weeks, we had the good fortune of having eaten at all 3, so the memories were quite fresh when we had the debate).

Before I start, I know that some of you would cry out that I had omitted this or that resto, which I'm sure you would have perfectly logical arguments to support it. However, this encompasses only those that we have had a chance to dine at somewhat regularly (once a year?), and to tell you the truth, I just put this up for fun. :P

With the disclaimer out of the way, let's meet the contestants:

1) Gloria Maris

As I was growing up, Gloria Maris has always been the go-to chinese resto whenever the clan had a celebration (birthdays of uncles/aunts, grandfather's death anniv, Chinese New Year celebrations, etc). With its own freaking building next to Unimart in Greenhills, the place was a monument to good chinese cuisine. With spacious function rooms and a luxurious interior, coupled with great food, this gave us the chance to disconnect from the world at large and eat away in relative comfort.

2) Hai Kang

This seafood resto along Wilson St. near the gate of Greenhills West became another family favorite of sorts, as they food wasn't bad either, but the interior left much to be desired. To me it seemed a little too much like those run-of-the-mill chinese restos you would find downtown in the Binondo Chinatown. The strong poit of this place was that ( I heard) it was relatively affordable and the portions were really generous. Still, I consider this the weakest of the three.

3) Choi Garden

I have seen Choi Garden occasionally when I was commuting home, but I never really set foot in it until recently (since the demands of residency kept me away from family gatherings for the most part). The place was GRAND, although in terms of size it does not even hold a candle to the sprawling new structure that Gloria Maris built when they moved to the other side of the Greenhills Shopping Complex. The atmosphere seemed more extravagant and the food exquisite! They even had better dessert! (The dessert was admittedly the dealbreaker for me. I mean, how could you make Mango Sago even better?? :P)

And with those (very short and nonsensical) arguments, it looks like CHOI GARDEN is the winner! :P

Overheard in the huddle..

As was said by a coach (don't remember who) during an NBA game via those in-game mics they clip on for audio bites..

"There is no substitute for hustle. If you do not hustle, you will be substituted for!"


XD

Joketime: The Sound

Just a little something I enearthed from WAAAAAAY before..

(I think this came from an e-mail I received in HIGH SCHOOL, back when home DSL was not yet a thing, screens were still CRTs, and CD-ROMs were just starting to pick up.. :P)

Joke still cracks me up though. :P

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE SOUND 

A man is driving down the road and breaks down near a monastery. He goes to the monastery, knocks on the door, and says, "My car broke down. Do you think I could stay the night?"

The monks graciously accept him, feed him dinner, even fix his car. As the man tries to fall asleep, he hears a strange sound. The next morning, he asks the monks what the sound was, but they say, "We can't tell you. You're not a monk."

The man is disappointed but thanks them anyway and goes about his merry way. Some years later, the same man breaks down in front of the same monastery. The monks again accept him, feed him, even fix his car. That night, he hears the same strange noise that he had heard years earlier.

The next morning, he asks what it is, but the monks reply, "We can't tell you. You're not a monk." The man says, "All right, all right. I'm dying to know. If the only way I can find out what that sound was is to become a monk, how do I become a monk?"

The monks reply, "You must travel the earth and tell us ow many blades of grass there are and the exact number of sand pebbles. When you find these numbers, you will become a monk."

The man sets about his task. Some forty-five years later, he returns and knocks on the door of the monastery. He says, "I have traveled the earth and have found what you have asked for. There are 145,236,284,232 blades of grass and 31,281,219,999,129,382 sand pebbles on the earth."

The monks reply, "Congratulations. You are now a monk. We shall now show you the way to the sound."

The monks lead the man to a wooden door, where the head monk says, "The sound is right behind that door."

The man reaches for the knob, but the door is locked. He says, "Real funny. May I have the key?" The monks give him the key, and he opens the door.

......

Behind the wooden door is another door made of stone. The man demands the key to the stone door.

The monks give him the key, and he opens it, only to find a door made of ruby. He demands another key from the monks, who provide it. Behind that door is another door, this one made of sapphire. So it went until the man had gone through doors of emerald, silver, topaz, and amethyst.

Finally, the monks say, "This is the last key to the last door."

The man is relieved to no end. He unlocks the door, turns the knob, and behind that door he is amazed to find the source of that strange sound.


...

...

...


But I can't tell you what it is because you're not a monk.

PSBIM 2015 Result

Congratulations to all my fellow Diplomates! :D

*taken from the Philipine College of Physicians' Website
______________________________________________________

LIST OF SUCCESSFUL EXAMINEES OF MARCH 1, 2015 PSBIM EXAM

ABDUL, SUSAN MIJARES
ABELO-RAMO, IDA GRACE BUCOL
ABLAZA, PAUL JOHN LOPEZ
ACOSTA, KATHERINE ROSE ABELLERA
ACOSTA, VIDA ROSE DANIELLE KUAN TIU
ADAMOS, EMMYLOU LISING
ADEA, JOSE-ERNESTO BLANCADA
ADHIKARI, ASHOK
ADRANEDA, CELINA CELESTE HERNANDO
ADRIANTO
AGUATIS, CHRISTINE JOY MACATANGAY
AGUSTIN, CHARLENE FRANCISCO
ALBA, MARGARET BILAOEN
ALBERCA, KENNETH JAY-R QUILAQUIL
ALCANCIA, MARIA CLAUDIA GESMUNDO
ALIANGAN, EDGAR BAUTISTA
ALIANZA, MA. FAITH TIMONERA
ALONTO, AKISAH LAMBAS
ALOTA-ANIN, MAY ANN MACION
ALVAREZ, JOAN GASPAR
ALVAREZ, MARIA GEORGETTE YNZON
AMADOR, MARIE CHRIS TOLENTINO
ANDRES, HAIDEE HERNANDO
ANGCAO, GENARO TORREGOZA
ANTONIO, SHARON GRACE MAPANOO
AUGUIS, CHURCHILL CANTERO
AUSTRIA, NICKSON ESCOBAR
BAELLO, RAYMUND PAUL CICERON
BAGAOISAN, KRISTIANNE EMMANUELLE RAYO
BAGASINO, MARY JILL DELA CRUZ
BAGUISI, KATHRINE MARIE SAMANIEGO
BALA, MISHELLE VONNABIE OLARTE
BALA-GALARRETA, HELEN DAHUNAN
BALAGTAS, DOREEN TORIBIO
BALINAS, ELLEN GRACE MANGUILIMUTAN
BAÑEZ, ANGELINE FRANCES FRANCISCO
BANTOC, ABIGAIL PASAGUI
BARBA, KRISTIN JUNE PEÑALOSA
BATAC, JIREH ANN LANDINGIN
BAUTISTA, GINALYN REYES
BAUTISTA, MHARK VINCENT TAN
BAYANI, II, DIOSCORO DE CASTRO
BAYONA, JESSECA LLENA
BENITEZ, CARINA BAUTISTA
BERNARDO, DIANE CARLA CENTENO
BERNARDO, MARJA ARCANGEL
BINALINGBING, MARIA FRANCIA LOBETE
BLANCO, FLORENCE TUMACA
BLANQUISCO, LOUREN RABE
BLAS, LUTECE KRYSTLE AGUINALDO
BODOSO, DANIEL PENTURAS
BOMBASE, MILLICENT GRACE SAHAGUN
BONAGUA, AIREEN MARMITO
BONAOBRA, BARBRA MAY CONVITE
BONAOBRA, JOAN ENOISA
BONGOTAN, JOEL BING-IYAN
BRAVO, NIÑA TERESA SISON
BRILLANTES, SALVADOR SOLANO
BUDHATHOKI, ARJUN
BUFETE, ERIKA UBALDO
BULAON, RONA YSABEL VIESCA
BUTAL, ROXANNE MAE CASALS
CABAHUG, MAE ANOTA
CABATANIA, LORELIE ANN MANTUHAC
CABATBAT, CONCEPCION CENTENO
CABIGAN, RAY ALBERT RAMOS
CABRERA, CARLA BERNEDO
CABRERA, DIANNE SHARI MOJICA
CALATRAVA, JOSE BERNARDO AQUINO
CAMBONGA, MANDER LUMBAO
CAMID, FATIMAH HONEYBEE MULOK
CAMORO, ROSEJANNE TANDOG
CAMPOMANES, SHIELA U
CANAPI, MICHELLE ANN ABAOAG
CANILLAS, MAY JOY TORRICO
CAÑIZARES, HENRY G
CANONO, RAYZEN VENTINILLA
CARAS, CHRISTOPHER PELAGIO
CARDIEL, DYNA LAGSUB
CARIASO, CHARISSE XENA COLLINNE CATBAGAN
CARLOS, CARMEL MATERIANO
CARPIO, GIAN CARLO ALVERO
CASTILLO, ANNA PAULA BERNARDO
CASTILLO-CRUZ, MA. MARCI CASTILLO
CASTRO, EDEN MALAGA
CELERIO, ERLOR YAP
CELESTRA, ADELENE ARADA
CELIS, RHEA ANNE CONFESOR
CHANCO, VICTORIA JUANSON
CHAVEZ, MARGARITA YSABEL AMARGA
CHAVEZ, MARIA CLAUDIA LIM
CHIN, INOFEL IDEA
CHU, ABIGAIL QUIMBO
CHUA, CHERYL TAN
CHUA, JACQUELINE SIOJO
CLADO-REYES, CATHERINE BANTUG
CLARIDADES, FRANCIS SOLOMON MOJICA
CLOMA, RDENN FAITH ARSENAL
CLOSA-BONSOL, DIANNE KRISTINE JOY HERNANDEZ
CO, JEANNE MARGARET SIA
CO, PATRICK JAMES ENDICO
CO, VANESSA CHARLENE ONG
COLINA, CHERYL ENOJO
COMO, CHRISTIAN RICO MANALO
CONFESOR, JEANETTE TRASMONTE
CORDERO, ALINAYA AURELIO
CORDERO, SHARON TAN
CRABAJAL, EDILBERTO H
CRESENCIO, JAY VINCENT JAUCIAN
CRUCERO-MANUEL, KRIS LAURA LABRADOR
CRUZ, ANGELO JONATHAN DIEGO
CRUZ, JOHN MARTIN M
CRUZ, MARIANNE SANTOS
CRUZ, MEL VALERIE BIANZON
CUDAL, BEINJERINCK IVAN BUMATAY
CUEZON, TERENCE MALIAMAN
DAEL, MAE SHYALLA THERESA LOGRONIO
DAGOC, BREN FELIAS
DAING, MANGONTAWAR ASIMPEN
DALAY, ROCHEL PEREZ
DALAYON, MARY JOYCE ALAGAO
DALISAY, AIMEE VICTORIA BAGOS
DANGAZO, KEUFFEL CAPARUZO
DANUGO, LESLIE FUNDAL
DAQUIOAG, JAYSON V
DARMAWAN, GUNTUR
DAVID, ABIGAIL DELFIN
DAYAG, MYRRENE BLUE AGCAOLI
DAYO, AURA BREE CORUÑA
DE CHAVEZ, BRYAN JOSEF TORRALBA
DE GUZMAN, LYRA HOSEÑA
DE GUZMAN, SHEILAMAR MEJIA
DE LA CRUZ, RIANNE L
DE LA CUESTA, GERARD TRISTAN ADRIANO
DE LA MOTA, MARY JOY PEÑALVER
DE LEON, JHOBELEEN DELAS LLAGAS
DE VERA, RONALDO QUILALA
DE VILLA, IRIS GRETEL SANTIAGO
DE VILLA, KIM BYRON SARMIENTO
DEJORAS, ELIZA MIA MEMPIN
DEL CASTILLO, DOMINADOR V
DEL MUNDO, DANA COLLEENE RAMOS
DELA CRUZ, CINDY BREYN HOMILLANO
DELA CRUZ, KATHERINE FIGUEROA
DELA CRUZ, MA. PAULA RAISA DE LEON
DELA CRUZ, MARIA GUIA ESTRELLA ANDALUZ
DELA CRUZ, MILLETTE PAED
DELA CRUZ, PERLITA JOANNE YU
DELA ROCA, ANNABELLE ACLAN
DIAZ, JUAN ARMANDO DORION
DILANGALEN, OMOHAIRE TAPERLA
DIMAGIBA, ANDREA QUINDIPAN
DIOLA, AIZZA ZERRINA BARING
DIOLA, RIOLOIDA VILLERO
DISPO, DONNA BELLE TORILLO
DIZON, DEAN ADRIAN BARCELONA
DJAJAKUSUMA, ANGELA DE VILLA
DOROMAL, MICHAEL ANGELO PASANA
DUJUNCO, MA. MARYLAINE UY
DY, JOANNA GRACE DY
ECOBEN, ROLLAND MATTHEW LAMPARAS
EISMA, JACKIE LOU ARANETA
EMBESTRO, AYEZL AGNAS
ENERO, JANELLE DE LOS REYES
ERIBAL, MARIE CATHERINE MANUEL
ESCUDERO, CHARITO DE JESUS
ESGUERRA, DENISE FRANCESCA CAASI
ESLEYER, PRIMO ARCHIE ANONAT
ESPELETA, GERARD PAUL RITO
ESPIGA, RENEE GLORIEN SY
ESPINOSA, AMOR PATRICE SOCORRO MOJICA
ESQUIBEL, MA. IMEE LYNNE CATALLA
ESTANISLAO, MAY JASMIN SANTOS
ESTIANDAN, KAYE KRISTINE PAYUMO
ESTRELLA, PATRICIA ANN TACCAD
EUROPA, MARY LAUREN REYES
FALTADO, JR., ANTONIO LUMBERA
FELICIANO, DEXTER DIAZ
FERNANDEZ, JANNET HIZON
FLORES, KATHLEEN JOY LUNA
FLORES, SHEILAMAR BRUA
FLORES-RIVA, CHERYL ELEGIDO
FLORIDA, CARL HILL NARCISO
FRANCISCO, CHRISTIAN NADONGA
FRANCISCO, CRISCEL OCAMPO
GALAMAY, JOHN RAY TUMOLVA
GALLEGO, CARLO VINCENT MAYOL
GAMAYON, GEOFREY JOHN B
GARCIA, GIVENCHY MAREE DELA CRUZ
GARCIA, JOSEPHINE MACALINO
GARCIA, MARK GAVIN MAGLENTE
GARCIA, STEPHEN JOSEPH PARAGAS
GARCIA-CAPARAS, MARICRIS CRISTOBAL
GARGALICANA, JAY PEE ZULLA
GARLITOS, RICHARD PARCON
GATMAITAN, INGRID MARIE YENEZA
GAUIRAN, DEONNE THADDEUS VITE
GERONA, AMABELLE TRINA BORGONIA
GILTENDEZ, JUNMAY VILVESTRE
GOCO, MA. ESTRELLA LUNA
GOCO, MARIA FLEURDELIZ RAMOS
GOLOCAN-ALQUIZA, IAN FEB GORBIN
GOLONG, RYAN SOLEDAD
GONZAGA, DIANA ANDRINO
GONZALES, EDDIESON MASANGCAY
GONZALES, JACKIE LYN LAO
GORRICETA, JUNE HAYRELLE TURTOCION
GUEVARRA, PRINCESS AMURAO
GUIA, ELLA LORAINE DE LARA
GUILLARTE, ADELSON GORDO
GUIRITAN, TANYA RUTH SECUYA
GUIRNELA, LISHA PEARL NARAJOS
GUNGON, MARIA CONCEPCION HALUAG
HAMSANI, CELINA EMBELLADO
HERNANDEZ, BLANCAFLOR QUIJANO
HILADO, FE GRIO
HORMILLOSA, MARY PAULINE AVANCEÑA
IDEA, JEROME C
IGASAN, KARNA KAMLON
ILARDE, MARIA ANGELES GASTAR
INOCENCIO, ROWENA TORRES
INTING, MITZI ROSE CAÑA
INTING, NIÑO MICHAEL C
JACOBA, YSIS ANGELINE PACIS
JALOTJOT, AILAH SALVAÑA
JAMBARO, MARINETTE RUMUSUO
JARIOL, ROSIE VERN FABRONERO
JAVONILLO, ROWENA Q
JOTIC, CHERRYL BULATAO
KING KAY, CAROLINE BERNADETTE OLANKA
KWEE, LIMDAWATI
LACSAMANA, ROSELLA MENDOZA
LAGUINDAB, SOHAILI LAGUINDAB
LANDICHO-GARCIA, ISMAELA REYES
LAPITAN, LAISSA CASSANDRA PIOQUINTO
LARIOSA, GERLIDES CATEMBUNG
LAT, ANNABELLE MARIE MITRA
LAYOG, ALLISTER VINCENT GUMAGAY
LI, ANN LORAINE JOGUILON
LICO, HANA MAE CASTELLANO
LIM, ARNEL FLORES
LIM, LLOYD EVERETT ROMERO
LIM-TEODORO, ADOLF QUE
LIRA, CLEIN JAY AMAGUIN
LLAMAS, CRISANTO DONDON RAMOS
LLOVIDO-PINEDA, JENNIFER GONZALES
LONGAKIT, ADRIAN NIÑO LAGAHIT
LU, RAYMOND BARRIOS
LUGTU, ISAIAH CARLOS
LUMANLAN, DONNAH BLESS BAYO
MABASA-ALAN, JENA LYNN BANAn
MACABEO, RENELENE ALFEREZ
MAGALLANES, VINCENT CESAR GALARRITA
MALAZA, GELINEMAE GLORIA
MANAOIS, MICHIKO ROSE BASCOS
MANGELEN, SHEILA FARISHA KUSIN
MANGULABNAN, MELISSA CAMILLE ESTEBAN
MANIBPEL, SHARIFF AMILOARI S
MANTOS, KATRINA BIANCA RAMOS
MANUTA, CHRISTINE EVASCO
MARCELO, JHOANNA GONZALES
MARIANO, RAMELITO MATEO
MARISTELA, MA. THERESA DEL MUNDO
MAROHOMSALIC, ABDULLAH MAROHOM
MARTINEZ, JULIE ANN PRUDENCIO
MASANGKAY, KEITH JOHN ARMAMENTO
MASBANG, ARMIN NACPIL
MATA, ANNABEL JOSON
MATEO, MICHAEL QUIJANO
MATRIANO, VIVIENNE AYUYAO
MEDEZ, RIZALYN DONIO
MELENDRES, KRISTINE ANNE TISON
MERCADO, MARI CHRIS HUMARANG
MIGUEL-CAMPITA, MELINDA OLAGUER
MINGI, SHERYL ROJO
MIRA-ATO, ALINOR MINDALANO
MIRALLES, KAREN VELASCO
MIRANDA, ALFONSO JUAN VILLEGAS
MIRANDA, JOSE CARLOS SANTOS
MOJICA, JOERELLE VELASCO
MONTEHERMOSO, JOAN RAZOTE
MONTESA, JAMES CRISFIL FRUCTUOSO MALICDEM
MORTEL, SHARON ROSE CRISTOBAL
MOZO, RAINIER NERY
NACINOPA, GEOVIL MEÑA
NARCISE, ANTOINETTE MARIE PICOKNEIL
NATANAUAN, GERALD BULA
NAVALES, EVA CHRISTINE ONG
NG, CAMILLE TAN
NICOLAS, JR., EDGAR SANTOS
NICOLAS, MINERVA GONZALES
NUEVO, MA. CRISELDA RIVERA
NUÑAL, JEWEL CORDELLE CURIO
OABEL, GLENDA PANAGA
OBLIGACION, HALBERD JACOSALEM
OCTAVIANO, CHRYSANTA VIERNES
OGALESCO, MARIA OLIVIA ALQUIZAR
OLYMPIA, ANGELA MARIE ALMENDRAS
OMBAO, RON CELSO PAMA
ONG, BRIAN NELSON MIRANDA
ONG, SHELLA MARIE ROXAS
ORDANZA, MARY JOY PINEDA
ORTIGAS, JONAS ARSENAL
ORTIZ LUIS, MARIA CRISTINA JOSON
OSIAS, JERNY MIRANDA
PACQUING, JONATHAN UBUNGEN
PADILLA, PAUL SEPALVEDA
PADILLA, RHODA ZYRA MAGNAYE
PADILLA, RODERICK DALUSUNG
PADILLA, SHIRLEY TAN
PAGADUAN, CHRISTOPHER RYAN PESEBRE
PAGCALIWAGAN, NESSIE REÑA
PAJARES, EMERSON RESTAURO
PALMA, MARINICA CIARA BONDAD
PALMA, RONALD DE CASTRO
PALMARES, ROSALINDA SOLIDARIOS
PANCHO, GRACE ANNE ODULIO
PANG, ALEX, JR. YONGCO
PANGAN, RICARDO, III. BALDERAS
PANGANIBAN, JOHANNA FELICITY CHUA
PANGGAT, JAKES CATHERINE MERCADO
PANINGBATAN, JAMES CASTILLO
PARAS, BRYAN MENDOZA
PASAG, MARY JESSIL RAMOS
PASAMONTE, DONARYN VILLA
PASAPORTE, CYRUS GERALD PANES
PASCASIO, BELEN KIMHOKO
PATIÑO, IRENE DARUNDAY
PAYUMO, EDELISSA FABRIA
PEDARSE, CATHERINE VILLAPANDO
PEDRACIO, FARRAH HAIDEE LYNNE DAYCO
PEGUIT, NATHALIE GRACE AYUPAN
PELAYO, MAY ANGELA MASANGKAY
PELICANO, MA. DONNA BALAGAPO
PENDALIDAY, MOHAMMAD ALI JAUHAR DILANGALEN
PEPINO, CHERRY LOU RUIZ
PINE-PANGANIBAN, JOHANNAH HALLELUJAH MANGUSSAD
PLAZUELA, HAIDEE CORAZON PEREZ
POLLOSO, DEBBIE MUSNI
PRADO, CLEMENT RONQUILLO
PUNDAVELA, JACKIE ANN SIA
PUNJABI, MARIE ANTONETTE DELFIN
PUNZALAN, KSIRTIAN ANTEOLIN DAGDAGAN
QUE, DEAN HARRIS PO
QUE, MARY LAREINE VASQUEZ
QUIBO, FLOIN JADE MANTOD
QUIOHILAG, PRANCYNE LIM
QUITOS, LEONELL ALBERT LOPEZ
QUIZON, LENDRY LAGSA
RABANERA, MARIA SHIELA MAY SALINAS
RABOR, NANETTE DALAGUIT
RAMIREZ, JOSEPH MICHAEL LIBRANDA
RAMIREZ-RAGASA, ROSEMARIE M
RAMOS, BERNARD OLAÑO
RAMOS, CHRISTIAN ARCHE
RAMOS, FRANCESCA CECILIA BAUTISTA
RAMOS, REX VOLTAIRE ANGELES
RAMOS, RUSSEL CORDERO
RAMOS, SUSANA AQUINO
RAZO II, ROBERTO ALAM
REFE-FRIOLO, JANICE KRISTINE DULCE
REODICA, RONALD ANTONIO SANTOS
REQUINTA, KATHERINE NAZARETH
REYES, JASON CAYETANO
REYES, JOANNE GRACE MANGUBAT
REYES, SHEILA MARIE MACATUGGAL
REYES-ADDATU, ALMA ONG
RIJAL, RAJENDRA
ROBLES, JACLYN PALACIO
RODRIGUEZ, MARK RAYMUND ALESANA
RONQUILLO, MARITES ASUNIO
ROXAS, BYRON CLAUDE ZINGAPAN
ROXAS, JUDE PATRICK ZINGAPAN
ROYALES, JOVITH TASARRA
SABALLA, AVA CHARISSE ANDAL
SABAS, GILDALEINE SAN JUAN
SABOLBORA, GISELLE LAMERES
SAHI, SAID J
SALIMO, ERIC MISSION
SALVADOR, LORIELYN ABELLO
SAMALA, KENNETH GELERA
SAMUELA-JIMENEZ, JOSEPHINE ALCASABAS
SANCHEZ, KARL PATRICK RAMIREZ
SANTIAGO, MARIA THERESA PALLERA
SANTOS, JESUSA SUICO
SANTY, THEO JAY, III., TABLIZO
SARAPUDDIN, SHADRINA TAHIL
SARMIENTO, MARK GANDIONCO
SASTRILLAS, GINA ALKLINO
SEBASTIAN, MICHAEL RAY CO
SEE, JOHNSON ONG
SENO, ROSSANA RUSIANA
SESCON, PETER ALLEN SILORIO
SEVILLES, DYNA ANN CASAS
SHIU, LOUIE ALFRED BERNARDINO
SIA, JESSIELYN ESCANO
SIAO, RIA MARI SEBASTIAN
SIM-SOLIS, CINDY CARCEDO
SIQUIAN, HAROLD LEBE SYJONGTIAN
SISON-SAN LUIS, JENNIFER GATCHALIAN
SISTOZA, JOJILENE V
SIUTE, RACHEL ANN CRUZ
SIY, PATRICK YIU
SOLITE, JETT AARON Villordon
SOMBILLO, JOY AIZA RAMOS
SORIA, GRACE SHEILA PONCE
STA. ROMANA, DULCINEA SAMONTE
STO. TOMAS, LIZBETH BACAL
SUAREZ, MARIA MIGUELA QUIZON
SUBEDI, KAMAL RAJ
SUIB, SITTI JULYHA BALOCO
SUÑER, CLEMENT CEZAR COLACION
SUNGA, HAROLD CUNANAN
SUPERIANO, RYLAN HOWELL SAMSON
SURYAJAYA, CHRISTINE ELIZABETH
SY, MARK LESTER SANTOS
TAALIM, MUSHAR MUSIN
TAGHOY, EMERSON ROVILLOS
TALAG, ANDREA MONICA LAMONERA
TAM, LILIAN VILLE BACALSO
TAN, CAMILLE ASILOM
TAN, MA. KRISELDA KARLENE GONZALBO
TAN, WILFREDO YSMAEL
TANYAG, PORTIA MARIA CADITE
TAPERLA, SHERYL SALAPANG
TAQUISO, JEZREEL LABRADOR
TASI, IANNE MYLA C
TE, JOHN ISIDORE IGNACIO
TICZON, ADOLF DASCO
TIMBOL, AEDEN BERNICE GUECO
TINGZON, GLYNIS SOLIS
TIU, MARLON ARCAMO
TOBIAS, KAREN KATE SOMERA
TOJINO, ANDRE LAWRENCE GONZALES
TRASPORTO, KENNETH MARIE CALLAO
TROMPETA, CHARIZA DIESTO
TULIO, REH ANN FERRER
UDARBE, DEBBIE LYNN AQUINO
UNTALAN, MELISSA ISLA
URBANO, LORRIE SUZETTE JURADO
UY, CHARLES VINCENT ONG
VALENCIA, JOSE CARLO B
VALENZUELA, ABIGAIL LEANILLO
VALLEJA, RODNEY REGAÑION
VELILIA, LAURENCE MANIQUIZ
VEÑEGAS, ELAINE TANDOG
VERONA, JEFFREY ANAYANG
VIACRUCIS, FRANKIE MAINE MARENTES
VIEJA, DIANNE VICTORIA CANCINO
VILLAFUERTE, GERARDO NOLASCO
VILLALOBOS, RALPH ELVI MUDANZA
VILLALUNA, RICHARD ARTHUR LECHONSITO
VILLAMIN, KEN MATTHEW M
VILLANUEVA, JULIE ANNE SAPINOSO
VILLANUEVA-LADRIDO, IV DARLETTE IRAO
VINLUAN, RIZZA JANE RAMIREZ
VIRAY, LEO DE GARY CRISTOBAL
VISITA, RAIZA ALVAREZ
YAMYAMIN, JANET CELESTIAL
YANG, CAPRICE LASTIMOSA
YANO, MIRIAM AGITO
YU, MARC GREGORY YU
YULENTA, FRISKA
YULO, DEDRIC CHRISTI PAUL ORIAN
YUMUL, ARVIN ROMERO
YUMUL-TALAMAYAN, ANNA JANE MORTEL
ZAMORA, MARIA PAMELA CABALLERO
ZULUETA, FAITH ELIZABETH ALVAREZ

Thank You

This post is 2-3 days overdue already, so I'll get right to it..

A miracle happened again, and I'm really grateful for it.

That being said, I have a lot of people to be thankful FOR..

- All praises firstly and rightfully go to Him who made all of this possible.. Ever since I came into this world, you have never left my side, especially during those moments when I needed you the most. I am eternally grateful..

- My folks and my brothers (yes, even you 2nd bro, I know you're up there watching over everything and everyone.. :) ). People would be amazed at what my family had to put up with when I was cloistered at home, especially when crunchtime was fast approaching. :P Thank you for always believing and supporting me through the good and bad, whatever path I chose..

- My bros (and by extension, their families). You guys kept me sane for the most part of this ordeal. Thanks for getting together every once in a while for the occasional movie or dinner inspite of the different paths our lives took after we left school. Thanks to your wives as well for allowing attendance to the occasional Boys' Night Out. Good naman kami eh! ;)

- My mentors back at the hospital. You took me in when I was down and gave me one final shot to do good and make things right. I'm forever in your debt for all the things you have taught me and the opportunities you have given. I hope that I made you guys proud. Thank you so much po for all your support!! :D Special mention to Dr. Tuy for that phone call on the night before the test, and to Dr. Cons for the encouraging text prior to the exam. Thank you so much!

- My juniors  who remain in the hospital. Like I have said before I left, thank you for showing us seniors that we needed to be strong for everyone else. Thank you for all the challenges and trials we have gone through together. I know it was not a perfect year, but I hope you guys have learned something in the process, as I have learned a lot from you as well. I know so much has been left unsaid so I'm taking advantage of this opportunity now to tell you what I feel. I want you guys to keep learning, keep pushing each other and help one another get better at what you do. I believe that you can do so much better than we did. :) I feel that I might not have learned as much as I did if I didn't have you guys to help me get better. Thank you for believing in me and cheering me on. It really meant a lot..

- My "minions". I was so happy when I heard that you all passed your board examinations, and I was really touched when you remembered me and thanked me for the tiny part I played in your lives. I'm really proud of all of you (even the "adopted" children of Daddy O, because you're all Daddy O's kids in my book!)! You guys inspired me to keep on going as the date drew nearer.Thank you for all the encouragement you guys gave me. Kaya nga love ko ayo eh! :D

- Noona. Surprised that you're here? :P I know we've only known each other for a relatively short period of time, but I feel you deserve a special mention as well. ;) Thank you for keeping me sane and being a sounding board of sorts when I was freaking out towards the endgame. That really meant a lot. Thank you for the lucky cupcakes as well. Oh, and thank you for everything despite all the awkwardness. :D 

- The hospital staff (mainly the nurses) who helped us in caring for our patients and made sure everything was running smoothly. The support we received was invaluable in helping us prepare for what was to come. Thanks also for the words of encouragement when we felt that nothing could go right. :)

- Lastly, I would like to thank our patients. It is said that the doctor's greatest teachers are his/her patients, as there is no substitute for clinical experience. Seeing the cases in the book come to life is loads better than a whole day buried in a book. I have received grateful smiles and small tokens of appreciation during my stint as a resident, but I am also thankful to them for letting me take care of them and see them through to their eventual discharge. :D

So again, I thank you all!

- BrainiaxMD, DPCP

Watchful Waiting

It rained today.. First time in quite a while.. Kinda like this blog entry, hehe.

Seeing as I often tend to start my posts with a commentary on how long it has been in between blog entries, I shall put that aside and just jump into the thick of things.

The diplomate examination has come and gone, and I now find myself nervously waiting for the results of the test (which is slated to come out tomorrow according to the information pamphlet we were provided at the venue). However, I have decided to wait it out for tonight in the hopes of getting an early lead on the news, whatever the outcome may be..

 This "watchful waiting" reminds me of my two previous licensure examinations, for Medical Technologists and Physicians. The wait for the MD boards was obviously the more nerve-wracking of the two, considering the relative difficulty of the latter and what was at stake as compared to the former.

Taking the MT boards was never really a necessity for me since I was already in Medical School at the time, studying to become a doctor. However, I felt that I couldn't just let all those years go to waste. It is true that I chose Medical Technology as my pre-med course, but I guess I wanted it to be more than that.. I spent my years in college learning the finer points of diagnostic laboratory medicine at one of the finer institutions of higher learning to offer that course. The least I could do was to see everything through full-circle to do justice to all the effort my professors exerted in teaching me, as well as my own attempts to make sense of all the information I supposedly learned in school. :)

I've been keeping busy the past few days with the very un-academic task of clearing out (yet again) my old room which strangely becomes a storage area  whenever I turn my back for a few months without sleeping in it. :P I can't believe how much junk we've accumulated in a few short years.. :l Part of the fun of clearing a room is rediscovering old forgotten stuff and the satisfaction of tossing some of them out since they were old/useless/really dirty/broken/rotting away and just taking up space anyway.

I also had to clean out my closet and am now wondering what the hell do I do with all those blazers I had made through all those years in residency (not to mention my failed attempt at Neurology which involved an entirely different set.)

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A lot of hoopla has been generated by the forthcoming fight between two of the top draws of professional boxing, namely Pacquiao and Mayweather. I admit that I used to be a fan of MP when he was just a straight-up fighter winning bout after bout against notable boxers like Dela Hoya and Marquez (who I still consider a cowardly counterpuncher to this day). All that changed when he dicided to stick his nose where it didn't belong and inserted himself into the PBA as a PLAYING COACH! The nerve of the guy! I mean, fine, he may have the strength and stamina to keep up with the rest of the guys since he is an athlete after all, but his "forced" entry into the PBA (getting drafted in the FIRST ROUND pa kamo!) made a travesty of the league I had grown up watching and admiring. The thing that sickens me is that he was only able yo enter the PBA because 1) he's so goddamn popular and 2) he's so filthy rich that he can make the league do what he wants, even to accomodate hime just because he "knows" how to play basketball (Pacman knows?)

It's such a shame.. When I was a kid growing up, I saw the PBA as a league where the best of the best played. Being the unathletic bum that I was, I knew I had absolutely no chance of getting in, since it was all about strength, speed, stamina, talent etc.., Thus, I had a ton of respect for people who played in the league, because not everyone would be good enough to get in. Fast forward it to today, and Pacquiao has set a bad precedent by showing the masses who idolize him so much that if you have enough money, fame, or influnce like he does, a little problem like lack of actual basketball talent is not an impediment to playing in the PBA, nor is a lack of any real knowledge of professional coaching a detriment to being named as a coach for a professional team.Corollary to that, shame on KIA for pulling such a publicity stunt! You have tainted the sport forever. I hope you're happy.. :( Oh, and I'm never buying any of your vehicles when the time comes that I will have the money to buy my own..

Yeah, I know, it turned into a rant again.. I'm just so pissed at what the PBA has become.. I used to enjoy the league so much.. Back when the only foreign-sounding names you would hear would be the surname of a commentator (that's you Quinito) or the coaches, and you would only get foreigners during the other Cups. The All-Filipino was my personal favorite, as I found it more exciting. Yeah sure, the imports turned stuff up a notch, but it cheapened the game since most of the offense became railroaded through them for obvious reasons..

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The UAAP Womens Volletball Finals is in full swing, with Ateneo taking the first win over an injuy-riddled Lasalle squad. This is unfortunate since the Lady Eagles, having swept the Eliminations automatically hold a one game advantage over LaSalle in what the analysts have defined as "something like a Best of Five series where Ateneo is automatically up 1-0".

In short, Ateneo only has to win two games to claim the title, while LaSalle has to win three.

I have began following UAAP Volleyball ever since "little sister" came into out lives as brother's significant other. ;) We were eventually hooked and continued watching even beyond her playing years. :P

LaSalle is now looking at a 0-1 deficit and are playing without their star spiker Ara Galang who was injured in the final set of a do-or-die match against NU for a chance to play in the finals against ADMU. The injury (ACL, MCL, Meniscal tear) sidelines Galang for the remainder of the season, making this series apparently lopsided due to the obvious loss of firepower on the side of the Lady Archers.

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Wow, this was a long one. Hehe. ;) Hopefully I'll be online again in a few hours with some (hopefully positive) news

My stand on vaccination

I'll keep this short and simple, because I really don't have the time right now, and making lengthy arguments just for the sake thereof never got nobody anywhere anyway..

It's just sad to see all these people (In supposedly "progressive"America at that) taking a hard line stance against vaccination, citing various principles like "freedom of choice" and whatnot..

I'm a physician, so I guess my stand would be pretty obvious.

Personally, I think they already have too much freedom on their hands, that's why they come up with mind-numbingly radical ideas such as this.. and the sad thing is, they furiously cling to their beliefs like someone insulted them to their very core..

The world has become such a hostile place.. Sigh.. -_-

Ten Minutes

Yup, ten minutes. That's the amount of time I've decided to set for myself to write down this blog entry.

For the record, it just turned 5:55PM here on my computer, so I'll just work with that.

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Christmas and New Year's has gone by with barely a snippet from my blog, which is unusual considering my annual retrospectives and my need to let off steam every once in a while..

Well, here I am, at home again, unemployed, but with more direction in my life as compared to the situations I found myself in the past.

The aforementioned transition went by as smoothly as possible (in my opinion), and now the juniors have finally stepped up to the plate to claim their place as the captains for 2015.. I'm so proud..

Wow, 5 minutes already? maybe I should make this 15 minutes.. anyway..

It's actually been quite busy these past few weeks. I'm presently (finally) studying for the diplomate examinations, which in hindsight should have been started a few months earlier, but what the heck..

At least I was able to accomplish stuff during the past weeks, like secure my clearances from the hospital and city hall (local government kasi eh), got my diplomas, and paid for the examination. AS expected, I will hunker down for the remaining days, hoping to cram 3 years' worth of knowledge into my little brain in the hopes of passing the exam..

Oh, not to mention all the little trips to be interspersed in between, like a few trips back to the hospital to secure recommendation letters from the consultants for my fellowship applications, and to secure the final clearance as well..

Oops! Times up!