For (+/- future) pre-med students
May 5, 20069 out of 10 doctors recommend that going to med school is not a good choice. I made my stats up but its somehow true in a way. My doctor professors discourage us. A doctor, an established one, said that it’s better to go abroad because having a medical career wouldn’t get you anywhere in the Philippines.
Why? It is known to everyone that medicine entails studying, more studying, a lot more studying coupled with lots of memorization. Kaya nga, as they say it’s a career not intended to those with a weak heart - or I may say determination. [ Number 1 requirement: you should be 100% sure that you want to be a doctor. Mahirap na, sayang sa oras, sayang sa pera, frustrated ka na, baka bago ka pa mag-give up baliw ka na…]
But actually, the preparation itself is not the reason why doctors are discouraging pre-med students to pursue medicine. It’s all about practicality (I guess). They always say like “Ah, you’re taking up PT… So you’re going abroad huh? Canada is a good place and in UK, PT’s are also in demand and paid quite high”. And a suggestion for a med tech graduate: “So you’re working abroad? You may want to think of taking up Nursing as a second course.”
Why, how about working in the Philippines? You might have guessed the answer: “Can the government feed you?” “There’s not enough opportunity here”. I don’t really know how much is a doctor’s income (forget the established ones or those who have instant status because of the ’surname’, or well just the lucky ones) but they say doctor’s don’t get enough (does this imply they don’t earn enough to feed their family, to send their children to school?).
I don’t know if they’re just taught to tell this to everyone - sort of a trick - so that only the most determined ones will proceed on entering med school or they are really in ‘despair’ because they expected a lot more (or what else?…it’s just reality?). But I really want to ask them - then why did you still choose to become doctors? (because it was a lot different before?) Why are you still practicing now ( because you’re already established? you’ve already stable financially?) And, you know there’s already brain drain in the medical profession - who do you think would replace you, or on more heroic note, would continue your legacy? We won’t have enough Filipino doctors - ok let’s import doctors from other countries! Yehey! (right..) And then they would dominate over our local doctors due to colonial mentality. Ooppss I’m off track now…
As for me, I now know that good intentions are not enough. Consider your abilities and how much you can give (and give up) for you to handle the stresses of med school. And think of the future. May future ka ba sa pagiging doctor? [It’s a lot easier said or thought of as done]
Read on now. I’ll stop blabbing and let another do the talking. I found this article while searching for more medical jokes, influenced by a blog I just read.
Source:http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/6174/premed-advice.htm
ADVICE FOR PRE-MEDS (more…)
I love life - its mystery and its complexity. There is much to discover and to understand. I love people with passion. It's always interesting to meet a person overflowing with emotion. I love to play the piano and listen to intersting music. I like working with my hands that proabably explains my affinity with playing, doing crafts, typing (blogging) and even eating when doing nothing but I can't seem to make my whole body coordinated that you can't make me dance or do sports. I also like walking beside the bay, watching people, singing or humming, smiling or greeting strangers, thinking and not thinking of anything at all. || I prefer intimacy. I don't like going into bars or partying where you go on group dates. I like it when I can give 100% attention to whom I'm with because when I'm with a lot of people, I feel I have to accomodate them and I'm not able to share quality time with any of them. Drinking coffee and dining out is always on the top of the list.|| I feel I'm sitll living in my comfort zone. I'm yet to understand what's on the the other side of the wall. I'm yet to understand what others say 'the cruelty of reality' (if there is such). I like to do so may things but remain generally a passive person. I'm still on the path of discovering and adapting to the ideals (irony) of reality .
