Think, Pats! Think!!

Time table of this day:

07.00: wake up time! *snooze alarm clock*

07.30: Edhel arrives at 21J — stimulus to REALLY wake up, take a shower, etc.

08.30: i go to the library @ the College, try to study some Physio.

11.00: i go out for a break, and see Meme Guerrero, whom i haven’t seen for a REaLLY long time. She’s taking up the MLE right now (FYI for our batchmates), but wants to try out Australia for training, because they’re more "open" to IMGs (international medical graduates) there. As soon as she said that, a huge light bulb went on in my head: another job opportunity is unveiled! I mean, Australia isn’t that bad. PRO: it’s near New Zealand (exploring that country has been one of my life quests since high school). CON: Christmas there is hot. (note how totally unrelated to medicine my reasons are)

13.00: i meet up with Mikey Reyes to go to a conference of the Dept of Surgery for some awarding thing (which was, by the way, just an intermission for the next huge light bulb to come). A PGH-Surgery alumnus talked about Surgeons in the Barrios. THis was when the next light bulb came — not because i want to go into General Surgery, but because 1. the prospect of Doctors to the Barrios AGAIN entered my head; and 2. practicing in Cagayan de Oro has again enticed me (because of the peace and order situation there). In my opinion, it’s way much difficult to be a general practitioner than to be a specialist, because you have to know and practice practically everything, i.e. your limits are stretched, to your wits’ end. You can’t say, "oh, i’m a neurosurgeon, i can’t deliver a baby" there. One can have it both ways, though. You can train under a subspecialty but practice in a relatively non-urban area to be able to practice medicine in its entirety.

The reason why i want to go into Internal Medicine is because in my opinion, it’s the closest "subspecialty" to being a general practitioner but one still has something unique to offer. However, practicing in the Barrios, so to speak, adds another dimension to it — you’re not just one of the doctors with a clinic in this so-and-so floor in this so-and-so hospital; you’re THE doctor. Your usefulness as a doctor is more felt, i guess.

May 17 daytime has made me realize [again] that after graduating from medicine, it’s not just a crossroads. Hell, it’s a plain. It’s a savanna. The possibilities are endless. A few in my head are as follows: (disclaimer: not all are really feasible at the moment)

1. August or Feb boards?

2. residency at PGH or elsewhere? Elsewhere includes USA, Australia, other local hospitals. Under USA, fasttrack or normal speed?

3. Department of Medicine or Department of Neurosciences?

4. Go through everything NOW or NEXT YEAR?

5. Enrich another facet of your life, i.e. don’t practice medicine at all?

6. Take up the DOH Doctor to the Barrios offer, or train (subspecialize) first then go?

Sigh.

Back to work, or next blog? Next blog.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 18th, 2005 at 4:26 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.