Overrated

Yesterday was hangout day with friends. We decided to try out Flapjacks at Greenbelt 2 since we've been hearing raving reviews about it in the past month. The ambiance was warm and cozy. Now ordertime. I lalalove cream cheese so I decided to get the cream cheese-stuffed french toast with cherries. I was told that this was one of their bestsellers. After the first bite, I wanted to throw it out. I couldn't taste a hint of cream cheese. It actually tasted like curdled milk. You know, like the "panis" milk? I was thinking it might be cottage cheese, but definitely nooo.. Even cottage cheese tasted better. I was so dismayed, I vowed never to eat there ever again. My friend ordered a chicken platter something with potatoes and eggs on the side. Again, we were told that this was another bestseller. She didn't like it either. Plain and ordinary daw. I guess this place was overrated.
So, grumpy us, not satisfied with our lunch, decided to go home. Nearing the Trinoma area, we decided to try out naman Sebastians ice cream parlor at the Block. Again, heard great reviews about the place, but after our disastrous lunch, we were having doubts. Well, what the heck, it was only ice cream. I ordered a scoop of Anonymous choco ? and another scoop of I love New York. Now, truthfully, it hit the spot. Will definitely be coming back for more.

Bright Minds Pay Up!

Good movie. Nice plot. Smart twist near the end. Worth watching. This post may be a little late since the movie came out a few weeks ago, but I just watched it a few hours ago after I downloaded it... ahem, illegal??

I wondered why all of a sudden the passion to become a doctor? He was near graduating in one of the most prestigious universities in the US (ahem... my cousin goes there), so I might as well figured he would go into software designing or make an invention in the computer world. Well, I think the writers still assumed that becoming a doctor would still be the best profession, which is not,not,not! But how would I know anyway? I never practiced there, haha!!

Anyway, this was the reason in which the concept of the whole film revolved around. Gee, I wish I had his brain! That way, I wouldn't be stuck here! :D

Life as it is

Interesting Celebrity Blogsites

Whew! Another day of blog hopping! Celebrities are all over the net and here are some interesting blogsites of some intersting personalities ;)

Check out this site: http://anyfreebies.blogspot.com/2008/04/filipino-celebrity-multiply-blogs.html

I contributed to this blog by updating it with Gaby dela Merced's (my faaaave celebrity) multiply site! Yipee :p

Blog hopping

What I do now is blog hop. I look for blogs that catch my interest, these usually being personal celebrity (not gossip!), travel or doctor's blogs, as I am home most of the time. I love reading personal celebrities blogs since you get to know them not as the celebrity you see on TV but rather who they're not on TV. It's nice to know that they're just as ordinary as you an I. They just have a pretty/handsome face :) And who doesn't read travel blogs? Well, maybe people my age do. Teenagers, I guess not :) It's great to get tips before visiting a certain place. Since I am a doctor myself, I make it a habit to know what's "in" with my collegues be it professional or personal :)

American Idol hangover

It's June already and everywhere I go, I still feel the "I heart David Cook" high. According to my cousin (a Cook fan too) channel 11 replayed the top 12 episodes all day for 2 days including the finals. Man, alooot of fans out there! One of the top downloads on itunes since the finals, is his single Time of my Life, and still is. Most of the people I know have downloaded all his songs, wallpapers, videos even his commercials! Um, a little overboard guys. ;p
What the heck, Cook's fantastic :)

regrets

I graduated from residency last Dec. 2005. Instead of taking the diplomate boards in March, I decided to skip it and take it in November. Reasons: 1.) I wasn't ready 2.) I was tired 3.) I was scared. Normally, others would start putting up their practice right after graduation and start their review in the process. Me, being the coward that I am, flew to the US and took a 3-month breather from everything. Fellowship wasn't an option at that time. I did have thoughts of going into Neonatology before, but probably because I was brainwashed by people telling me that putting up a practice in the province is so easy, that you didn't need to become a subspecialist, I ditched the idea, eventhough most of my consultants and seniors urged me to go through with it. Oh well, me again, being the fool that I am, decided not to go into fellowship and now, two and a half years later, here I am, a general Pediatrician. My practice is barely thriving. I see 2-3 pateints in a week. My consultation fee is two hundred pesos. I pay for utilities and clinic rent each month. I hardly get by.

I should have gone into fellowship. Sayang.

gossip girl mania

Everyone has watched Gossip Girl except me. Well, considering my age, I don't find watching a group of rich high school girls and boys sleeping around appealing. Not that I have anything against those who watch it, watch anything you like.. It's just a peeve that I find so immature. Even local celebrities rave about it and even wear those ridiculous-looking headbands with enormous bows on the side. Like, grow-up. Ok for highschool and college students but 30+ and above? Oh c'mon.. I would rather a kid be intersted in watching CSI or Grey's but a 30-40 year old watch Gossip Girl?

watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O31UE99MbpI
Hilarious!!!

Boracay!

Summer getaway for this year: BORACAY. Actually, it was my first time and it was definitely, definitely, the greatest summer I've had since.. I dunno when. :) We went there via "ro-ro", and believe me, you do not want to experience the "ro-ro" ride.. A warning to all of you out there who are on a tight budget, yes it's cheap, but I tell you, it was excruciating! So please, take the plane! Bus ride was first from Cubao to Batangas pier, ro-ro to mindoro, bus ride from pier to Roxas city, Occidental Mindoro and lastly, ro-ro again to Caticlan. A total of almost 20 hours. If you take the plane, you save yourself the misery and discomfort and time for a little extra cash. We stayed at the Giulius Bamboo resort located between stn's 2 & 3. Excellent place to stay! good service. 1 minute walk to the beachfront and few minutes walk to d'mall. Very, very clean, clean bathrooms, modern furniture (not bamboo people!), 2 twin-sized beds, cable tv, ref, clean surroundings. (sorry ni pics, i forgot!) We stayed in a family room (good for 4) which cost 3,200/night, 800/pax, very worth your money. A regular room is much cheaper, same amenities with a king size bed. Huge bed! 3 people could fit in it! Food not a problem, lots of cheap places to eat, again, if you're on a tight budget. High end restos there too for the picky eater. Try the Lemon Cafe, excellent yummy desserts and their service water, yummy din. Mixture of lemon and mint :) We tried out the famous Jonah's/Jona's ??? shakes (i can't remember). Their bestseller choco banana peanut was good, a bit sweet for my tastebuds, even the fruit shakes. Guilley's for a few drinks then watched a little fire dancing as we walked along the beach. We strolled the beach from Friday's (stn 1) up to stn 3. Long stroll! but worth it! Of course it wouldn't be Bora without the sandcastles, tatoos and braids. I'll uploas some pics when available :) Finally, after 3 days and nights, we decided to FLY home! Wonderful :)

sentiments

some people have this tendency to be obnoxious and down right insensitive which just pisses me off.. I hate people who think so highly of themselves, who are so self-righteous, who think they're everything, who look down on others just because of how they look or what they wear or how much money you make. Why oh why do these people even exist? When I was little, I was taught at a very early age the golden rule, "Do unto others what you want others to do unto you" and the very famous "don't judge a book by it's cover". I believe that my mom instilled in me values that up to this very moment I use from day to day. Thank you mom. I know that it's but normal to encounter personalities like these.. hell, nobody's perfect. I just wish these people would realize that, yeah, nobody is perfect, we all have our flaws, everybody is equal. Instead of looking down on someone, look at them eyelevel.

Just got back

Just got back from an exhausting 3-day convention at the PICC. As always, we had to commute back and forth from QC to Pasay since we didn't have a sponsor for an accomodation at a nearby hotel, and as usual again, the food wasn't so great. I dunno why every year it's the same old Via Mare. The lectures were..hohumm... and for the good ones', well the second you arrive at the function room it would be full, so goodbye good lecture. The PPS convention isn't something I look forward to. It's more of an obligation for me. The only reason why attend, is to see old friends and collegues (sounds lame, but true). Our oathtaking for diplomacy took place on the last day at Sofitel, so another reason to attend. Nevertheless, it turned out alright.

Laser or not to laser?

Yesterday my dermatologist friend called me up and asked me if I wanted to attend a "demo" for a laser machine she was planning to purchase. Yea, hair removal, skin rejuvenation, acne, etc.. and hell yea! for no cost! So, I had the hairs on my feet removed (you know the ones on each toe? yea, those) Anyway, the demonstrator first cleaned each toe with water then zapped away. Oh yea, the laser looked like it was made of glass, measured around 1 cm x 6 cm (width x length) and emmited a fierce bright white light with each zap, so sunglass precaution people! (it's provided!) so in short, small surface area coverage only, but that's okay! this procedure shouldn't be hurried. As I was saying, after the demonstrator "zapped" my toe she asked me if the pain was tolerable so as the heat. It felt like a rubberband prick that was hot. For a first timer I would rate it 2.5 (scale of 1-5). There was a little stubble left afterwards, but it could be removed painlessly with a tweezer, so no prob!
Overall, i loved it. It was a hassle-free procedure. No medications before or after the procedure, just some sunblock for procedures done on the face.
Great!

It started at 8:00 am part 2

owkei..., let me just add pala that my third panelist also asked about weakness of both extremities in a 5 yrs. old boy. Oh boy... my favorite ... out of all the subspecializations, it had to be neurology!! Geez.. like, how lucky was I??!
So, after the exam, we headed for Trinoma, had lunch, watched Fools Gold. I didn't enjoy the movie. It didn't relax me, which I thought would. I was waiting in vain. I felt weak, my muscles ached, which was surprising since we were sitting half of the day. It was like a work-out after a long time. We finally decided to just go home. We thought some strolling around the mall would do us some good but it didn't. 4:30 - 5:00 pm, on our way home, I recieved a call from a collegue/friend I haven't heard from in years. First thing I thought, "why would she call?" but at the back of my mind, I sort of knew why! I picked-up and she greeted me with an enthusuastic "CONGRATULATIONS!" What a relief!!
Finally, I am a Diplomate! Whew!

It started at 8:00 am

March 30, 3:00 in the morning, I suddenly awoke, with a nagging feeling in my gut, thinking..today is the day..today is the day... I tried to go back to sleep but I couldn't. 5:00 am, stood up and made myself a cup of coffee and drank in silence. 6:00 am, preparation time, 7:00 am, I was on my way to Kalayaan Ave. I arrived at the PPS building at exactly 7:30 am. On my way up, that nagging feeling in my gut was now accompanied by palpitations and tremors. I entered the waiting area, signed in and waited to be called. The other examinees were quietly reading. I, was staring into space. 8:00 am, we were called by groups, 15 examinees per group. I was included in the first group. We were given 3 panelists/examiners and 20 minutes each to answer their questions "intelligently". How do you answer that? My first panelist, an infectious disease specialist from a prestigious university in Manila asked about Meningococcal Meningitis vs. Meningococcemia, prognosis, pathogenesis, etc. I was shaking, as in literally shaking. My second panelist, the outgoing president of our society, asked about Dengue Fever. I thought it went quite smoothly. My third and final panelist, a known nephrologist from one of the largest pediatric centers in Quezon City asked about Dengue Shock. I couldn't tell whether or not I was answering "intelligently". She just stared at me the whole time I was talking.. more of like a blunt/flat affect. No "ok" or "alright", not even a "yes" or "no". No gestures of approval or disapproval either. Geez, how intimidating... I wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. While waiting for my collegues, one of the examinees approached me and made small talk. She asked how it went and who my examiners were, then said, "OMG... 2 sa mga examiners mo, si Dr. ____ & Dr. ____ nambabagsak... naku, pray ka nalang" What the...??!! Ok, I was feeling low.. she made me feel even worse...

to be continued...

One Day at a Time

Today is Easter Sunday. Give praise to the risen Lord!

My blog was previously entittled "Trial & Error" all because I recall all the trials I went through and all the errors I made in my life regarding my profession. Initially this was supposed to be more of a "rant & rave" blog (well, whose blog isn't, right?). Did I mention that being a doctor was not my plan? Well partially, but not wholeheartedly... The more reason to rant and the more reason to complain why being a doctor sucks but then I thought why make a big deal you're already here :D And to think, if I didn't want to become a doctor in the first place, why am I practically killing myself right now reviewing for the final step in achieving diplomacy? odd..

Let me just share my thoughts be it as a doctor or not. Acceptance is the first step towards happiness.

upcoming diplomate exams

Orals is just around the corner and I feel like I haven't retained anything inside this little, puny brain of mine. I've been reviewing for the past 2 and a half months and nothing seems to stick. What to do..what to do.. I don't know what the hell to do..

the falling out professions

Ok guys, listen up... I came across an article in the New York Times which was written last January 6, 2008 regarding the falling down of the so-called "elite "professions. Here's what they had to say...

So now who’s going to cheer up the doctors?
As of 2006,
nearly 60 percent of doctors polled by the American College of Physician
Executives said they had considered getting out of medicine because of low
morale, and nearly 70 percent knew someone who already had.
In a typical
complaint, Dr. Yul Ejnes, 47, a general internist in Cranston, R.I., said he was
recently forced by Medicare
to fill out requisition forms for a wheelchair-bound patient who needed to
replace balding tires. “I’m a doctor,” he said, “not Mr. Goodwrench.”
Make
no mistake, law and medicine — the most elite of the traditional professions —
have always been demanding. But they were also unquestionably prestigious. Sure,
bankers made big money and professors held impressive degrees.
But in the
days when a successful career was built on a number of tacitly recognized
pillars — outsize pay, long-term security, impressive schooling and authority
over grave matters — doctors and lawyers were perched atop them all.
Now,
those pillars have started to wobble.
“The older professions are great,
they’re wonderful,” said Richard Florida, the author of “The Rise of the
Creative Class: And How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday
Life” (Basic Books, 2003). “But they’ve lost their allure, their status. And it
isn’t about money.”
OR at least, it is not all about money. The pay is still
good (sometimes very good), and the in-laws aren’t exactly complaining. Still,
something is missing, say many doctors, lawyers and career experts: the old
sense of purpose, of respect, of living at the center of American society and
embodying its definition of “success.”
In a culture that prizes risk and
outsize reward — where professional heroes are college dropouts with
billion-dollar Web sites — some doctors and lawyers feel they have slipped a
notch in social status, drifting toward the safe-and-staid realm of dentists and
accountants. It’s not just because the professions have changed, but also
because the standards of what makes a prestigious career have changed.
This
decline, Mr. Florida argued, is rooted in a broader shift in definitions of
success, essentially, a realignment of the pillars. Especially among young
people, professional status is now inextricably linked to ideas of flexibility
and creativity, concepts alien to seemingly everyone but art students even a
generation ago.
“There used to be this idea of having a separate work self
and home self,” he said. “Now they just want to be themselves. It’s almost as if
they’re interviewing places to see if they fit them.”
Indeed, applications to
law schools and medical schools have declined from recent highs. Nationally, the
number of law school applicants dropped to 83,500 in 2006 from 98,700 in
2004—representing a 6.7 percent drop between 2006 and 2005, on top of the 5.2
percent slip the previous year, according to the Law School Admission
Council.
(Maybe they’ve been talking to actual lawyers. Forty-four percent of
lawyers recently surveyed by the American
Bar Association said they would not recommend the profession to a young
person.)
The number of applicants to medical school, meanwhile, has dipped to
42,000 from 46,000 in 1997, although it has recovered from a low of 33,000 in
2003.
Students are focusing now on starring in their own creations, their own
start-up businesses, said Trudy Steinfeld, the executive director of the
Wasserman Center for Career Development at New
York University.
“There’s a sexiness to starting something cool,” she
said. “Now we have people trying to start a Facebook
or a MySpace.
You might be working like a maniac, but it’s going to pay off in status. You’re
going to be famous, providing something people are going to know and use all
over the world.”
Unquestionably, many doctors and lawyers still find the
higher calling of their profession — helping people — as well as the prestige
and money, worth the hard work. And the stars in either field are still that:
commanding the handsome compensation and social cachet. But to others, the daily
trudge serves as a constant reminder that the entrepreneur’s autonomy simply
can’t be found in law or medicine.
“We’d all seen the visions, watching ‘L.A.
Law,’ or ‘Ally McBeal,’” said Catherine Kersh, 32, a former litigator at a large
firm in Los Angeles. “It did seem glamorous.”
Reality, she quickly learned,
was different. Ms. Kersh recalled a two-week stretch in which she and a team of
associates were holed up in a conference room with 50 boxes of documents. Every
day, for 12 hours, they fastened Post-it notes to legal briefs.
“You look
around at the other associates, trying to remind ourselves, why did we go to law
school?” said Ms. Kersh, who now works for a nonprofit group that administers
scholarships.
Many young associates, she added, spent their lunch hours
making lavish purchases on NeimanMarcus.com, just to remind themselves that what they did
counted for something.
Life, in fact, was less like “Ally” and more like “The
Practice,” where lawyers work like dogs in a thoroughly unglamorous
setting.

Doctors face similar pressure. Complaints about managed care
crimping doctors’ income and authority over medical decisions are nothing new,
but the problems are only getting worse, several doctors said.
“Remember the
‘I Love Lucy’ episode in the chocolate factory?” said Dr. Ejnes in Rhode Island.
“That’s what a medical practice is now like. They keep turning up the speed on
the conveyer belt, and before you know it, you’re stuffing chocolates in your
pockets.”
One doctor responding to the American College of Physician
Executives survey wrote: “I find it necessary about once every month or two to
stay in bed for 24 to 48 hours. I do this on short notice when I get the feeling
I might punch somebody.”
Increasing workloads and paperwork might be
tolerable if the old feeling of authority were still the same, doctors said. But
patients who once might have revered them for their knowledge and skill often
arrive at the office armed with a sense of personal expertise, gleaned from a
few hours on www.WebMD.com, doctors
said, not to mention a disdain for the medical system in general.
“If the
topic comes up in cocktail party talk, you’ll hear nightmare stories from people
as they’ve gone through the system — ‘they gave me the wrong pill,’ et cetera,”
said Dr. Gregg Broffman, 57, a former pediatrician who is now a medical director
of a primary care group in Buffalo. “In terms of my own self-esteem, it feels
like a personal attack.”
EVEN the language of contemporary medicine has
eroded the physician’s sense of majesty.
“What irritates me the most is the
use of the term ‘provider,’” said Dr. Brian A. Meltzer, an internist in
Pennington, N.J., who now practices pro bono on the side, but works full time
for Johnson
& Johnson’s venture capital division. “We didn’t go to provider school.”
Making the erosion of cachet more acute is the fact that unlike law schools
or medical schools, flashier industries recruit heavily on top college campuses,
said Lauren A. Rivera, a sociology graduate student and an instructor at Harvard
who studies career choice among students.

This star-system mentality is particularly attractive to college
students, many of whom were reared with the ’80s philosophy that every child was
a potential superstar, Mr. Coleman said. And they want immediate rewards — not
exactly the mentality that will fuel a student through years of medical school,
a residency and additional training for a specialty.

Yeah, being a doctor is tough, it's a constant struggle... When you've finally got that degree you are still left struggling... However, on a personal note, being a doctor or lawer doesn't have to be glamorous as they say it should be. Some people just feel content by the fact that they have helped another person. Not all doctors have to ba a 'Belo' or 'Calayan' to find fulfillment in their chosen field.

Don't be nega! Think positive!

Today's the day I will start blogging about me...an unemployed professional (take note, a jobless PROFESSIONAL who studied for like 8-10 years), who right now has so many expectations in life and can't seem to hold grasp. Why the title Trial and Error? I dunno... I guess that's what I have been doing for the past couple of years. Trying out things that I would think make a big impact in my life, but then wouldn't, then doing it repeatedly like a vicious cycle. Oh well, that's probably the reason why I'm an unemployed professional right now.
Trial and error is like you try and try until you get it right. That's what I think!