When I took my Bachelor course in the late eighties, I chose BS Medical Technology because people told me that it was a good preparatory subject for Medicine, which I really wanted at that time. Most pre-med students went into a science course like BS Biology or BS Psychology because they were the courses that were “hot” at that time, hot as in popular for pre-med. Some took less popular courses like Mathematics, Chemistry (like my husband), Industrial Engineering and some other courses which are not usually associated with medicine.
I think I made a good choice, even if I did not know it at the time. If I were to advise a prospective medical student on what course to take in college, I’d say go for a course that he’s really interested in. It should be something that could provide aan lternative career should plans regarding Medical studies go awry for one reason or another.
I know people who took up Physical Therapy and are now employed as such in US rehab centers. I also know of nurses who are now employed in hospitals in the US or UK. Some of these happen to take up the courses because they thought that these were good preparatory courses for Medicine proper but they weren’t able to proceed with Medicine for various reasons.
Now, would I advise youngsters to take up a course that would prove to make job hunting easier in the future? Well, yes and no. Yes, because, as mentioned, we do have to consider a fallback career in case we are not meant to be doctors. No, because that only works if you are truly interested in the course to begin with. It’s pretty difficult to go through Physical Therapy if you do not like it to begin with, even if there is a rise in demand in US rehab centers right now for physical therapists. And while nurses are still being hired in various hospitals around the world, it still would not be an enjoyable job for somebody who does not have that interest in the first place and only went to it because of the thought that it’s something you could earn from. And, what if the US rehab centers and the hospitals and nursing homes stop hiring? You are now left with a degree that you didn’t really want in the first place and went into for reasons that didn’t pan out in the end. Would you still enjoy practicing your profession with a relatively low salary if you don’t get hired abroad?
So, choose wisely. Choose a college course that you truly enjoy, that provides you with a good alternative career in case you don’t go into medicine, and something that you would still enjoy doing even if it turns out to be a low paying job.
While some doctors here in the Philippines do enjoy a lifestyle of relative affluence, the truth is that most don’t. There are many doctors who struggle from day to day. That’s why it’s not uncommon to hear of doctors who simply give up and look for greener pastures elsewhere. Some even give up their medical degree to pursue alternate careers which bring in more income.
But even if being a doctor in the Philippines is not as profitable as we once thought, there are many doctors who actually stick it out with the profession. That’s because there are many (me included) who see our practice of Medicine as a calling. At this point, I cannot think of doing anything else outside the medical practice.
What some doctors do to supplement the income derived from rendering professional medical services is to take on a sideline which may or may not be complementary to their practice.
I know some doctors who incorporate Herbal Nutrition to their practice. They go about managing their patients with both conventional medical practice and some alternative practices. Supplements like those of Herbalife International, while they are not medicine and thus are not officially approved for therapeutic use, may actually help in some cases.
And since these supplements are not easily found in drugstores, some doctors become Herbalife Distributors themselves. This way, they actually earn a little more to supplement their income from their profession.
Is this considered ethical?
My opinion is that we as doctors should be very careful about “pushing” for anything that is available only in our clinics. I feel that we must make patients realize that buying from our clinic is not the only choice and we’re not recommending things just to be able to earn extra. Do tell patients that these could also be available from other sources. And that these supplements may help, but that these are in complement to conventional medical therapy. And that there are actually studies which show improvement when these supplements are used.
But being a distributor per se? I do not feel that there is anything wrong with it.
Years ago, Glaxo Smithkline would come out with Xenical (generic name: Orlistat), which was designed to inhibit fat absorption. This quickly gained popularity as a diet pill. However, since it was then considered a prescription medication, it was not that easy to come by. You needed to get a doctor’s prescription if you want to use it.
Xenical is apparently still a by prescription medication in the USA. I am surprised, because here in the Philippines, Xenical is now considered an over-the-counter medication and is heavily promoted by TV advertising. I do not know if the local version of Xenical is actually the same as Alli, which is a lower dose version of xenical and which is sold over-the-counter in the USA.
The side effects associated with xenical - mainly gas with oily discharge, inability to control bowel movements, oily or fatty stools, and oily spotting - are still found with alli, even at half the dosage of the original prescription-only formulation.
Even the manufacturers are quick to remark that alli should be used in conjunction with a diet and exercise plan (they do provide one in which the usage of alli is incorporated). It’s also notable that the unpopular side effects worsen with too much fat intake, which make a low fat diet a requirement in order to minimize them.
So should we start with alli (or the OTC xenical here in the Philippines)? I think we should start first with a sensible diet and exercise plan, and it that is not enough, maybe then and only then can we addalli. But do remember that this is not a magic pill that would make you lose weight. Remember too that we should follow the guidelines and precautions they set forth for safety’s safe. Finally, it’s still best to be monitored by a health care professional in a weight loss program, especially if you have other health issues.
Years and years ago, doctors used to do house calls and patients may be seen at home. We were fortunate enough to be at the tail end of this practice, mostly because my father had a good friend who happened to be a doctor and lived not far from our home. Whenever we got sick and couldn’t go to the doctor’s clinic for one reason or another, he could come to our home.
It’s not anymore a usual practice. Speaking from the doctor’s point of view, having patients see you at the clinic is much easier, since you can dictate a whole chunk of clinic time and patients will have to come at around that time to see you. That means you can see more patients at a given time since you do not have to spend too much time travelling as the travelling is only limited to travels between clinics. Also, any medical equipment that you need is on hand.
However, there were times when I feel that a program of home health care is something that is warranted. When my dad was downed by advanced lung cancer 10 years ago, it was difficult moving him to the doctor’s clinic. It was even more difficult when he had to have chemotherapy sessions because of the immediate aftereffects. His doctor was kind enough to agree to visit Dad at home when he was ambulant (long story). He even administered the chemo at home. It was only when my dad needed a blood transfusion that we had him admitted at the hospital. It goes without saying that Dad was much more comfortable at home than in any of the hospitals he was admitted in. Of course, we had to pay a bit more for his time and the use of his equipment, but I’d say it’s well worth it. After all, it would take so much more effort to transport Dad in his condition. A caveat though, our doctor allowed that because I was a doctor myself and I could watch over my dad. Others may not be as lucky to have a relative in the medical profession and would require the services of one.
Which is where a home health program would come in. Most patients with chronic conditions do not need to stay in the hospital (with all its costs), but do need additional caring at home. Some would hire private nurses, but still go to the different doctors’ clinics for their medical checkups. A program wherein doctors could (maybe for an additional fee) be asked to see the patients at their own homes is something that might be feasible given the right conditions.
While it’s a bit difficult for an ophthalmologist like me given all the big equipment that we have, it might be a good option for other specialties who do not need to bring all those big contraptions. And the patient could be comfortable waiting in his own home rather than along the hallway of a hospital.
I didn’t go to the clinic today and missed one my classes. That’s because of a small accident I had. While I could still walk, it’s very painful and I walk VERY SLOWLY so I decided that it would be best that I rest a bit so that I could get back to normal at the fastest possible time.
What sucks for me is that since I only earn if and when I get to see patients, being home sick means lost income for me. The first thing that crossed my mind when I got injured was “How am I going to work? We need the money for the kids’ needs”. That’s why I went to the clinic yesterday. But while I did see a lot of patients, the pain in my foot increased so much. Arrrggg!
I wish I had short term disability insurance to cover for this time that I am sidelined. Things like these happen unexpectedly and I wish I had income during this time. After all, expenses don’t stop just because you stop working, albeit only temporarily. Maybe my husband and I should look into these, because while we don’t want things like these to happen, you never know when they will.
MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – President Arroyo has declared May 7 of each year as Health Workers’ Day to give due recognition to the important role and contributions of health workers in providing health services to the people and to enhance their sense of worth and dignity, Malacañang announced today.
The law shall take effect 15 days upon publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation.
Signed on April 6, the Republic Act urged all the heads of government health facilities and employers in the private sector to give employees sufficient time to celebrate Health Workers’ Day.
You would have been living in a cave if you didn’t know that the Philippines was in the midst of election fever for the past months. Jingles play on TV and the radio, campaign posters, and baller IDs and other giveaways show up everywhere.
In a week’s time, we will once again be called upon to choose the people who will lead us for the next six years.
It is a daunting task, indeed. We are choosing the next Philippine President, Vice President, 13 senators, our district congressman, our governor, mayor and councilors.
The question: Who are you going to vote for? For president, VP, etc,?
What made you decide that this is the best person for the job?
__________
For participants of the Blog Rounds, please post a comment here or send me an email at ethanmama at gmail dot com (please write “TBR” as the subject) with the URL to your entry. Deadline is on Friday, May 7, 2010, 11:59PM.
It can be pretty difficult for both doctors and patients. I’ve already told patients to come back after a week for their follow up. Then the sudden announcement that May 3 is a non-working day. That means that my clinic is closed, or else I’d have to pay overtime for my secretary. Good thing the secretary told patients to call first before coming over. I really hope they do so that we can reschedule their appointments.
Of course, this is for cases that are not emergencies. For emergencies, do go to the ER. That’s what it’s there for.
Remember Reyster Langit? He is an investigative journalist and the son of broadcaster Rey Langit, who died 5 years ago of cerebral malaria. He contracted the disease while investigating a tribe in Palawan where a “mysterious disease” was causing the death of several villagers. This disease turned out to be malaria. Unfortunately for Reyster and his two companions, they contracted the disease too and they all died of complications.
To understand more about this disease, sit back and enjoy this video by Disney (yes, Disney! )
This disease is still considered endemic in the Philippines, although it has a low contribution to global deaths. I am working on article for malaria for thepoc.net. Watch out for it. I’ll post the link as soon as it is live.
Being in the medical field, I am painfully aware of my mortality. You can’t deal with sick patients day in and day out, without realizing that death is inevitable to everybody. You just don’t know when and how.
Let me just emphasize that I am NOT ready to die. I have 2 small children who need me. As far as I know, I am healthy. I am a productive, contributing member of society.
But I am not sure of what lies in store for me tomorrow. Being a parent means that I have to make sure that my kids are well taken cared of in case something happens to me.
I took the first step by taking out an insurance. There are many types available, there’s whole life, and there’s term life insurance. Now there’s a new one called variable life insurance (VUL) which is also an investment vehicle. After checking out whole life and term life insurance quotes as well as VUL policies, I chose the plan that suits both our needs and our budget.
No budget is not an excuse. If money is tight, check out term insurance quotes which are much cheaper than whole life or VUL.
Of course, we have to think of things like guardians and such. But at least we’ve already taken cared of the financial aspect.
I still hope that I won’t get to use my insurance soon, though.
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