Joey M.D.

To give or not to give a cellular phone number?  That is the question…
I do give my cell phone number to my patients. There are certainly pros and cons to doing so, but for me, the pros outweigh the cons.  But then I’m in a specialty (ophthalmology) that does not have a lot of [...]

Congratulations!  You’ve finished your medical education and are well on your way to being the doctor you dreamed of.  You’re now looking at the world through rose colored glasses, where everything looks bright, shiny and new.  Enjoy this feeling!  It’s your achievement and you deserve it!
Do understand, however, that the world doesn’t hand you everything [...]

I just attended our annual convention and met some colleagues and seniors who I haven’t seen for quite a while.
We learned that some of our colleagues are actually cutting back on their practice, some even considering themselves semi retired.  Some have given up on surgeries.
Why?  Many people may not realize it but the practice of [...]

It’s never easy to have to choose whether to stay in the Philippines or to try your luck in the United States, or any other country for that matter.  It is doubly hard to do that when you are a holder of a medical degree and know that while there is potentially more chances of [...]

The PRC board exam is over, and you’ve passed!  You’ve finally got your license to practice as a doctor.  Congratulations!
The next thing to do is to either go into residency for further training OR to practice as a general practitioner.  Whichever of the two paths you decide to take, the one thing you have to [...]

One of the clinics I work in screens potential employees to be deployed to other countries specifically the Middle East.  Occasionally, they refer patients to me for ophthalmologic evaluation if they see something wrong with the patient’s eyes, whether it is blurring of vision uncorrected with eyeglasses, a pterygium, strabismus (either duling/banlag).
The problem with seeing [...]

I believe that medical schools should have a subject, Medical Marketing, that teaches medical students how to effectively set up a practice after graduating.    Not all doctors earn enough to support their families.  In fact, most doctors start their practices not knowing what to do and losing a lot of money.  I should know, I [...]

Here in the Philippines, it’s the time to file our annual income tax return. I still have to submit some papers to my accountant so that she can help me with my ITR.
It’s just a bummer that you realize you pay taxes but you don’t actually feel the benefits. I’m sending my son [...]

SAHM — Stay At Home Mom, formerly known as housewife or homemaker.  That’s opposed to Working Mom.  There’s now a new category, WAHM — meaning Work at Home Mom, for moms who telecommute or have a home based business.  I’m more of a Working Mom, but I work only part time.
I am very lucky that [...]

Being a doctor was never easy. Along the way were different choices that had to be made. Looking back, I realize that Somebody Up There was always pushing me to make the best choices, because sometimes even if seemed difficult to make a decision, there was always some tipping point that would ultimately [...]