The Good News of Our Starvation

The highly-successful Max's Chicken-All-You-Can Promo is definitely back! Only Php 199 per person (includes a glass of Pepsi softdrink). Available daily from 6pm to 10pm starting June 10 until July 10, 2011. Available at all Max's Restaurant branches nationwide

For More Info: Max's Restaurant Website / Facebook - Max's

IMNMD 2B by Myrna L. Sajo

Anatomy Group 3 with Dra. Luz Surio

I am an MD-to-be. I live an unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle composed merely of sleeping to four hours a night (that is if you get lucky), sitting for long hours in the library. My exercise regimen is changing classrooms, standing for an hour or two during bedside discussions, and carrying thick-paged and hard-bound medical books. I am on the verge of caffeine addiction. All my energy has been drained from me. And the worst part is, I'm not just physically drained, I'm mentally and emotionally drained and socially stunted.

Anatomy of the Dorsum (R) Hand

Is this the price I have to pay to be a doctor, to have that right to attach to my name those two most important letters in the alphabet, MD? Being a med student is like being handed a free roundtrip ticket to hell. For me, at least, it feels like it. I'm not delusional. I'm not discouraging anybody to be a doctor. But, one must know and understand the realities—the truth that lies behind the typical life of a medical student. Before I entered medical school, I already had this preconceived notion that it would be really difficult. That was an understatement. First year was devoted to studying the "normal". The greatest bulk of my time was spent smelling formalin in the Anatomy laboratory with the cadavers. Since my pre-med was not Physical Therapy, I really had a hard time memorizing the origin, insertion, and actions of muscles which the doctors lovingly tie during practical examinations. Hello! Of course I know the commencement, termination, and tributaries of pudendal vein, but where the heck is it? I could not find it. I bet, even if they give me the whole hour to look for that vein, I'll never find it. Biochemistry? You need a trillion neurons to accommodate the litany of information you have to store. You'll need more than 36 ATP from glycolysis and Kreb's cycle to pass that subject. And more importantly, gluconeogenesis should also take place in your brain, not limited in your liver, because you'll really need a large amount of glucose to feed your ischemic brain.

Biochemistryland Map (Clinical Biochemistry MRS)

If you can live in Neuroanatomy, Histology, Anatomy, and Biochemistry memorizing without understanding, Physiology is a different story. Physiology is understanding without the need of memorizing which unfortunately, was even harder for me. Moving on from first year to second year was like transferring from the Sahara Desert to Siberia . Everything we studied was abnormal. We spent hours in Pathology looking under the microscope, helplessly racking every corner of our brains for the diagnosis of a small scraped tissue. How could you tell that the patient is having a heart failure, that she has cancer and that she only has five years to live just by examining a teeny-weeny bit of stained tissue, resembling more an abstract-surrealist painting which I can never appreciate?

Coping for Exam by doccartoon

The essence of being a doctor nowadays is to be able to give the patient a prescription (Right or wrong, most of the time it does not matter anymore. Patients get instantly healed when they get their prescriptions). And in our Pharmacology examinations, I usually don't get the right drug for prescription writing. Well, except for Paracetamol, but what the heck, I always computed for the wrong dosage. Internal Medicine tackled history and physical diagnosis. Here, you'll get a first-hand experience of interviewing a real patient. It's one small step closer to being a doctor.

I remembered how nervous I was approaching my first patient. I didn't know what to ask. My line of inquiry lacked coherence. I fumbled with the physical examination, wondering why I could not hear any heart sounds nor breath sounds, only to find out I wore my stethoscope the wrong way. I've just finished third year and I'm barely alive.

Third year was a totally different story. I had completely lost the idealism I had when I entered med school. I am beginning to ask myself why I'm spending the prime years of my life almost a breath away from cadavers, half alive-half dead myself. At 23, I should be earning already, and not be an immense burden to my parents. I have a high-maintenance lifestyle. My parents would spend close to a P100,000 a year only for my tuition. I still had to ask my mom money for my books and daily allowance. And I know that this setup will continue another four years or so. As my highschool friends are starting to save their earnings and beginning to build families of their own, I'm hardly out of med school, probably still stuck reading Harrison's Internal Medicine, cramming for a case presentation and helplessly being grilled by a consultant during bedside discussions.

Being a med student is nothing but sacrifice. First and foremost, you have to give up sleep. Sleep is the most precious gift any med student could ever receive. It seems that sleep does not exist in the vocabulary of our teachers. Sleep is taboo to medicine except when doctors advise it to their patients. It's totally ironic. Doctors know that human beings (medical students included), in order to function maximally the following day should at least get eight hours of sleep. Then why do they expect us to read everything, to pass all their difficult exams,actively participate in case discussions and to answer all their questions when you only get an average of four hours or less sleep per day? We're not different from human beings who need to eat three times a day, who breathe the same air, and who need to rest. It's not as if God had given us an extraordinary pineal gland and reticular system so that we have an extraordinary circadian rhythm and a long, long s tate of arousal. I just hope our doctors would understand that if a med student failed to read something, it's not because he was lazy. He was probably tired and had gone to a dreamless slumber because he spent the previous night like a psycho studying for three exams.

I have sacrificed time for my family, for my friends, and for myself. My whole life right now is devoted to Harrison, to Schwartz, to Nelson, to Adams, to Smith, to Green, to Kaplan, all authors of my medical books. I mean if these are the surnames of all the guys I go out with, seven times a week, geez! I would die a happy and fulfilled woman! Instead of accompanying my mom to the supermarket, I have to stay home because I have to study. My dad had already complained to me that I do not have time for him. My friends had stopped calling me because whenever they talked to me I either spoke in monosyllabic words, or they could not understand me because I spoke as if I drank tons of tequila. I talked like a drunk. Well, in fact, I was just in the middle of a dreamless sleep.

See? How can you choose this kind of lifestyle?It's not even a lucrative job anymore. You have to get rid of all the more experienced and old doctors to get even a handful of patients. So, if you want to be a millionaire, don't slave in the hospital because even if God had made one day 72 hours, instead of 24,or gave us 14 days instead of 7 in one week, you're still way off your one million mark before the age of 30.

Of course, I have witnessed a lot of people giving up med school. But never have I heard, not even an anecdote, of a rich businessman giving up his entire career, just to study medicine. Being a doctor is not something you have to decide overnight. It's not a result of your whim or a fulfillment of your parents' dream. Because if these would be your reasons, you're entering the wrong profession. Choosing to be a doctor means being committed to a lifelong journey of endless sacrifice. You have to be sure that this is the life you want to live—that you love to live—not something you'd tire of halfway. The ironic thing is I never wanted to be a doctor in the first place. I wanted to be a writer, a novelist, or even a journalist. I was just dragged by my mother to take up medicine but fortunately after seven years of schooling, I learned to love it. Of course I still have doubts that maybe I'm really not cut out to be a doctor, leading me to think if it's really worth it.

At this point, I don't know anymore. What inspires me to continue is that in the future, I know I'm going to save a man's life. And through it, I can honestly say to myself that I have made a difference in someone else's life. And I reckon, maybe that's what being a doctor is all about. It's not working in some fancy hospital,earning big bucks from your patients, changing your cars quarterly from BMW to an Alfa Romeo to a Jaguar, nor travelling around the world magnanimously sponsored by some big drug companies.

Neither is it the various letters attached at the end of your name. Being a true doctor is not treating the patient as some hypothetical case from a medical textbook. It is treating the patient as a human being, who possesses a heart that does not only pump blood but a heart that could feel, who doesn't have a brain that is visualized only as black and white in an MRI or CT scan but has a mind that could reason, who is not merely composed of cells, of tissues, of organs, and of different systems but a human being who has a soul.

Being a doctor is being able to look at every patient's eyes and seeing in their depths the hope that somehow you can make one father go home and enjoy dinner with his family, or you can make a grandmother attend her only grandchild's piano recital, or you can send a mother to be with her daughter as she enters into the complicated life of adolescence or you can transform an infant's cry to a frolicking laughter. Being a doctor means being a part of an unimaginable greatness that you can only understand if you surrender yourself to years of rigorous training and incessant pursuit of medical knowledge.

During all my interviews in different med schools, they asked me why I wanted to be a doctor. I always answered that I wanted to help and save humanity. I'm sure all my interviewers have heard that same line from countless fellow applicants. But I don't care because it's the truth. I don't know how I can do it but I know eventually I will, in my own small way.

Medicine is neither for the weak-minded nor the weak-hearted. My endurance has been tested. My strength has been staunchly fortified. Medicine has changed me completely. I have sacrificed a great deal and most of the times, I may feel I'm not compensated. Most of the time, I would want to give up but I know deep in the core of my heart, I won't. For after careful reflection, I realized that being a doctor actually gives me a different kind of happiness, a different kind of self-fulfillment, which I can never find in any profession. Well, I just hope my fellow aspiring doctors are fortunate enough to share the same sentiments.

                       -  Myrna L. Sajo

2nd Childhood

Last May 30, me and my family went to Hong Kong Disneyland for an overdue vacation. It was an experience of a lifetime. I felt like I was a child again, and I can safely say that I wasn't the only one who did. My brother had a smile that I had never seen for the past God knows how long. My cousins are extremely happy and on top of that, my grandfather was with us and he really enjoyed the trip.

Ever since I was little, the mere thought of going to Disneyland excites me. A lot of my friends and classmates keep on sharing their stories about the park and how wonderful it is. And last Monday, "it was a dream come true". 

Getting there was a breeze, considering that the place where we stayed, Harbour Plaza Metropolis, is right across the Hung Hom MTR station. The commute to DL is part of the experience. The Disney themed train  is really cute, it had Mickey Mouse windows, replicas of Disney characters and Mickey Handrails.

HKDL resort was everything I imagined it to be. Magical. From the rides, to good food, from the Golden Mickeys show and The Festival of Lion King to the Philar Magic, it was spectacular. I won't be telling stuff bit-by-bit because it would probably take me 3 entries just to share how wonderful my DL experience was. The highlight for me however, was the "Flights of Fantasy" Parade. We were eating our late lunch (around 3:30) when it started and my cousin Jia hurriedly ran to the main street with me and Timmy. At first i thought only kids will enjoy the parade. But I have to admit I really had fun watching it. Every performer had a really good smile while dancing to a catchy parade song. Considering that majority of the performers were my kababayans, it made me feel proud how good of an entertainer Pinoys are.

Here is a video of the parade taken by my brother.

By 7:00, everyone gathered around the main street in anticipation of the fireworks display above Sleeping Beauty Castle currently themed with Tinkerbell and her fairy dust on their 5th anniversary. 

A video of the fireworks display c/o mondaysMorning of YouTube

It felt wonderful to be a kid again. What's more awesome was that I was with the people I love the most. (next time Papa, let's go together ok? Labyu)

Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas S. J. on RH Bill

Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J., J.S.D. is a Jesuit and is Dean Emeritus of Ateneo Law School in Makati City, Philippines. He was a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission which drafted the present Philippine Constitution. Bernas is a renowned expert in the Philippine Constitution and a prolific author of law books and articles. (wikipedia)

Following article is taken from: Inquirer-Opinion: My stand on the RH Bill

I HAVE been following the debates on the RH Bill not just in the recent House sessions but practically since its start. In the process, because of what I have said and written (where I have not joined the attack dogs against the RH Bill), I have been called a Judas by a high-ranking cleric, I am considered a heretic in a wealthy barangay where some members have urged that I should leave the Church (which is insane), and one of those who regularly hears my Mass in the Ateneo Chapel in Rockwell came to me disturbed by my position. I feel therefore that I owe some explanation to those who listen to me or read my writings.

First, let me start by saying that I adhere to the teaching of the Church on artificial contraception even if I am aware that the teaching on the subject is not considered infallible doctrine by those who know more theology than I do. Moreover, I am still considered a Catholic and Jesuit in good standing by my superiors, critics notwithstanding!

Second (very important for me as a student of the Constitution and of church-state relations), I am very much aware of the fact that we live in a pluralist society where various religious groups have differing beliefs about the morality of artificial contraception. But freedom of religion means more than just the freedom to believe. It also means the freedom to act or not to act according to what one believes. Hence, the state should not prevent people from practicing responsible parenthood according to their religious belief nor may churchmen compel President Aquino, by whatever means, to prevent people from acting according to their religious belief. As the “Compendium on the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church” says, “Because of its historical and cultural ties to a nation, a religious community might be given special recognition on the part of the State. Such recognition must in no way create discrimination within the civil or social order for other religious groups” and “Those responsible for government are required to interpret the common good of their country not only according to the guidelines of the majority but also according to the effective good of all the members of the community, including the minority.”

Third, I am dismayed by preachers telling parishioners that support for the RH Bill ipso facto is a serious sin or merits excommunication! I find this to be irresponsible.

Fourth, I have never held that the RH Bill is perfect. But if we have to have an RH law, I intend to contribute to its improvement as much as I can. Because of this, I and a number of my colleagues have offered ways of improving it and specifying areas that can be the subject of intelligent discussion. (Yes, there are intelligent people in our country.) For that purpose we jointly prepared and I published in my column what we called “talking points” on the bill.

Fifth, specifically I advocate removal of the provision on mandatory sexual education in public schools without the consent of parents. (I assume that those who send their children to Catholic schools accept the program of Catholic schools on the subject.) My reason for requiring the consent of parents is, among others, the constitutional provision which recognizes the sanctity of the human family and “the natural and primary right of parents in the rearing of the youth for civic efficiency and the development of moral character.” (Article II, Section 12) 

Sixth, I am pleased that the bill reiterates the prohibition of abortion as an assault against the right to life. Abortifacient pills and devices, if there are any in the market, should be banned by the Food and Drug Administration. But whether or not there are such is a question of scientific fact of which I am no judge.

Seventh, I hold that there already is abortion any time a fertilized ovum is expelled. The Constitution commands that the life of the unborn be protected “from conception.” For me this means that sacred life begins at fertilization and not at implantation.

Eighth, it has already been pointed out that the obligation of employers with regard to the sexual and reproductive health of employees is already dealt with in the Labor Code. If the provision needs improvement or nuancing, let it be done through an examination of the Labor Code provision.

Ninth, there are many valuable points in the bill’s Declaration of Policy and Guiding Principles which can serve the welfare of the nation and especially of poor women who cannot afford the cost of medical service. There are specific provisions which give substance to these good points. They should be saved.

Tenth, I hold that public money may be spent for the promotion of reproductive health in ways that do not violate the Constitution. Public money is neither Catholic, nor Protestant, nor Muslim or what have you and may be appropriated by Congress for the public good without violating the Constitution.

Eleventh, I leave the debate on population control to sociologists.

Finally, I am happy that the CBCP has disowned the self-destructive views of some clerics.

Life as a Medical Student

Anatomy Group 3 with Dra. Surio

Biochemistry Section C with Faculty Members

I couldn't believe that it's been a year since I started studying medicine. I can still remember reviewing for NMAT and preparing a lot of documents needed to apply to different medical schools. Practicing for the oral interview and writing an admission essay that I hoped would stand out. Fitting in the new crowd and made new friends. Studying (cramming would be a more appropriate term) for shifting exams. Reading a lot of stuff from different books, websites and journals for a conference. Staying up as late as 3AM, trying my best to absorb everything for the prelims. The experience is just emotional, unbelievable and truly a different way of learning things.

                                                                     

Practice for Heme Synthesis Role Play

First year of medical school is over. Second year is right around the corner. I'm sitting comfortably during summer vacation, playing video games, meet with friends, watch stuff I wasn't able to during the entire year, without feeling a sense of guilt that I should be studying instead. It's also now that I am able to reflect on a lot of things. Do I really want this? Can I do this? Perhaps the biggest challenge for any medical student is to be able to know which stuff to prioritize. There are just too much that can happen in a year, aside from school, there are family gatherings, birthdays, some errands, and a lot of holidays. There are certainly a number of them that you need to sacrifice.

Section C - Christmas Party

Medicine isn't about being intelligent. It's about being able to adjust to the demands of the training and be able to focus on stuff that matters. Classes are from Monday to Saturday and usually run from 8-5. Aside from lectures, we attend a lot of conferences and laboratory works. And sometimes (a lot of times), we are required to report about the experiment the next day. What's infuriating is that we have a shifting exam in Biochemistry that day. What to do? It doesn't mean that just because you have a report to submit, you'll totally forget to read even part of the topics covered for the exam. And yes, you'll be needing a lot of time. I never really valued time before I entered med. During college, I consistently get 8-9 hours of sleep per night. Now, I consider it a blessing to be able to get 3-4 hours of rest. Truly, time is gold. And there isn't just enough of it. I never realized what I was capable of doing in a day until I was pushed to this challenge.

Med Night '11

I know that the ordeal me and a lot of other students are going through will not be in vain. Our sacrifices, along with our family's, will surely bear fruits in the future. This is how I put it. We are pressured to get high scores, if not perfect scores, in exams because we cannot afford to make mistakes in real life. We cannot just erase or have our errors countersigned all the time. We will be dealing with lives, with real people someday.

With the help of God, the greatest healer, we will endure.

Pro-Better Life!

Show your support: Pro-RH Bill

Catholic, Pro-Life, Realist and Pro-RH!

The Reproductive Health Bill, popularly known as the RH Bill, is a Philippine bill aiming to guarantee universal access to methods and information on birth control and maternal care. The bill has become the center of a contentious national debate. There are presently two bills with the same goals: House Bill No. 96 or the Reproductive Health Act and Population and Development Act of 2010 introduced by Albay 1st district representative Edcel Lagman, and Senate Bill No. 2378 or the Reproductive Health Act introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago.

The bill is highly controversial, with experts, academics, religious institutions, and major political figures both supporting and opposing it, often criticizing the government and each other in the process. The issue is so divisive that at one point, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines threatened to excommunicate the President, Benigno Aquino III if he supported the bill. (from: Wikipedia)

My title clearly sums up my stand on the issue. I was born and raised a catholic. I respect and value human life. But I've also seen a lot of people suffer and even die with causes that are preventable. I have friends who are scourged with infections acquired through sexual intercourse. I've encountered families with children ranging from 5-10 while their parents have no stable source of income, ergo, basic physiologic needs are unmet. I've handled female patients with pregnancy problems. I've delivered babies, some of whom, are born to sick mothers, some, died during (or a little after) delivery. On a larger scale, our country's population (an estimate) to date is 94 million and surely, not everyone has adequate living space, not everyone has sufficient food and water, not everyone has access to healthcare. I am Pro-RH Bill.

The following is taken from Jubert's Blog: Chillspot. It's his post regarding the issue entitled: Pro-RH bill is not anti-life! I decided to repost his entry since he mentioned a lot of things that I couldn't have said better myself. 

--------------------------------------------0--------------------------------------------

Much has been said and written about the RH bill that this entry of mine might just be one of the hundreds circulating the web today. Honestly, I would prefer to keep silent on critical matters like this one but it is inevitable especially when these are just catching so much attention from the mainstream media.

IT IS ANTI-RELIGIOUS TYRANNY.

I am pro-RH bill but I am not an anti-Church, that I can guarantee. This entry is written to present a set of arguments which I personally believe to be valid and logical to a considerable degree, pointing to reasons why I eagerly support the RH bill. Of course, you don't need to agree with me. I do not have any motive other than to share a piece of my mind and urge you to share yours as well. Some of my comments may raise some eyebrows and hurt other feelings but my apology in advance.

We had this seminar weeks ago and one of our speakers was a priest in the local church - sorry, I forget his name. He talked about the Church's stand on the RH bill and why it should be kill. With all due respect to him, he sounded pretty arrogant to me. I hate it every time he says, "O, di niyo alam yan!" as if he's talking to a bunch of illiterates. I disgust people who talks and acts like they know everything. I cannot even count on my fingers how many times he said that annoying phrase. Boooooo! Sige na po, ikaw na talaga!

IT IS ANTI-IGNORANCE.

The Church is screaming bloody murder, saying that the bill is a "pro-abortion bill". WHAAAT?! Now, I wonder if we have read the same bill because the bill I read stated no such thing. In fact, it actually does the complete opposite. The argument that the RH bill would legalize abortion is just a distraction. Forget that. Obviously, this is an invalid argument being spread by people who are against the bill. And what is alarming is that we are falling for it.

They also insist that we are not overpopulated. I get that. I do not claim otherwise. At 90 million, we are not overpopulated, nevermind if almost half are living below the poverty line. The Philippines is NOT and NEVER overpopulated. With 7,107 islands, we can even support billions of people - and I am not exaggerating. The thing is, we have a population more than we should have considering our finite resources and it is still growing at a pace that we cannot support anymore. It doesn't take a genius to know that the bigger the population, the bigger the food demand thus aggravating the price increase. It also means more energy will be required to sustain a reasonable standard of living which could make a toll in our nature. This is not pleasing to the ears but the Philippines cannot afford uncontrollable population growth. We need to curb our population a bit to allow resources to be more beneficial thus resulting to better quality of life.

And lemme clear this - the population control is not versus birthing per se. It is against irresponsible birthing.

IT IS ANTI-DAY DREAMING.

I also find it funny when the Church are scared off their wits just hearing the term *drum rolls* SEX EDUCATION. Anti-RH folks insist that the bill will spawn a generation of sex maniacs. (Refresher course: The bill states of the mandatory sexuality education from Grade 5 to 4th year high school) I don't know if they are drunk or they are just plain stupid that they failed to read the word "age-appropriate" written with it. And they keep on insisting that it degrades morality. How is it immoral, exactly, to teach students how to properly manage their sexual well-being? Tell me.

I understand the Church's concern that it is the responsibility of the parents to educate their children about sex. But this I tell you folks: there is a large number of Filipino parents who didn't had the opportunity to be informed, much less discuss, anything about sex education.

IT IS ANTI-HYPOCRISY.

Natural family planning as claimed by religious folks as the moral way of limiting the population has been practiced since, well, the time began but that method has failed over and over and over again. The RH bill is not just about contraceptions for Pete's sake. It is about the freedom to choose what's best for your family. It is called RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD. It prevents couples from having too many children, too soon, too fast.

Cong. Manny Pacquiao said that "Kung nag-condom po ang aking ama, si Mommy D, wala pong Manny Pacquiao." I bet he thought, oh I'm so witty! (Just a few weeks ago, he was caught saying: Magsumbong ka sa lolo mong panot - which, IMO, is the dumbest thing I heard from a politician) But had he ever thought that not all people are as lucky as him?

IT IS ANTI-IRRESPONSIBILITY!

Also, this good vs. evil thing that those religious folks is spewing is frustrating and getting on ym nerves. They are insisting something like this: anti-RH bill are good, pro-RH bill are bad and anti-life. Sorry CBCP, I cannot see myself as anti-life. I value life as much as you do. I cannot understand what is so un-Catholic in encouraging couples to refrain from having too many children that they can't afford to feed and nourished? I think there is none. Oh well, these priests won't understand a thing about family planning until each of them are raising children of their own.

"Humayo kayo at magpakarami" is their epic excuse for valid issues being thrown against their stand. God may told us to procreate but believe me, he didn't mean it this way. The Church just wanna play around using the Bible.

--------------------------------------------0--------------------------------------------

How does being anti-RH make you Pro-Life? How does having 10 children without the means to provide even their basic needs make you Pro-Life?