Browsing through jobstreet, I suddenly realized I am a rare bred. Honestly now, there seems to be a lot of companies in need of doctors. Even the government is looking for ways to keep the brain drain from becoming well, even more realistic. And its good. Because at least finally we, the young and dashing physicians of yore are aware of our worth.
A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to be a part of a community far down south. I was actually looking for an adventure. They said I was going to get P1,300 for 24 hours and I was stupid enough to take it. Stupid because I was doing P3,000 for 12 hours in a hospital much closer to my place. Yes, charge to experience. I felt bad afterwards though. I think it wasn't because of the money that I gave up the place but because of those small town people I could never understand. For instance, one patient was bitten by a cat and was given only one dose of rabies vaccine. I was really mortified. What if the cat was rabid? In St. Luke's we usually give rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine in 0-3-7-14-28 days dose plus of course the tetanus stuffs. So really it was difficult for me to adjust. I can't seem to reconcile what I know and how to practice medicine there. And since I was a visitor, I could not say anything. I was practically a stranger to that community.
The quarters was in itself another story. When they showed us where we will live for the next 2 days, I didn't know what to say. It was a small room approximately 4 by 4 meters subdivided into an even smaller room with one ceiling fan located at the center. The entire cast of Ant Bully was also present and I was fortunate to have one in my ears the last night I was sleeping. Apparently, the ants consider me sweet. There is also an exhaust which goes from the hospital (note: dirty) to our quarters (note: dirtier). Where they expecting convicts or child rapists to stay in this place? I was really speechless.
Is this how low they treat us? Are young physicians left with nothing but this cramped place without even drinking water? I was practically dehydrated for 2 days.
I know I'm exaggerating and you may say that well, doctors to the barrio volunteers have it worst and you're wrong. My friend who works in a community in Mindoro for the DTTB program has get this, Centralized Air Conditioning. And he gets to see and advise patients like a real doctor. We on the other hand were made to observe and even ridiculed for our understanding in medicine. We allegedly don't have much experience in patients because we live and breathe in a private hospital. The gall. At least I know there is no stage 3 hypertension. Well, Maybe there was. But that was like before 2004 came.
I was really hoping to know the community since I took my undergraduate degree from there and I still have friends who live there but apparently, I was not cut out for it. When you are moonlighting you are really prone to abuse.
There's this other thing as well. Have you ever wondered why most hospitals in the province prefer that you refer only close friends? I think that is because the cycle of abuse will be easier to propagate. You can't quit if you get a better offer afterwards. Nahihiya ka magquit unlike when no one knows you, you can quit anytime.
It is also a fact that most hospital owners are physicians as well. So why do they treat young physicians like this? Because we are already in the process of becoming their competition. And because they want us to leave the country for good. They want to have monopoly with the healthcare system. I mean who doesn't? Let's keep these young idealistic doctors away and keep the Filipino people ignorant and poor and we'll make more money. Gone were the days when medicine was suppose to benefit the helpless and teach the ignoramuses. O, Who am I kidding? Go to residency at least that way you can earn more afterwards and professors who are there really do teach.