Five Years
Dear Journal Subscribers,
I was cleaning out my e-mail files and found the following essay, which I had written sometime in March [1999] I think it serves as a fitting postscript to the journal – “closure”, as they would say.
For the past five years of medical school I’ve walked to morning mass at the PGH chapel from the College of Medicine, sometimes taking the long route via the Emergency Room Complex. Since my freshman year, I’ve noticed a change in my reactions to the place. In first year I was thinking, “In a few years I’m going to be on duty in there… smells terrible… must be hot in there… I guess it takes some getting used to. Oh well, I don’t have to be in the E.R. anytime soon”. On my first Pediatric E.R. duty in third year, “My first duty! How exciting! What will it be like? Will I get any sleep? It is hot in here… if you stay long enough the smell doesn’t bother you… how can the interns stay in this place for 24 hours? Must be the service and dedication to the profession,” were my thoughts. By internship my musings had degenerated to “[sigh] Duty na naman [I’m on duty again]. At least I’m free the next day… I’m so sleepy… it’s so hot… oh no, more non-emergency patients – ba’t hindi na lang sila nag-OPD [why didn’t they just go to the outpatient department]… Yehey! the ICCs are here”.
And for the past five years, my prayers at the chapel have changed too “Lord God, please help me pass this exam” (in second year, “these numerous exams”), “Thank you for a very kind preceptor,” “Please touch and heal patients so-and-so”, “Please don’t let this duty be too toxic” [toxic = UP-PGH slang for busy].
The past five years have been part of a journey through the art and science of medicine. First year took us through normal structure and function of the human body, while second year covered the body’s abnormal structure and function. The succeeding years gradually and repeatedly introduced us to actual patient care (mind your bedside manners and medical ethics) and disease (literally and figuratively) – diagnosis, management, prevention. By this fifth year I wear a nameplate that says “Dr.”, for I am just about done – I’m supposed to know enough to diagnose and manage a patient and the year of PGH internship should hone these clinical skills. By the time a graduate takes the licensure exam, it is said that everything he learns in medicine will “fall into place”, into an integrated body of know ledge which one uses to serve humanity.
The past five years have been a roller coaster ride, with ups, downs and 360-degree turns. Surely these years form a major part of life’s experiences. As I write this piece, I am 6 weeks – 42 days, or 1,008 hours, or 60,480 minutes – away from May 1. May 1 is a very significant date, as the class of 1999 will formally end its internship and tenure in the College of Medicine.
Good luck to the class of 2000 – your 366 days of red nameplate-status are about to begin, after which you can reminisce on your five years.
JOINT is the Journal of INTernship, a series of email messages to family and friends (“journal subscribers”) written during my yearlong medical internship from May 1, 1998 to April 30, 1999. Internship is one of the requirements before taking the Philippine Physician Licensure Examination (also known as the Medical Boards). Journal entries were edited for clarity in January, 2020. Read more about it in the first blog post, Introducing JOINT.
