Why Med?

Initially, I wanted to become a carabao doctor. My childish mind thought that we could just slaughter the poor carabao if worse comes to worst. Tada! Instant viand. It didn't end there, for my interests were so varied in as much as most of them were fleeting. I used to dream of becoming one (or all of the following): doctor, lawyer, teacher, nun, and astronaut. With the future ahead of me, everything seemed possible. My parents who were ever so supportive encouraged me to pursue the career that I set my heart into. We belong to the middle middle class but they never told me that we couldn't afford a degree program. Even if they had to pay with an arm and a leg, they encouraged me to pursue my heart's desire. For that, I am most thankful.

Early on, I knew in my heart that I wanted to make a difference but for a little while, everything was uncertain. I thought and thought of a career that can directly change a person's life, something indispensable. While it is true that I cannot leave an impact for every being on earth, I can do something for someone in my little corner of the universe, and that is more than enough.

My juvenile heart knew about the ills of the world. People are poor, hungry, and sick - they are suffering. The last trait among the three I just mentioned not only afflicted the poor but also the rich. At certain points of our lives, we fall ill to diseases and ultimately, we all die. What, then, can mediate this experience? What profession ushers most of us through life?

My answer came with one word: Medicine.

...out of boredom and for no reason.

With the rapid rise of technology, one may think that medical doctors will become obsolete in a matter of decades. I even read a comment on an online newspaper article that he can just google his signs and symptoms for a diagnosis, with corresponding treatments. To which I say, yeah, your two-day cough is definitely tuberculosis (sarcasm obviously intended). I cannot overemphasize here the value of individualized care, not to mention the human touch in providing care and cure. Indispensability, check.

Most of the time, the determining factor between healing and death is the intervention to stall one and to hasten the other. With its ever-changing evidence-based interventions, medicine is achieving this feat. The human body is an intricate work of art worthy of preservation and praise. It is then imperative that medical doctors are trained well in their attempts to protect this masterpiece. Importance, check.

A healthy nation means having a stronger workforce that will consequently fuel the economy towards greater heights. Although materialistic in nature, I think that it is essential to provide the masses with their needs and some wants. By saying "healthy," I mean the holistic well-being of every Filipino achieved through preventive, curative, and rehabilitative interventions. This effect will carry on to the many generations to come. Impact, check.

This does not mean, though, that medicine is the only way to leave an indispensable, important impact to the world. What I'm trying to say are the reasons why I was crazy enough to undergo the rigors of training as a medical student.

The promise of making someone's life better keeps me going. How about you, what inspires you?