It's That Time Of The Year

*insert warm and fuzzy feelings here* :)

One Loud Roar

Since I have been "thinking about the future" so much in the past few months, it's only now that I decided to write about the awesome Board Ops done by the San Beda College of Medicine Alumni. The Board Ops is the brainchild of the late Father Manny Basil Apostol, OSB, who has been a staunch supporter of the College of Medicine since time immemorial. He patterned it after the Bar Ops of the College of Law wherein we will have our own study room complete with food, coffee, tea, computers with question banks, etc. Unfortunately, Father Basil died right in the middle of this project and it was up to our alumni to carry out the plan.

Despite the so-called delay (that I didn't even feel at all), it has worked out really well for us. They've done an excellent job in providing us a study room complete with computers, coffee and tea, water and sodas, couch, and food. All you have to do is to study and they will provide you with your needs.

Le study room

Sir Albert setting up the computers 

Day 1 supplies. As the days passed, we had different selections available.
Some of us also brought snacks for sharing.

Happy campers :)

We had food delivered to us from AM snacks to dinner. Most of the time, it comes with free hugs from our favorite people in the Med Office. Whew! Hugs for support, you guys!

Packed lunch from Dom Felipe Cafe

My PM merienda sometime in August

Catered lunch buffet on a Saturday y'all!

And for the pièce de résistance, our friends from the alumni association arranged a special review with our professors. That really helped us a lot because it cleared up a lot of concepts that we are still having trouble with.

The Surgery Trio: Drs Kho, Aleta and Domingo
Laugh trip while learning :)

It doesn't stop there because it gets better and better. The entire College of Medicine is involved in it, hence the name: The Red Army. And one of the students made an emblem with the words "One Loud Roar". 

A few days before the exam, we had a send off mass and a small gathering wherein we were given pencils and a St Benedict's medal that were blessed by the monks. During the exams, we received a wake up call from the board ops volunteers on the first day of exams if we choose to be woken up. We also had a bus service going to and from MLQU. What I love about the Board Ops is a section near the gate that I'd like to call the "Lion's Den". It's where we pick up our food and drinks and get to rant about how annoyingly difficult the exam was then end up getting words of support, encouragement and wisdom. And by the way, the board ops also provided light breakfast, snacks and lunch. Talk about service deluxe!

God bless you more, good people! :)

On the last day of the exams, we also had a thanksgiving mass inside the monastery chapel. It's a place that is reserved for the monks but we were fortunate enough to be invited inside.

With friends

Until the end of the board exam, they've organized an after party for us. Although the board ops have ended, it was a new beginning for all of us because we became good friends with our upperclassmen. We came in as a bunch of kids who were fresh off internship but came out as licensed doctors. Not only that, this is marks the beginning of a new tradition in the San Beda College of Medicine that is further strengthened by camaraderie, loyalty and friendship. As we are very thankful for this board ops, our batch pledged to help the next year's board ops to make it even better for the February and August 2015 board exam takers. 

Bedan MDs of 2013 and 2014

That in all things, God may be glorified!

Some photos courtesy of Roaring Pride 2013 Viber groups, Red Army Facebook Page, and Dra. Princess Tabangin.

Take Me Away!

If you know me personally, you would know of my neurotic dream of travelling, specifically through backpacking. Ever since the end of clerkship, that was what I wanted to do but then I have no funds and my dear old overprotective dad wouldn't allow me to go on that trip, hence the lack of funds. Internship is a different story because I have to study ASAP for the board exams. Sadface.

Now that I have means to save up for this, I got this habit of reading about the countries I want to visit. Since I'm a noob at this, I will take baby steps by deciding to head out to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam in one go. You might say that I'm a little too weird by not taking baby steps in my home country. I have thought of that as well but I think this will be my big leap from "parasitic extended adolescent" to a "working extended adolescent". Hahaha. Baby steps to backpacking but a big leap from being parasitic to independence. Seems legit. If you still don't get it, just read on Erik Erikson's developmental tasks so you'll know that I mean. 

Anyway, I'm feeling a bit proud of myself now that I've figured out the Bangkok - Siem Reap - Phnom Penh - Ho Chi Minh City route overland by bus. But I'm still thinking of including Hanoi, Vietnam (for Ha Long Bay), and Luang Prabang and Vientiane in Laos so that I can close the Indochina loop in one go. Medyo malupit pang research ang gagawin ko if I'll include Laos.

Photos from Conde Nast Traveller

And then again shet lang ang biyahe by train and bus, okay. Here's what I found out:

1. Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi - ~30hrs by train

2. Hanoi to Luang Prabang, Laos - >24hrs by bus

3. Luang Prabang to Vientiane - >10hrs by bus but the road is located in between steep cliffs plus the kaskasero drivers. I don't want to die! Lels.

Flying is the best option since I'm pressed for time but it'll leave a huge dent in my pocket. I could just set another journey naman starting at Bangkok - Vientiane - Luang Prabang - Hanoi.

Whatevs. Ipon muna ako. I have to make this happen because this is one thing that I want to do before starting residency training next year.

Post Boards Feelscapade

Mapping out my life plans is something that I do spontaneously whenever I am halfway through reading...a textbook. That's how much of a scumbag my brain is. And the latest scumbag attack was a few weeks back when I was reviewing for the entrance exam of a residency program that I was trying to get into.

During med school, I was all set to go straight to residency right after the board exams. Now that I came to that point, that is what I tried to do because that was how I envisioned my life after the exam. But as I was reading from my textbook, I kept on thinking about doing other things that I haven't done during med school (read: go to places I've never been to). It bugged me a lot because I just realized that I even after the board exam, I couldn't do that again since I'd be going to residency training.

It came to the point that as I was reading my textbook in that coffee shop beside the hotel in Adriatico, tears would roll down my cheeks. I knew it. I'm not happy with my choice because it reflected on everything I did. Think of it as me pressing the self-destruct button. That's how bad it went. I've been way too distracted to even pay enough attention to what I really needed because of the goal of going straight to residency is what I thought I wanted.

Choosing to take the year off has been one of the most challenging decision that I ever made. Not to mention, it's also the best decision that I ever made. I didn't mind the naysayers because they don't know how it feels like to go through somehing that you are not emotionally ready for. Going through something that you didn't feel ready for feels like I'm waking up for nothing, awaiting to be sucked into a vortex of emptiness only to be spat out, then taken in again. It's a vicious cycle that drains your mind and spirit.

Now I'm happier because I can practice medicine and at the same time I get to do the things that I've always wanted to do. Not only that I got to think about how I really wanted to train in a surgical specialty. I also felt a sense of independence because I made a choice albeit a different one from what I originally intended to do. And I don't feel any remorse even if the present is what I didn't expect it would turn out to be.

Moral of the story is that it is only YOU who knows what's best. Sometimes, it is only right to give yourself some love after all the hardwork that you've been through.

Damn these feels! 😱

Physician Licensure Exam Stages of Feels

A lot of people have been asking me about my board exam experience because they noticed that I seem nonchalant about the whole process. Hear me now: it was like dying a slow and painful death but I opted to just laugh it out, like I usually do. But then again, only a few would understand the feeling so let me just recount it by dividing it into three phases: Review phase, Exam Phase, and the Post-Exam Phase.

This is the story of my life. Hahaha. I now bring you, KC Cervales' Physician Licensure Exam Stages of Feels.

I. Review Phase

The longest phase because this is the entirety of the three month review.

Stage 1: Happy-Go-Lucky Stage

You just got done with your internship. Yay freedom! 

But you signed up for a review program that starts three days after the last day of your internship. At this stage you would still think "Sus, orientation pa lang naman yan. May three months pa naman! Maaga pa masyado para magpaka-toxic". So you book a flight to some exotic beach and bask in the heat of the sun. Awww yeah! And the minute you come back, you would still not pick up your book because you have a major vacation hangover.

But if you do pick up your book, you'd be doing a half-assed reading because "maaga pa naman".

Stage 2: The Hype
This stage can overlap with the first stage. You'd be getting these pep talks from friends and lecturers regarding their board exam experience. Along the way, they will inspire, motivate and empower you up to the point wherein you just want to pump your fist in the air and shout "LET'S DOOO DEEEEEZZZZ!". Then you go home, study and become productive. If you finish on time, you reward yourself by allotting some time for relaxation. And since you are so psyched to study, do not also forget to take care of yourself at this point in time. Mahirap magkasakit kapag nag-aaral. Believe me, I've been there.

I Can't Sleep

It's 1:30 am and I cannot sleep so I decided to put some activity into this blog again. The last entry was still eons ago, way back when I was still a medical intern. 

And then I'm having this lightbulb moment.

I'm now writing as a licensed MD. Mrhrhr.

The misadventures of the board exam review deserves a separate post. It was one heck of a ride but I wouldn't want to go through that again. Imagine living off like you're a rabbit on crack for three months. Hell, no. Kids, I'm getting that license.

And I did. 😊

Stuck Knowledge

Ever since the February board exam results came up, a lot of people has been reminding me that I'm up next to take the August 2014 Physicians Licensure Exam. And now that I'm down to my last rotation for my internship, I can feel panic rising up my throat. 

But then I realized na GERD lang pala yun. Chos.

Seriously speaking, I feel flustered when I think about the exams because I am nowhere near ready. But then again, who is actually ready for it? During the past few weeks, I'm on a stage wherein I pity myself for being so dumb and weak because I didn't finish reading the damn textbook during med school. I feel like the things I've learned from med school is stuck in a rut somewhere in my rusty, old brain. Just look at my poor babies that I think were left unread: 

But after listening to personal experiences of some of the residents I am with, especially those I-am-not-a-genius-but-I-passed anecdotes, I snapped out of my depress-depressan state and thought while looking smug, "TANGINA, KAYA KO RIN YAN!!!"

I took out my Pathology book and scanned the pages. With a maniacal laugh inside my head, I said to myself, "NATAPOS KO PALA TO! HAHAHAHA". I checked my Pharmacology book and saw that I almost finished the entire book, I was screaming inside my head "BWAHAHA, HINDI PALA AKO WEAK!!!"

That being said, I will do my best so that I can pass the boards and finally go on the one thing I've been obsessing over and over again: Orthopedics.

Looking at Ortho residents, I now always say to myself, "Tangina, kaya ko rin yan."

Really now, this post warrants an entry for the future DSM V-TR: board-induced psychosis. Heck, this could also be the new stages of grief, board exam edition.

And why am I leaning towards Psychiatry? Nah. Whatevs.

Okay, I better stop this mumbo-jumbo and should finally get started in catching up on my reading.

Psychoanalyzing A Broken Heart

A week ago, I received news that someone, whom I'd like to call Aspy, has been blaming me for all the misfortunes of his messed up love life. One of the things that struck me is when he said, "Konti na lang, papatulan ko na siya (referring to me)". And I'm like, "Koya, what are you going to do to me? Pull my hair? Call me names? Make up stories about me? You don't even have proof that I was defaming you."

For a guy nearing the end of his early adulthood, I was expecting a civilized confrontation. Unfortunately, what he did has got to be the most juvenile thing that a grown (or partially grown) man can do because only 10 year old kids respond in such a way. 

When I first heard the news, I got frustrated by his remark that I wanted to come up to him and slap the stupid out his face because I hate stupid arguments. But then I realized that he might cry and drown me in his tears. There's no freaking way that I'm swimming in that. LOL.

A few people who knows the sordid tale of Aspy's love life resorted to psychoanalysis. Since I also like to psychoanalyze because it justifies my need to "understand where people are coming from", I was open to their opinions.

MMA Koya gives his two cents, "He knows he's at fault at what happened between you two and he couldn't accept it. Nasaktan yun kaya nagputa para hindi halata. Tangina, bakit ba mo ba kasi iniwan? Nawalan tuloy ng direksyon ang buhay nya simula ng iniwan mo kaya ayan, ikaw ang nasisisi *laughs like a hyena on crack*"

"You're the one that got away kaya sya nagpuputa at nagpapapansin ng ganyan," Snow White said.

Sosy Boy Senior says, in verbatim, "You broke his heart when you left him but he wants you back. However, he doesn't have the balls to tell you that he wants you back so he resorted to this lowblow. Yun nga lang, it was his fault so he deserves this somehow."

"Iniwan mo kasi kaya siya nagkakaganyan. HAHAHAHAHAHA," contributed Sosy Boy Junior.

Well even if it was me to begin with, he should get his act together and get his head out of his ass and stop being such a pussy. And with that, I dedicate this song to Aspy, who seems to be stuck in an emotional rut. His attitude is an important example for psychoanalysis that's why he deserves a blog post from me so that everyone will know how NOT to act when you're a 30 year old guy.

Photo Blog: Five Minute Anesthesiologist

When I was still in pre-med, I have been contemplating on three fields if ever I would actually pursue medicine. Those three are the following: 

1. Orthopedics
2. General Surgery
3. Anesthesiology

Since we are allowed to choose our minor rotation, I chose Anesthesiology as one of the four minors. Although I don't see myself as an anesthesiologist anymore, I just want to experience a day in their life. Luckily, I was allowed to intubate a patient, hence the photo and the title.

Verdict: Anesthesiology is a pretty interesting field but I'd rather work with them on the other end of the spectrum...being the surgeon, that is. Hrhr.

Photo Blog: Multicolor

I don't know about you but buying multicolored pens give me some sort of happiness. Maybe it's my knack for color-coordinating my notes or writing my thoughts in a different color that is appropriate with my current mood. 😁

The Beki Is Now A Lady

News Flash: May nagbigay sa akin ng flowers ngayong Valentine's Day. And mind you, this is not the "charity flowers" I usually get from my male friends because they don't want me to feel insignificant during this capitalist-driven day. If you have known me from my entire adolescent and the 2/3 of my early adulthood, I never received flowers with some underlying maharot intentions. Tangina, loser eh, no? Haha. Just imagine my surprise when I got these:

At dahil dyan, this deserves its own post. Walang basagan ng trip, plz. Milestone to! Di pala ako mukhang lalaki. Hahaha.

Because the beki is now a lady. Lawlsss.

Yun lang naman. As one of my friends puts it, "dalaga na si nene". Haha.

Enriching Thoughts That Meander For NYE Duty Noobies

December 31, 2013 

That was my first New Year's eve and New Year celebration away from my family. I thought I was going to bawl at the thought of spending it away from my mom and my siblings since we celebrate the New Year together, more than we do at Christmas Day. Surprisingly, I didn't. Haha. I underestimated myself because I was not as clingy as I thought.

But then I thought that whatever the circumstance is, as long as the people around you matter, it will still feel like home. Hence the "no-bawl" Media Noche with the Department of Pediatrics.

"Pedia Noche" with the Pedia residents, co-intern, nurses
and visiting Surgery clerks of San Beda

With Doc Leng, Doc Roselle, Doc Triza and Doc Marj
Not in photo: Doc Mavy and Doc Love

With Sir Kevin and Sir Kenneth

With the Boastful Boys Season 2, Surgery Edition

Le Me, Boss Glen and Freyyyyy

Not to mention, this is just the beginning. As I am planning to become an Orthopedic surgeon, I will be hanging around the hospital at these times because of firecracker related injuries. No pain, no gain as far as this cliché saying goes. That's something I have to live with since it's a part of what I want to become. There will be a "no more tears" New Year Celebration from here on out.

Photo Blog: I Want To Come Back Here

At the Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Buddhist Temple,
Batam, Indonesia

Hello 2014! :)

This year, I would like to start off with a clean slate.

2013 may be a generally crappy year because I lost a lot of things and a lot of not-so-good things happened. But when I look back and see at how far I have gotten along, I can safely say that I've gotten stronger, wiser and braver than before. It's more than enough to help me face an even bigger year ahead.

So yes, I'm going to own 2014! :)