When You Are Sick And Have Nothing Better To Do, You Introspect

Being a regular lurker at 9GAG.com, I often see the statement: "I didn't choose the thug life. The thug life chose me". A lot of variations of that statement was made, depending on the occupation or situation of the author. 

If you're going to apply that to me, it's going to be "I didn't choose the med life. The med life chose me". I am the complete antithesis of that med life statement because "The med life didn't choose me. I chose the med life."

In retrospect, if I'm given a chance to go back in time, I would still choose this kind of life because it gives me some feeling of accomplishment that's totally priceless. However, there's this feeling that in terms of developmental tasks, I'm always left behind.

I'm a few years away from the big 3-0 and I'm nowhere near accomplishing generativity. Well, I could work something out for intimacy by hoarding cats. Lol.

So in order to feel useful, I should think of passing the board exams in 2014. That should get me going.

The Formal Level Up Launch

This neurotic medical student now went up a notch in the hospital "food chain". I am now the neurotic medical intern.

Although things didn't work out quite well with my Teenage Dream, I don't feel any regret in choosing Quirino for my internship because I acquire the knowledge and skills along with the fact that I have time for myself.

ZOMG. I was friendzoned. ROTFLOL.

Kbye.

Dear Teenage Dream

This is actually a long overdue post that was dated April 14, 2013. I recently came across it since I looked over my old posts when I felt like blogging again. It shows my neurotic and almost obsessive intent in having my medical internship in Philippine General Hospital. I'm going to share it just for lulz.

Dear Teenage Dream,

Ilang araw na lang, magkakalaaman na tayo. Wag mo naman akong i-friendzone because if you do, you'll break my heart again. Not once, but twice. Hindi na nga ako na-match, hanggang pagwa-walk in ba dedeadmahin mo pa rin ako?

Noon pa lang, ikaw na. College days ko pa lang sa St Paul, dyan ko na pinangarap mag-OR elective. Ang laking tuwa ko nung natanggap ako dun. Para akong nanalo sa lotto noong mga panahong iyon. Kahit nung job hunting after ng Nursing board exam, dyan ko inunang mag-apply pero pang-manpower pooling lang ang peg mo pero pinili ko pa ring subukan at maghintay.

Hanggang sa naisipan kong mag-med.

Di nga lang ako sobrang genius para makapasok dyan for med school pero di pa ako nag-eenroll sa San Beda, alam kong dyan ko na gusto mag-internship.

Por que't di ako top 10, dedeadmahin mo na ako? Eh ano naman, pasok naman ako sa top 20. 10 + 8, yun ako. Kahit mainit at toxic dyan, kaya kong tiisin, basta tanggapin mo lang ako.

Para kang medullary thyroid carcinoma at ako naman ay pheochromocytoma kaya I always and truly believe that we are MEN-2B. Hehe.

Love,

Ambisyosang Bullfrog

(ribbit, ribbit!)

Reading through this made me snort with hysterical hyena-like laughter. I am sooooo lame. Kbye.

BRGR: The BRGR Project

I seriously love burgers. Whenever I'm at a fast food joint, I usually order a burger value meal. My friend, Lorenz even tagged me as the "Babaeng Burger" because he noticed I love eating any burger even if it is peddled by hawkers in the sidewalk. And when Leo, a classmate from med school, told me about the annual cook-off in his hometown in California, my mouth would nearly froth whenever I hear his description of how the Americans would cook their burger and what stuff they put on it.

Since we don't have those cook-offs, I developed some sort of fondness of trying out new burger joints. My brother knows a lot of places in the Taft-Vito Cruz area and he would suggest those to me. He was the one who told us about Zark's Burger. And now, his latest suggestion is BRGR: The BRGR Project, located at the first floor of The Grand Towers, along Pablo Ocampo St. (formerly Vito Cruz St.).

It's a burger joint that's known to its loyal patrons as the "Make Your Own Burger" place. Pretty nifty, huh?

I went there with my brother and my sisters on a fine morning. The store just opened up and it's not that crowded. We were given sheets of paper wherein we could tick the boxes of the ingredients that we want to include in our burger. Akala ko entrance exam. Lels.

I'm Allowed To Introspect So Here's What I Have To Say

It was in 2006, when I was in third year college, that I actually thought of entering med school. However, there were too many setbacks so my plans of going to med school took a backseat. But that didn't stop me.

Four years of med school was one heck of a journey. The word difficult is an understatement. I've experienced ups and downs but either way, I'm still thankful for it because it helped me to push myself to do greater things. Despite many difficulties, I kept going because I know that this is what I wanted to do. It also helped that I met great friends along the way because they helped me see fun in what we do and they manage to set my perspective right.

That being said, this is for my parents, family, and friends. Thank you so much for believing in me and for always being around to support me be it personally or virtually. For the negatrons and those who said I cannot do it, thank you for giving me an extra challenge because it motivated me to work harder to reach this goal.

Just as a viral Facebook post says, I also want to acknowledge all students who took the removals, failed exams, lost motivation to continue studying, got ostracized for defying the norms and those who felt physically and emotionally exhausted to the point of quitting. I was there and I know exactly how you feel. Hindi kayo bobo, hindi kayo tanga. Meron kayong natatagong galing pero hindi nyo pa siguro alam kung ano yun. Kung gusto nyo ang ginagawa nyo, kakayanin nyo rin 'to. Hindi man ngayon ibigay, pero makakarating rin kayo sa araw na pinakahihintay nyo, ang araw ng inyong pagtatapos.

Med student KC, now signing off.

Kristine Anne O. Cervales, RN, MD

San Beda College of Medicine

Batch 2013