It's a good thing that Typhoon Reming missed Metro Manila. Coz then we wouldn't be able to enjoy the holiday. :-)
But be that as it may, I sure hope that the rest of the country fares as well. One of my friends was in a superferry when the typhoon hit. She described the experience as quite exhilirating. hehehe. Just shows how tough that little lady is.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Monday, November 27, 2006
Tuition Fee Increase
Recently, I received a txt from my classmate on what my stand on the proposed tuition fee increase is. As an immediate responce, I told her that I was against it. But thinking about it more, I wanna reverse my original position.
The reason for the initial stand was purely selfish. I still have a little sister who was going to college and I didn't want to have to shell out megabucks for her tuition. However, I began thinking why UP was such a great school to go to and I realized that if we didn't have the increase, we might compromise the quality of education that our younger generations will be receiving. As it is, we have lost a lot of our better professors to other, better paying universities. We have to face the fact that waiving the flag of nationalism in their face just doesn't cut it anymore. They have families to support and as is proper, they want their families to have a better life as well.
We also have to keep up with the advances in teaching science. We can't allow ourselves to lag behind the rest of the world in education. (although we already are) The edge that our citizens have in getting jobs here and abroad is our quality education and we have steadily lagged behind in this field such that the advantage we had over our ASEAN neighbors in the middle 20th century have all but vanished.
So as much as it hurts me and my wallet to say it, I have to agree to the increase in tuition.
The reason for the initial stand was purely selfish. I still have a little sister who was going to college and I didn't want to have to shell out megabucks for her tuition. However, I began thinking why UP was such a great school to go to and I realized that if we didn't have the increase, we might compromise the quality of education that our younger generations will be receiving. As it is, we have lost a lot of our better professors to other, better paying universities. We have to face the fact that waiving the flag of nationalism in their face just doesn't cut it anymore. They have families to support and as is proper, they want their families to have a better life as well.
We also have to keep up with the advances in teaching science. We can't allow ourselves to lag behind the rest of the world in education. (although we already are) The edge that our citizens have in getting jobs here and abroad is our quality education and we have steadily lagged behind in this field such that the advantage we had over our ASEAN neighbors in the middle 20th century have all but vanished.
So as much as it hurts me and my wallet to say it, I have to agree to the increase in tuition.
Friday, November 03, 2006
On waiting for grades
One would think that the advent of technology would ease the burden of waiting for grades. However, it seems that the advent of the internet and crs has made the waiting more unbearable. It would appear that the ability to check on the availability of your grades has increased the stress level of students.
It used to be that you get your grades in small slips of paper several weeks after the end of class but now for the price of an internet connection, you could log on everyday and drive yourself absolutely crazy.
Ohhh!!! the price of modern technology. think of it...stress on demand...
It's a wonderful world.
It used to be that you get your grades in small slips of paper several weeks after the end of class but now for the price of an internet connection, you could log on everyday and drive yourself absolutely crazy.
Ohhh!!! the price of modern technology. think of it...stress on demand...
It's a wonderful world.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The Nursing Paradox.
During this day, I have been asked this question more than just several times.
"Why are Doctors going over to the nursing profession?"
I begin my answer to this question with a disclaimer. These are just my thoughts on the matter. It is not my intention to act as a spokesperson for the medical profession.
That said, let us begin with a story.
Lucy is a wonderful woman of about 40 years. She is a loving wife and a caring mother who lives in a middle class neighborhood and a middle class life. She possesses a college education from a respectable university and is well read and well opinioned on current events surrounding the country.
For the last couple of months, Lucy has been disturbed by the op-eds and news articles coming out about the exodus of our medical professionals. She can't understand what would possess doctors earning a respectable income to go over to the US and Europe as nurses. She can't understand why intelligent and qualified people such as her pediatrician and her anesthesiologist husband would want to "degrade" themselves and become nurses.
Well Lucy, here's my answer to your question.
This exodus of our medical professionals is not a new thing in our country. It happened in the 60s and 70s and has continued to happen without abate up to the present time. It is only now that there is a marked increase in the exodus that it has attracted widespread media attention.
"What?" she says.
Yes. A few decades ago, whole batches of medical graduates from top tier medical schools would leave for the US to practice there. After a while, demand subsided and the flood became a trickle. Unfortunately, that trickle was usually the very cream of the crop. They left us below the radar by taking the ECFMG exam which later on became the USMLE. Passing these exams allowed them to take their residency training in the US. After being certified in their specialties, a substantial number was absorbed by their hospitals.
"However, recent events have a significant difference from the trickle that has been leaving the country for decades. Now, it is once again a flood and this time they are leaving as members of a different profession." she says.
True, there is indeed a difference. Now, its not just the medical profession that is being sucked dry by the demand abroad. It is also our teachers, engineers, police officers and other professionals. Yet these other professions have not been demonized as unpatriotic.
"Granting that. But doctors have to be held to a higher standard."
Doctors are no more human than the next man. They are subject to the same temptations, dreams, aspirations...as the next man. They are also allowed to better their lives as the next man. So to tell them that they are barred from deciding to switch to a higher paying profession would be tantamount to involuntary servitude which is expressly prohibited by the Bill of Rights.
Furthermore, just what is it about the practice of medicine that the public at large seems to have some kind of magical draw to it?
What's so magical about being demonized for asking a professional fee that is concomitant with your training and experience? What's so magical about being sued by your patients when they find out that they can't afford the bill for your services?
People have no idea what it cost to become a doctor. The tuition fee for the first 3 years of medical school is P50,000 plus books and xerox of about P20,000 per semester! That is P420,000 in three years! Then on the 4th year the tuition jumps to P160,000 for the year plus expenses of about the same amount for the year. So just to graduate from Med school you need at least P740,000.
But wait! So now you have graduated. You still need to do another year of internship before you can be eligible for the board exams! Add the physical and psychological stress that comes with the profession and med school and one begins to wonder why there are any doctors at all.
So assuming that a doctor gets everything right and passes the boards in one take. What does he have to look for after garnering his brand new MD and license?
He can look forward to a nice fat P10,000/month salary as resident in a private hospital and P16,000/month in a gov't hospital.
Let us compare this to the alternative. If he goes on to become a nurse and finishes in 2 years. He can get a job that gives him $40/hr on 8-12 hr shifts for five days a week. a minimum of P64,000/month.
Furthermore, how can one fault young doctors from going on to nursing when their mentors are spearheading the thrust. Many of the hospital's senior consultants were the first to jump on the bandwagon. These are people that young physicians look up to.
So be kind the next time you think of those unpatriotic, selfish, self centered doctors who don't care about their country and countrymen.
"Why are Doctors going over to the nursing profession?"
I begin my answer to this question with a disclaimer. These are just my thoughts on the matter. It is not my intention to act as a spokesperson for the medical profession.
That said, let us begin with a story.
Lucy is a wonderful woman of about 40 years. She is a loving wife and a caring mother who lives in a middle class neighborhood and a middle class life. She possesses a college education from a respectable university and is well read and well opinioned on current events surrounding the country.
For the last couple of months, Lucy has been disturbed by the op-eds and news articles coming out about the exodus of our medical professionals. She can't understand what would possess doctors earning a respectable income to go over to the US and Europe as nurses. She can't understand why intelligent and qualified people such as her pediatrician and her anesthesiologist husband would want to "degrade" themselves and become nurses.
Well Lucy, here's my answer to your question.
This exodus of our medical professionals is not a new thing in our country. It happened in the 60s and 70s and has continued to happen without abate up to the present time. It is only now that there is a marked increase in the exodus that it has attracted widespread media attention.
"What?" she says.
Yes. A few decades ago, whole batches of medical graduates from top tier medical schools would leave for the US to practice there. After a while, demand subsided and the flood became a trickle. Unfortunately, that trickle was usually the very cream of the crop. They left us below the radar by taking the ECFMG exam which later on became the USMLE. Passing these exams allowed them to take their residency training in the US. After being certified in their specialties, a substantial number was absorbed by their hospitals.
"However, recent events have a significant difference from the trickle that has been leaving the country for decades. Now, it is once again a flood and this time they are leaving as members of a different profession." she says.
True, there is indeed a difference. Now, its not just the medical profession that is being sucked dry by the demand abroad. It is also our teachers, engineers, police officers and other professionals. Yet these other professions have not been demonized as unpatriotic.
"Granting that. But doctors have to be held to a higher standard."
Doctors are no more human than the next man. They are subject to the same temptations, dreams, aspirations...as the next man. They are also allowed to better their lives as the next man. So to tell them that they are barred from deciding to switch to a higher paying profession would be tantamount to involuntary servitude which is expressly prohibited by the Bill of Rights.
Furthermore, just what is it about the practice of medicine that the public at large seems to have some kind of magical draw to it?
What's so magical about being demonized for asking a professional fee that is concomitant with your training and experience? What's so magical about being sued by your patients when they find out that they can't afford the bill for your services?
People have no idea what it cost to become a doctor. The tuition fee for the first 3 years of medical school is P50,000 plus books and xerox of about P20,000 per semester! That is P420,000 in three years! Then on the 4th year the tuition jumps to P160,000 for the year plus expenses of about the same amount for the year. So just to graduate from Med school you need at least P740,000.
But wait! So now you have graduated. You still need to do another year of internship before you can be eligible for the board exams! Add the physical and psychological stress that comes with the profession and med school and one begins to wonder why there are any doctors at all.
So assuming that a doctor gets everything right and passes the boards in one take. What does he have to look for after garnering his brand new MD and license?
He can look forward to a nice fat P10,000/month salary as resident in a private hospital and P16,000/month in a gov't hospital.
Let us compare this to the alternative. If he goes on to become a nurse and finishes in 2 years. He can get a job that gives him $40/hr on 8-12 hr shifts for five days a week. a minimum of P64,000/month.
Furthermore, how can one fault young doctors from going on to nursing when their mentors are spearheading the thrust. Many of the hospital's senior consultants were the first to jump on the bandwagon. These are people that young physicians look up to.
So be kind the next time you think of those unpatriotic, selfish, self centered doctors who don't care about their country and countrymen.
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