Cast & Curious

Tag: Learning & Development

Learning and development (L&D) is a function within an organization that is responsible for empowering employees’ growth and developing their knowledge, skills, and capabilities to drive better provisions of healthcare.

  • Filipino MDs in the blogosphere: "Duktor Ko"!

    These Filipino docs may have a very busy clinic or duty days, but blogging is part of their routines. Blogging may be after all, one of their stress reduction prescription- Pinoy style!

    Em Dy of Pulse have compiled blogs of Filipino MDs in the blogosphere including some (Martin B. of On My Way Home, Doc Emer of Parallel Universes, Prudence MD by Tess R. and yes Em Dy‘s Pulse ) of the well known personalities in the medical blogosphere, and some ‘Juan-came-lately” newbie blogger doc (like me).

    So perhaps, Pinoy MDs are taking more active “utilization” of this form of social media after all!Blogs may not be medically related, but they are as interesting as the docs themselves!

    Here is the list and the complete descriptions of the blogs by Em Dy of Pulse. I can’t think of better descriptions of the blogs than what Em Dy has wrote. So I’m lifting it here verbatim!

    • On My Way Home. This is the blog of Dr. Martin Bautista who is perhaps the most popular among the Filipino doctor bloggers. His fame is not so much due to his blogging but because of his attempt to run for a Senate seat. Although unsuccessful in his bid, the votes that he garnered is testament that the Filipinos are ready for change.
    • Prudence and Madness. Tess Termulo is a well-known figure in the Philippine blogosphere. She talks about medicine, personal and socially relevant issues and even shares her dreams.
    • Parallel Universes. Also well-known among Pinoy bloggers, Doc Emer writes mostly about medicine but occasionally ventures into posts very distinct from medicine.
    • Finestkind Clinic and Fish Market. Retired physician Dr. Nancy Reyes dispenses her thoughts on medicine, culture and the joys of cooking pancit.
    • No Special Effects. The doctor who runs this blog, Manggy, is addicted to dessert.
    • Feeding the Boys. A dermatologist now living in Canada, CTL shares her adventures in the kitchen.
    • My Little Space. This is Dr. Gita Asuncion’s home on the web. Here, she shares her life, what she’s seen, felt and heard, where she’s been and more.
    • Super Dok. Amelyn R. Rafael, MD wears many hats, those of a mom, practicing physician, teacher, wife, etc. With all that multi-tasking, she’s definitely super.
    • Shouting My Whispers to the Universe. This is the personal blog of a female Filipino doctor who calls herself Midnight Rainbow.
    • MegaLife. Written by MegaMom, this blog is a collection of posts about food, wine, coffee, books, music, art, movies, health, family, altruism, everything but bowling. Now blogging at Pinay MegaMom.
    • Notes of an Anesthesioboist. I found Dr. T. Legarda from a comment in MarketManila. She was born in Manila and now engages in anesthesiology (private practice) in Boston since the move to the US in 1981.
    • My Life and My Scrapbooking. Dr. Rita Marie S. Vergara is a pediatric pulmonologist and is a certified scrapaholic.
    • The Doctor is a Photographer. Dr. Antonio C. Comia shows us that his photographic eye is as good as his clinical eye.
    • Ripples from the River of my Thoughts. A physician from Cebu, JA also likes to dabble in creative writing.
    • Payb-Pifty Lang Po. This is Doc Broks’ funny blog.
    • Samu’t Sari. A personal blog with interesting takes on theater, dance and travel, Samu’t Sari is all that and much more.
    • Differentials. Another personal blog, this time by a female physician on her way to becoming an internist.
    • Sympathomimesis. Dr. Rosseau, another would be internist, channels his thoughts in this site.
    • Aloyloy. Probably, the strangest name among the blogs listed, this one focuses on politics and pop.
    • Lifeline. Reeza is a doctor from Lipa who has only recently started blogging.
    • So Far, So Good. Dr. Christian Gomez describes himself as multi-faceted. His blog is similarly so.
    • Life Journal of an Integrative Medical Doctor. A ger
      iatrician who calls himself XyberDoc talks about his life and medical practice.
    • Pepper Says. A newly licensed doctor in transition from school to work blogs about her universe.
    • It’s Me! Raphael. This doctor from Cebu talks about family, medicine, technology and religion.
    • Mah Lyf. Norwin Detalla is another doctor blogger from Cebu.
    • The Last Frontier. This is the blog of Raul Espinoza Ramos, a doctor who’s also a nurse.
    • Chronicles from the Middle of Nowhere. Dr. Clairebear describes herself as a young doctor in quarter-life crisis, wandering through life for the first time without a map.
    • My Sanctuary. Doc Mai is a Filipino doctor based in Mindanao who once dreamed of a Palance award. She rekindles her love for writing in this blog.
    • Merry Cherry. Merry Cherry is a doctor to the barrios who blog about her adventures both in the city and in the country.
    • Checking In. This is the blog of Dr. Geena Macalua, an internist-oncologist. Here she talks about medicine and life in general.
    • Sison of Love. It’s obvious that Doc Cristina loves two things: music and love.
    • www.thekid.tk. TK is an internist/medical officer whose mission in life is to make good memories with his children.
    • Doralicious. Another doctor who wears many hats, Dorothy is a psychologist turned physician turned public servant.
    • At Random Ness. Based in Dumaguete, Ness blogs about medicine, family and friends.
    • The Orthopedic Logbook. Bone MD writes about issues affecting his daily medical and orthopedic practice.
    • Okasaneko Chronicles. This is the blog of KittyMama, a doctor whose passions in life include autism and Hello Kitty.

    Thanks again Em Dy. And to those interested we can form a blog carnival of Filipino MDs. Please don’t hesitate to contact me (email) or leave a comment here!

  • Cheaper Medicine Bill Part II: Not cheap at all!

    The dizzying melee over the Lower House version of the Cheaper Medicine bill has brought out some disconcerting and ironically “costly” issues to the medical community and the current Philippine healthcare industry. And these almost intangible yet paralyzing and costly “side effects” are beginning to wreck havoc and are not cheap at all!

    Even before the passage of the bill by the congress and senate bicameral committee, the Quality and Affordable Medicine Bill (which is supposed to lower the high cost of medicines in the Philippines) already took its toll on the very parties it primarily aimed to help- the Filipino patients and their MDs. Imagine these:

    1. The discussions and bickering had succeeded, in some way, of polarizing two of the primary parties to the bill. The doctors has been “demonized” ( to use Prudence’ term) as anti-poor and greedy because of their alleged ” incentive” driven practice of prescribing “branded” drugs . The PMA loudly declares “MDs are for the patient’s welfare” not some drug companies! The patients on the other hand, thought to be less informed and knowledgeable about their sickness, is deluded by unscrupulous politicians of the promise that a cheaper generic drug will heal all their illness. Imagine the mistrust (between these two parties) that emanates from this polarization! I am totally scared to even think of a doctor patient-relationship that is based on mistrust.
    2. A landmark study about the therapeutic equivalence and safety profile of generic drugs in the Philippines (compared to its branded counterpart) has yet to be heralded by someone. This is perhaps the gist of The Physicians’ arguments against some (generics only prescriptions) provisions of the cheaper medicine bill, and remains a major stumbling block towards MD’s accepting some generics drugs as a good alternative. But such studies is costly, and not even BFAD (who wallows in its funding mediocrity) nor some low cost generics drug company, will willingly spare any cent at all.
    3. That the general perception of doctors receiving “incentives” from the pharmaceutical companies (in any form) and that these incentives influences his prescribing objectivity, is a costly blow to the medical profession. Even the PMA President acknowledges that a few MDs practice such “incentive driven drug prescribing habits”, but this form of “bribery” is not unique to the medical profession. Nevertheless, such practice is totally unacceptable and is a shame to medical community. The noblest profession on earth couldn’t afford such stain to its integrity.
    4. BFAD accepted its inadequacies in implementing stringent rules on the testing, approval, monitoring and policing all (not just the generic but also branded) drugs in the market. This confession made us wonder how on the earth did the current drugs went into market after all? Are we having less or subpar medicines in the market?If BFAD is inutile, then the doctors were left with their expertise and preferences in prescribing their drugs after all! BFAD therefore needs some sort of “medicine” to take care of its ailing “status” of de facto licensing and drug regulatory agency. And in this government, where health is of lesser priority, surely it has a long way to go.
    5. The “BFAD inadequacy” thus lead to another costly move for some of exhibitionist politicians to jump gun on the MDs directly. “Screw the BFAD rehab for now (we need more of our pork barrels instead), lets police the doctors and coerce them to give only the cheapest generic drugs! More ever, lets allow the hapless pharmacist (if your lucky to face one in the drug stores) to guide the patient in choosing one of the 3 or so generics in the drug store“! Anyway, it is the doctor who will be held liable if this drug wouldn’t get its desired effects. Tell me I am all wrong but this is another costly pursuit for any parties involved, the patient or the doctor-litigation for a malpractice suit!

    Nobody wants an expensive medicine, not even the doctors. In fact, everyone is for lowering the cost of medicines here in the Philippines. Even the pharmaceutical companies themselves wants their medicines be affordable to the masses. If nobody can afford their medicines, how can they reap their profits?And if the doctors prescribe exorbitant drugs and the patients didn’t get well because he/she can afford it, will the doctors make a living?

    As Prudence has said, “lets not loose our guard in this discussion”. Because after all the hullabaloos in the race for “enacting the Cheaper Medicine Bill”, we might have been deceived at seeing the real cost of our incessant political exhibitionism.

  • Desirable traits of a good (or excellent) surgeon

    What makes a good surgeon?This is a common question that comes into the mind of patients whenever they choose their surgeons or physicians to entrust their life. There are probably a hundred of these “desirable” traits but they generally fall into “categories” of surgeon attitudes and are definitely interrelated. Medical school (and residency training) attempted to make us all adept at new skills and the science behind the art of medicine, yet there are some who excel in the hearts of their patients and colleagues. Here is why .

    • According to Dr. Thomas Russell, Executive Director of the American College of Surgeons“surgeons have to be technically adept…”, able to change when needed “…and have new ways of doing things” . This means that surgeons should have wide array of technical skills and be able to adapt or tailor his expertise to the patients he’s handling or his community of practice. This is remarkably important among us Filipino surgeons, that though we lag behind in technological advances in medicine (notice the disparity between what is taught in med school and what you have in the real life practice), we should be able to innovate from what we have with our solid foundation of scientific knowledge.
    • Compassionate and love for humanity. Filipinos are known for their superior compassion and love for their patients. Our patients expects us to be compassionate every time we deal with them. Being a Filipino, its a terrible offense not to.
    • Surgeons should be approachable and not difficult to deal with. Patients and colleagues hate any surgeon who treats them like they are inferior species of human beings. It will also save you from litigations and malpractice suits.
    • I would love a surgeon who is truthful and is open minded to any questions. He should be ready to answer any question from his patients and explain to them in a manner they can understand and relate. In this age of technological advances, not one patient wanted to be treated without having to know why and how his treated and what is his chances of recovering from the surgery.

    I can enumerate some more but this I think are the most important ones. A peculiar trait that Filipino patients wanted from their doctor or surgeons is their ability of a doctor or physician to “waive” partially or in whole the surgeons fee for rendering his professional service. While this trait is anchored probably on patient’s frugality, it can make or break your practice.