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What a way to end a season! Not with a bang I guess, but yeah how about patting ourselves in the back?!!

The Blog Rounds Season One produced thirty one (31) solid, blog carnival editions and plenty more additions to its blogger contributors. That’s a lot of read worthy, succulent and lively publication than any other department could produce in one year! It’s quite amazing how we were able to conglomerate and start this blogging carnival ourselves. What’s even more astounding is the quality of posts contributed and how the carnival were hosted– an achievement in itself and praiseworthy to say at least.

While most physicians are dubbed as  “boring” personalities, blogger contributors to TBR are among the most diverse, most interesting “cut” of doctors that ever hit the Philippine’s medical blogosphere. Some, like Manggy (No Special Effects) or Tess Termullo (Prudence MD) are among awardees of 2008 Phil Blog Awards. Doc Emer (Parallel Universes) one of medical blogging global pioneers, continues to gather accolades for his masterful writing. Em Dy (Pulse) and Doc Ness (Anestajah)  has made a remarkable flurry of interesting posts that would rival those of professional online writers!  Doc Ian Gomez a professor who writes mostly of his public health advocacies, is brazen with his thoughts. Of course no one could outwit the tacit Doc Mel, of the Philippine Daily Idiot. Who can says physicians are  boring writers after reading his posts? Or that of Doc Claire‘s journal into her daily life outside Philippines or that of Dr. Che as she tries to be the ? Surely, one will wonder how one can still blog  despite being both a physician and a mother, like that of Doc Joey, Pinay Megamom and Kitty Mama. Mega persons indeed.

If you think docs are boring music lover, read (say hear) Doc Gigi‘s foray into her Last Song Syndrome. Or peek into the lives of recently turned clinicians Ligaya, Louelle, and Brian and wonder how our “transformations’ work.Or not.

TBR got MDs turned new age politicians who blog. The likes of  Doc Martin Bautista and Doc Doray who have blogged their way (in full or partially) on their way to politics.

To top it all, we do not blog about medicine alone. In fact , some do not even blog about medicine at all, like Bubbleman who’s expertise is on technology and computers. I could go on with our list…

I’ve seen TBR bloggers who came and went on with their lives.  I’ve seen quite a number who blogged back with us . Still some, never left at all! I’ve seen others who blossomed into enviable crop of online writers, one wouldn’t be able to distinguish the quality of their work to that produce by their stethoscopes! In all, none has been relegated into oblivion.

That’s why we will be reviving TBR (as in ACLS) once again, not a re run of course but with a new season. And like any other enamored shows, it will be revitalized and energized.

To those who missed the season one of TBR, you can view the archives by clicking here!

So lets get on with The Blog Rounds Season Two!

Yes folks! We’re not infants anymore! Despite numerous delays and whatnot, The Blog Rounds‘ still here blogging and we are still blog hopping.

True to our real busy lives in the clinics, I forgot to commemorate its first year on the net. But that’s not the same as, err we are dead. Are we??

No we’re not. I’m not. And for as long as I have an internet connection TBR will continue to do its rounds in the blogosphere.

Thus, I’m jump starting the ‘commemoration” with what else?, commemorative edition round up of course! Details of this edition will be posted soon, so medical bloggers and TBR contributors, prepare your articles!

So who wants to host this edition???

Any suggestions on what to do with TBR’s first year anniversary??? leave your comments or suggestions here!

Is it this the right career for me?Where am I now? What should I do? Where should I start my practice?Am I relevant to where I’m going to practice? Will I earn a living in this profession?

Too late, but those are just few questions that swarm the minds of our new (medical) graduates. The doc bloggers of TBR will attempt to share our ‘answers’ to some of these questions. The 31st edition of TBR dubbed “Letter to a (Medical) Graduate” will be hosted by Doc Gigi on her blog The Last Song Syndrome. Check out her call for articles here!

The Blog Rounds is a biweekly compilation of the best in Philippine’s medical blogosphere, written by physician bloggers (or the medically inclined bloggers) and hosted on a participating blogger’s weblog. Archives and edition schedules ( plus the host blogger) are listed here. The next edition of TBR will be up this Monday, March 9 ,2009 7am PST.

Physicians and medically inclined bloggers interested in joining this blog carnival, please contact me through my email kokegulper[at]yahoo[dot]com or any of the participating TBR bloggers. Guidelines and updates are posted here in my website, The Orthopedic Logbook.

I’ve been to The Fort (Taguig) some years back for a class mini reunion and party. I still remember walking along a dimly lit, but paved road flanked by mostly vacant, half finished buildings. Taxi ride is nearly non existent then, especially at night. I have to wait for almost an hour just to get a taxi!

That was five years ago. The Fort, now less spacious and “taunting” a well manicured park (was it really a park I saw?) of some sort,  is reminiscent of the booming  Greenbelt of the late nineties ! Tagging along Joy, another “foreigner” to this place, we feel lost in a somewhat distantly familiar place.

“Where on earth is Serendra?!”

Uh, by the way, me and Joy is about to join other medical bloggers for The Blog Rounds Mini EB. Megamom has volunteered to arrange this EB and was practically cajoling everyone to come,  meet, dine,and have fun with fellow TBR bloggers.

“If only we can find Brazil restaurant…or Serendra”…

“Let’s go that way!” I excited nudged Joy towards a crowded portion of this spacious, stacks of buildings. “Just ask the guard, dude!” quipped Joy.

Just about 30 steps east we found Brazil Restaurant– a fine looking restaurant known for its mouth watering buffet and endless barbecue slices!. Megamom and Louell are already “warming up” their muscles of mastication. After introducing ourselves, we settled down the table, got busy with our plates and went on with the sumptuous meal..

Doc Harry and Doc Gigi came in halfway our meals and endless “joking around”.

Exchange of blogger stories, ideas, news and almost everything else started pouring in.  So is the never ending barbecue slices of Serendra.

“You have to turn that yoyo upside down so the waiters and waitresses will stop feeding us with barbecue cholesterol.” Ugh!

The one thing I liked most about bloggers is their endless “pond” of ideas. “Pond” that never “dry” up!

Doc Joey and her  hubby came in when we were on our second meal serving. Yup, no dessert yet. The hilarious parking mix up by Doc Joey‘s hubby (near market market) made us all laugh. Obviously, Doc Joey and hubby got lost too, in the Fort‘s maze, looking for Serendra.

Doc Tess Hey texted she’s coming to this EB too. Somehow, she never showed up and  we all wondered why. “Bakit nga ba?”

Not around also were Docs Manggy (who had to fetch someone at the airport)  Doc Prudence, (suddenly called for duty) , Doc Mel and Che  (who are not around Manila during those times).

The EB went on with ideas for the upcoming TBR Summit! Here are some of the resolutions we agreed upon during the EB. Pinay Megamom  promised a full account of the meeting and tasks assignment for this summit.

1. There will be a TBR summit summertime (April-June) next year (2008). The date, place, and full summit topics will be decided on by the Org Comm, Bloggers next meetings.
2. The organizing committee will be composed of those who attended the EB plus any other volunteers form the TBR bloggers’ pool.
3. Those who weren’t around EB will be given special assignments. (TBA by Megamom)
4. Part of the TBR summit resolution will be some sort of medical blogging ethical guidelines (akin to hippocratic oath in medical blogosphere?).
5. TBR bloggers will be encourage to contribute topics for the summit and suggestions will be great appreciated. In fact, some TBR editions will be devoted to this.

I’m still waiting for Megamom to post details of the EB meeting…

“Kain pa tayo!” Indeed we (me actually) ate to (over)indulgence. We had great time and fun, meeting other sane minded medical bloggers. Thanks to Aileen and her anonymous EB sponsor!!!!.

And to those who weren’t there at the EB, watch out for your summit assignments and better be there next meeting. Doc Manggy promised to cook for that meeting! Our chef, will no less than the Best Food Lovers/Blogger awardee of Phil. Blog Awards!