The Blog Rounds Introductory blog rounds by the The Orthopedic Logbook

March 10, 2008
4 mins read

Not getting enough of medical “edema” rounds and blogging dissertations? Then come join us! The Blog Rounds First Edition will be up tomorrow, here in The Orthopedic Logbook.

The Blog Rounds is a weekly compilation of the best posts in Philippines medical blogosphere, written by physicians or medically inclined bloggers, talks about almost everything that interests us, medical or otherwise.

Who may join? Who are the physicians cum blogger participating in it now? Well, having the nerve of “stalking” these excellent blogger MDs, let me introduce the “team” with their interesting posts about the project.

“Cutttiiiing!!!”

Bone MD is much relieved birthing the project. Tongue tied and always left off the discussions (what EMR???) of similar medical blog carnivals abroad, he pondered on the idea of a locally focused medical-surgical ground rounds.

“Our unique experiences and the healthcare environment seem to be different in some way from that experienced by our foreign counterparts”…-Bone MD, The Blog Rounds: Blogging our way through medicine and beyond.

But, he can’t even start a scratch without the real medical bloggers themselves. So he stalked each and everyone of them and harassed their blogs with plugs and comment cartwheels to gain their attention and coerce them joining the rounds. It paid well. Or at least based on the reactions and comments here.

There were indeed physician bloggers waiting to jump in the idea but because of toxic clinic schedules and hospital duties, couldn’t sneak off the real edema rounds and hit the keyboards of their online patients, which is blogging of course. Yes, I hate it but it’s slowly creeping into my nerves.

Take Prudence MD for example, a well known medical blogger both locally and internationally. She has had moments of fame contributing to and hosting Grand Rounds. Despite having been used to exchanging barbs on experiences by other more advanced health bloggers abroad, she sees the need and excitement of a locally focused, medical blog rounds.

“By reading up their stories, I find useful advice and even funny anecdotes worth remembering. The medical practitioners and those who’re in the health care business in those countries are utilizing to the most extent the power of blogging. So, wouldn’t it be equally fun and useful to be also doing that here in our country, concentrating on the local medical and health care bloggers?” –Prudence MD, Finally A Filipino Medical Ground Rounds


Doc Cherry
s experience is quite interesting, having been part of the heroic DTBB program and was actually blogging her way through medicine in the boondocks (and hanging bridges?). And while she’s often “isolated” with her most beloved patients in the “barrios” you can feel her excitement and interest in meeting everyone else MD bloggin’ here.

The amazing thing is there are MDs that I have never met personally but got to know them through blogging like Em Dy and her famous Pulse and Dr. Claire’s Chronicles from the Middle of Nowhere. I am excited to meet them in person, just like everyone else I meet in the blogosphere.-Merry Cherry, MD: Blog Carnival

If interest enslaves your urge for medical blogging, visit Doc Hey’s blog, an eye doctor in the third world country like the Philippines. Not only does she flaunts the simplicity of living as an MD in the third world( and an ophthalmologist at that) she often hides under the microscope of her down to earth blogging- in the local vernacular! and produce an even more interesting stories you can relate upon.

“I’m just a simple eye doctor from the provincial islands. What difference would my presence be? –Doc Hey: The Blog Rounds

No doc. We are not more senior (I feel the word junior is an understatement) than you are, age or otherwise. You already made a difference in the third world you’r
e living. Ours, we are just starting.

And starting a living as a physician may not be as simple as it seems. The business of medicine even in such third world country as we are in, is all too complex for a newbie physician to handle. But as a business? What the heck? To cut for living shares his thoughts and discoveries amidst his non-existent, undervalued and often salamat dok! professional practice, here in The Blog Rounds.

“Our unique form of service as physicians makes the defining principles even grayed and controversial. That’s why sharing ideas and learning from fellow physicians is a must to gain a wider perspective on issues in the business of medicine. And where is the best way to share or learn from each other?”-Bone MD: To cut for living shares the “business of medicine” in the Blog Rounds.

Doc Claire rather demystifies the medical professions’ godly image and shares them in The Blog Rounds. That while bloggers “medical” posts and articles often caught her attention, a lot of non medical blogging by MDs shouts the humanity of fellow physicians. Read this.

I think that The Blog Rounds is a great way of fostering a community spirit among Pinoy doctors on-line – wherever they may be. There is much we can learn from each other that we cannot learn from our books or our practice; and, in the same way, each of us, regardless of where we are on our journey, has much to teach. –In the Middle of Nowhere: Proudly Pinoy BloggerMD/span>

And it’s cool- if we hear Doc Ness‘ rants. Doc Ness is cool as any anesthesiologist should be even if she claims to be a baby blogger. But her “coolness” will not be limited to the OR or her blog now. She is going to share it with us, in TBRcool Ness style.

I wanted it to be more of a right-brain thing, you know… write from the cuff, not much thinking, much like dishwashing… just write spontaneously, without much planning, whatever comes out on the computer, let it be.- Random Ness: Something is a brewing

There were other blogger MD who promised to keep The Blog Rounds brewing with their posts and hosting schedules. That though they were stuck in their interesting non medical expeditions (Doc Ian‘s blogger layout problem, Bubbleman‘s Can’t touch this brain for a while, Pinay Megamoms Bayombong trip, Daks exams or Tetel‘s dying to join message?), their blogging is all part of the TBR for now. Or at least when they have their blog introductions done.

Other MD or medical bloggers and everyone else who can write about medicine and issues related to it, who are interested , please don’t hesitate to join , email me kokegulper[at]yahoo[dot]com,or any of the blogger already in the carnival, introduce yourself briefly, your blog and yes, subscribe to The Blog Rounds.

The first edition of TBR will be up tomorrow at The Orthopedic Logbook, 7AM PST.

Remo Aguilar

Hi, I'm Dr. Remo Aguilar! I am an orthopedic surgeon, healthcare administrator and educator. My writing and speaking interest is in the intersection of healthcare, technology and education.I use all these learning to positively change people lives.