You think you know me? Think Again.

I am disappointed that I was not able to get the outcome I was expecting.

I know that I am more than qualified for that honor. I have proven my worth over the years, I have experiences and I have knowledge. I should have been one of them.

I have some questions on my mind. Yet, I am also resigned to the fact that it was not given to me. It is their prerogative. I will just have to prove to them that I am of another league. They can have their internal arrangements or favoritism or whatever. I would rather have an objective, fair and non-biased selection method to determine the honor I deserved.

There is something better out there for me, I am 100% sure of that!

I have not blogged for a very long time. It is due to a combination of many things: laziness, busy schedule, boredom, among others.

some recent happenings
1. run for juan - my 2nd 10K run
2. class president
3. watched my first Cinemalaya entry at UP Film Center
4. Dean's List and interview for the total scholarship

I would love to write a really long entry soon... 1 minute up!

Wow, 3 months after my last entry! Someone has been very busy

Anyway, another milestone: Year 1 of med school is done!!! I noticed that my last few entries are all about milestones in medical school but I guess I won't get tired of writing entries about it because it is my life now. I live and breathe medicine.

Last Tuesday, 15 March 2011, was my final final exam of first year. After I submitted my paper, I was really feeling high. That feeling when you know you accomplished something you have been meaning to do... It was really unexplainable. Afterward, some of my classmates and I went to Bonifacio High Street to have lunch. We ate at Chelsea Market Cafe (good food but kinda pricey).

We then played Laser Tag at Market Market to release all the stress from the exams. The game was for 15 minutes but it felt like we were running for hours. I met W after and we watched The Adjustment Bureau. Intense movie!

The next day, I met my high school friends and we had dinner + drinks at Spicy Fingers (GB 2). The food was good but since it was in Greenbelt, everything was worth twice or thrice compared to other food places. I am not complaining though since I did not pay for the meal Funny, but it seems so long ago when I was the one who treated my friends whenever I go home...now, I am being treated by my working friends harhar

Thursday is rest day.

Friday, we went to Laguna Hotsprings at Los Banos for our yearender. There were 13 of us and this day was awesome! It just felt good hanging with classmates outside school and just relaxing in the hot spring and playing games and eating food. No stress! #GoodTimes

Now I am just enjoying Day 2 of my short vacation. I will be having an internship in 2 weeks time during the summer break. Of course, it is another milestone and hence, deserves another entry.

Right now, I just want to destress, detoxify and sleep. Med school is fun but it is really tiring mentally, emotionally and physically. I need to recharge before I start my internship. Currently, I am marathoning Outsourced - a hilarious comedy about the call center industry in India. Hilarious!

Since I will be relatively free this coming months, I will try to post more often. Emphasis on the word TRY

Wow, its been ages since I last posted something here. Wassup wassup?

2010 is a big year for me. 25 years of existence, the year I went home and the year I decided to pursue my passion.

Way back, I promised myself that 25 is the latest age that I can pursue medicine as a career. Beyond that, I feel that I should just let go of that dream and pursue other career paths that will still bring me in the area of medicine and health.

With that in mind, I started looking at medical schools here in the Philippines. I know that overseas medical education is already out, because of costs. With the aim of finding a school that can give me a scholarship and bring down the cost of med school to the minimum, I decided to apply in St Luke's College of Medicine because of their generous scholarships plus free books. I did not apply anywhere else, because it seems that only SLCM is the only school that fits my criteria in terms of costs.

After so many twists and turns, I was offered a full scholarship on May 6, 2010. I resigned from my job, tied loose ends in Singapore and went back to the Philippines on June 3, 2010. Less than a month to do everything and uproot myself, isn't that impressive? I still wonder how was I able to do it...

Fast forward to 6 months later, I already finished 5 out of 6 grading periods in the Year 1 curriculum of medical school. I made new friends, established my roots again in my homeland, ate good food, experienced the "poor life" of a student again, ate in new places and also go in trips, far and near. I was also able to interact with younger classmates (I am one of the most senior students in my class), I saw a girl that made my dormant heart beat faster, I saw the good side and the bad side of living in the Philippines.

After 6 months, I can say with conviction that I made the right decision to go back and pursue medical education. There are trade-offs of course, mostly in the material sense, because being dependent again severely limited my purchasing power and also, the power to make decisions of my own. Yet, I can feel that by deciding to leap into the unknown, I was given the chance to be of service to others, to have a career that would not only help me to grow, but also a career that will help me to touch other people's lives.

I remember that one of my by-lines in my old blog is that I am a man who wants to change the world, but I don't know where to start. Seems like, that is not applicable now. Now, I am a man who is changing the world, one person at a time.

Merry Christmas!!!

The last 4 months passed by so quickly. Now, it is day 4 of sem break and I think it is time to post something about my life as a med student.

I think I made a good decision this time. It was not definitely an easy decision, nor was I fully prepared to give up everything I have in Singapore and come back. Yet, somehow, I found the courage to just let go and just follow my instincts. Of course, prayers helped a lot and the support of my family made me more convinced than ever that this is the right path, MY path...

The first few weeks were tough, in the sense that I always have nagging doubts of whether I made the right choice and my mind was full of what-ifs, questions and uncertainties... but, after, meeting new faces, going to different places, I became more adjusted to my surroundings, to studying and to the new set-up in my life... I also got my studying groove back and I think I studied harder this time compared to when I was an undergrad.

The first block was adjustment, the second block was all good, the third block was challenging but very satisfying...and at 3 o'clock in the afternoon on 6th of October, 2010, I finished the first semester of med school! It was a gratifying feeling, a feeling of accomplishing something and I am definitely excited for the future... 4 1/2 years more!!!

But, now, it is time to recharge, gotta release all the stress and just chill because it is sembreak!!!

I am very tired from all the last minute packing, meeting up with friends, writing farewell emails, SMSing people, closing my accounts and preparing for my departure.

Thus, I won't be able to write a proper entry about this new chapter in my life: medical school.

The only thing I can say now is after a 9-year detour, I am back to the path that I was supposed to take when I was 16 years old. But now, I am older, wiser and more ready than ever.

Bring it on!

4 more days to go before THE National Medical Admission Test (NMAT).

My head is full of information and facts right now, I feel that it's about to burst any minute. Physics, Chem, Bio, Psychology and Sociology. Too much.

Anyway, I hope that my neurons will be able to process these things when I'm sleeping so that they will be imprinted in my brain haha.

THIS IS IT!