Saturday, May 10, 2008

He said, she said

Picture from Sandra Sunnyo Lee

This is a tale of a HE and a SHE who did things differently but ended up teaching me some of the greatest lessons in life.

She was a developmental pediatrician. He was a surgeon. They couldn't be more different than day and night.

She has a ready smile for everyone and encouraging words to students (despite your hanging off the cliff grades). When your answer is wrong, she'd make it look like, it's the right answer to the wrong question.

He, on the other hand, is known for his off-topic 'kwentong barbero' lectures, the Merry Go Rounds (this is what we call his teaching rounds during our Clerkship surgery rotation) and knack for embarrassing you in front of an entire room of patients (and relatives), with or without your consent.

She was a mentor. He was a tormentor.

She taught Ethics and Microbiology. He taught what else but surgery?

She was uber nice. He was ... indescribable.

She taught me that being a physician starts with patient care. Do what your conscience tells you. Get your way with people by being the best person you can be. Doing what's right and what's proper will make you a great physician.

He, on the other hand, taught me that this is dog-eat-dog world. No once gets to the top by simply being nice. Watch your back. Be tough. Be ready -- be it in teaching rounds, a surgery, or life in general. Not being ready might cause you a patient's life.

She's a Yin. He's a Yang. Just the perfect combination of a mentor and a tormentor to teach me about surviving this complicated profession, and a more complicated life, outside it.

Thanks to Drs. Cielo B. Malijan and Harry Go. You might not know it, but you taught me valuable lessons in life. Thanks.

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This is my contribution for The Blog Rounds, 9th ed, being hosted by PinayMegaMom.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another comment bites the dust... I wrote something that got eaten up by something somewhere. Here's the gist:
Thanks for this unique contribution, basically teaching us that we learn from both those who mentor and those who torment us.
Good job Doc Che!

MerryCherry said...

Thanks MegaMom. I wouldn't have been able to write something like this 3 years ago. But now that I look back, I realized that the tormentors in our life mean to teach us also. They just have a different 'technique' of getting the message across. :)

ness said...

I like your post, MerryCherry. I like parallels and contrasts. Great lessons :-)

MerryCherry said...

Thanks Doc Ness. :)

docsala said...

This is good. He said she said...
I like the surgeon better but the pediatrician was also for lack of a better word, amazing...
Reminds me of Dr. Fe Del Mundo.
All doctor's should be like her. At least in some aspects...

MerryCherry said...

Thanks louell.

Yup, in fact, we should be like most pedias. They are the nicest groups of specialist, I mean, among those we interact with in med school. :)

Bonedoc said...

"Get your way with people by being the best person you can be..."

Well said Che!

But aren't we doctors in the best of our person that we can be when we take care of our patients?

This often knock my graces often times!

J.A. said...

Great contrasting look at two people who made an impact on you. I hope I could also make an impact on the interns while doing my residency... I do wish I can be more of a mentor than a tormentor of course! :)

MerryCherry said...

Doc Bone, oo nga ano. But I guess some are just 'average' when they take care of their patient. Di pa best nila un. Hehe.

JA, I'm sure you'll do well in mentoring them. Since your 'role' model is a great one, it follows, right?

Abner M. Hornedo, M.D. said...

another masterpiece che, good on you!

btw, i already exchanged emails with yaya, i hope i could help her in anyway i could.

cheers!

the philippine daily idiot said...

Hey, I never thought of that. If there is the perfect tormentor, then there must be the imperfect tormentor. Alright. :-)

Anonymous said...

hi che, thanks for this post. it's a productive way of looking at "tormentors". some of them actually have the best intentions.

some tormentors i know confess to being the "bad guys". i can actually hear one growling right now: "when you're alone in the big bad world you'll see far worse..." it's a self-designated role. i actually appreciate some of them :)

the philippine daily idiot said...

torment is just way too subject, i guess. doc go is really ok to me. we need more of them.

uum che are you still in the barrio? it's a dream for me to be in the barrio.

Anonymous said...

Great post, Cherry! Love the contrast. And the fact that through their different styles, you picked up a lot of life lessons!

I'd like to invite you to participate in TBR10. I'll be hosting. Theme is "The Doctor's Family". Call of articles here.

MerryCherry said...

Doc Abner, thanks. Yup, she told me you replied already but haven't takled to her in detail. I'm sure whatever it is, makakatulong dun. Thanks again.

Meloinks hi. Are we from the same school? Yup, still is and will be in the barrio for the next 5 months.

Doc Gi, correct. Totally agree. I can hear Dr. Go saying exactly that.

You are welcome MegaMom. Galing ng round up. :) And the topic, I was surprised that our professors made THAT much impact in our lives.

Doc Joey, will try my best. Excited to submit but don't know if I have enough time! Thanks for the reminder.

J.A. said...

TBR 11 at this link (sorry, don't know how to convert this to a direct link, just copy and paste...):
http://jaaraf.blogspot.com/2008/05/tbr-11-goes-on-food-trip.html

the philippine daily idiot said...

different school po. fledgling kind of school. uncool school. gosh i just took the dttb exams. may math pala. nyak.