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It was. I was Third Yr Med then. I brought it up to my parents. My father was so disgusted!
"Nag doktor ka pa?! Sana nag-aral ka na lang kay Ricky Reyes!"
That was 2003ish. I shelved the idea. Until the calling called again
https://twitter.com/toothmousse/status/1245730729234964480
"Nag doktor ka pa?! Sana nag-aral ka na lang kay Ricky Reyes!"
That was 2003ish. I shelved the idea. Until the calling called again
https://twitter.com/toothmousse/status/1245730729234964480
Around 2004 I thought of being a plastic surgeon. Every lunch time I would go to the Med Lib to read on plastic surgery journals. Perfect for me! I have eyes for beauty. There was just one problem.
I LOVE TO SLEEP.
I LOVE TO SLEEP.
Antok na antok ako pag nasa OR. Siguro dahil walang masyadong nagsasalita pag may gawa. Or dahil sa anesthesia sa hangin? Ewan 
By 4th year I crossed out Surgery.
By 4th year I crossed out Surgery.
5th year I still wanted to be a surgeon. I said to myself I'll just concentrate in one area...the head! Tutal gusto ko namang magpaganda ng mukha. Eh ang mukha...nasa head
So...Otorhinolaryngology (ENT)!
So...Otorhinolaryngology (ENT)!
At that time I had an uncle with a neck mass. I was so enthusiastic that an ORL doctor would diagnose his condition. It was TB! Of course! But 2 months into treatment my uncle did not improve. Later we found out he had lung cancer. He died.
That kinda pulled me away from ORL.
That kinda pulled me away from ORL.
Graduation came and I didnt know what to do. I didn't know what I wanted. I was lost. My three-year journey of discovering my purpose started when I returned my toga to the Office of the Dean.
"Where do we go from here? This isn't where we intended to be."
"Where do we go from here? This isn't where we intended to be."
I wanted to be something else but what, I didn't know.
In the pursuit of being different, I learned acupuncture as part of the requirements to be a traditional medicine doctor in Denmark.
The entire endeavor failed.
In the pursuit of being different, I learned acupuncture as part of the requirements to be a traditional medicine doctor in Denmark.
The entire endeavor failed.
When that didn't happen, my closest friends convinced me to work in the US. I finished all steps of USMLE. In between exams I worked for the Health Policy Development Program of the UP School of Economics. I've already told this part of my life in detail in my my TED Talk.
I spent two years waiting for a life in the US to happen...but it never happened.
When I was thinking about going into residency in PGH Derm, there were two questions that I had difficulty in answering.
When I was thinking about going into residency in PGH Derm, there were two questions that I had difficulty in answering.
"What would my classmates say? Dermatology is a laughable field."
"What would Papa say?"
But these questions faded when I asked myself.
"What do you love?"
"What would Papa say?"
But these questions faded when I asked myself.
"What do you love?"
And now here I am...having the best time of my life doing something that I am good at, something that I love, with the people I love. And what an awful great feeling to be able to help others at the same time.
Somebody up there loves this scared and insecure gay boy
Somebody up there loves this scared and insecure gay boy
