So interbyu ko ngayon sa UP Med at naka-iskedyul ako na 8am. Ang instruction pumunta ng 7am para masagutan ang essay. Ang sistema pala may darating na panel (2-3 interviewers) at assigned sila sa 2 o 3 applicants.

Isa ata ako sa mga minalas kasi nagka-emergency ang panel ko. PI. Nagkataon na may strategy meeting kami para sa aming Community work ng 1pm. Ayan nawalan na ako ng panel at muntikan na ako magparesched. Syempre hindi ok iyon. Pinili ko nga ang araw na ito para hindi masyado maaapektuhan ang Ph 195 ko tapos iinterbyuhin ako sa ibang araw. Sino sila?

Matagal ako nag-intay. 1pm na nga ako nainterbyu. Hindi na ako nakapaglunch o nakagawa ng iba pang requirements sa 195. Masama pa doon muntikan na ako mainterbyu ng galit at sigurado na hindi maganda ang magiging resulta noon.

Buti na lang nagawa ko ilabas ang galit ko sa admissions ng UPCM. May question kasi na nanghihingi ng karagdagang impormasyon na magiging pabor sa aking application. Ang ginawa ko sinulat ko ang nangyari. Hindi naman ako nagpapaawa. Hello! Hindi ko kailangan ng awa nila. Maayos kaya ang aking credentials! Sinulat ko lang para malaman nila na hindi talaga tama ang ginawa nila sa akin. Red ballpen pa nga ang ginamit ko.

Natakot rin naman ako na baka maging dahilan ng hindi ko pagpasa pero iningatan ko naman na hindi lang puro reklamo ang laman ng aking sagot. Pero kung sakaling hindi nga ako pumasa dahil doon, magrereklamo ako. Alam ko naman na ako ang tama at sila ang mali.

Wala akong pakialam kung mamamatay na lahat ng pasyente mo sa hospital kasi may appointment ako sa iyo. Kung aalis ka, siguraduhin mo lang na may  papalit na panelist. Tsaka ano ba naman iyong sabihan ako direkta kung ano ang nangyari at kung ano ang mga alternatibo. Ang hirap kaya mag-antay ng hindi mo alam kung ano ang mangyayari. Ang hirap talaga. Idagdag mo pa na sinira ng aktong ito ang schedule ko ngayon. Imbes na nakagawa kami ng aming Sit Ana, napilitan ako maghintay ng panel. Sh*t talaga. Eh paano kaya kung thesis defense ko at hindi lang isang meeting?

Ang yabang-yabang ng mga taga-UP tungkol sa mga achievement nila pero simpleng respeto sa mga aplikante wala. Oo na, nagkakandarapa kami sa pagpasok sa paaaralan niyo pero tama bang gawin ito? Ang sarap-sarap niyong pag-u-uuntugin.

Sa mas magandang balita, mabait naman ang mga panel members. Nagkukulang lang ang iba sa courtesy. Tsaka binigyan pa ako ng lunch. Actually, nalipasan na ako ng gutom. At kung ako sa admissions, aayusin ko ang sistema para sa mga aplikante para maiwasan ang mga bagay na ito.

Nasabi ko lang naman ito kasi kahit papaano confident ako sa credentials ko. Kung aalanganin kaya ako, ganito pa rin kaya ako?

OO GALIT PA RIN AKO SA KANILA. Lalo pa ng nalaman ko na hindi lang pala ako ang naging biktima ng sira nilang sistema. Kala ko ba matatalino ang nasa UP? Research dito, awards diyan pero pagdating sa sariling kolehiyo. f*ck!

Nakakatawa kasi may tanong sa interbyu tungkol sa pag-i-i-schedule. Ang sagot ko iyong nangyari sa akin. Pinagididiinan ko talaga, noh? Dapat lang. At least alam nila na hindi ako basta-bastang tinatapaktapakan at nananahimik. Kung pwede nga lang magfile ng complaint sa kanila eh; ang problema lang baka masira ang application ko. Kahit papaano hawak pa rin nila ang kinabukasan ko.

I'm back from my 1st week in San Juan, Batangas. The week was hectic but passed by quickly. Met loads of people who are all very nice. I still feel a bit lost what our project for the community will be. The fact that there are very few major problems in the community that can be solved in 6 weeks is not helping. It is helpful that the BHWs are very motivated, the midwife is very dedicated and they have UPDATED HEALTH STATISTICS! OMG! A public health person's dream! Of course, we now have the issue of what to leave for the next batch of students who will be doing their field work in our barangay.

Just so you know, in San Juan, I reside in a 2-storey wood-cement house and have to pump water from the artesian well every time I use the bathroom. Privacy in the bathroom and bedrooms is protected by curtains.
We also have a flea and tick ridden dog.

Going to San Juan Batangas. Will be living and working with four other people for the next six weeks. Hoping we don't stumble and fall flat on our faces. Or worse, break the strings that bind us together.

Finally finished with the laboratory rotations which affirmed my decision not to be a med tech or pathologist in the future.

The personnel in the PGH labs (OPD and Central labs) are all skilled and highly competent but not professional. Guess what?! STAT tests are ignored in PGH labs. The testing is really fast but the releasing of results aren't. I heard on med tech say that if PGH wants STAT results, they should hire more people. Uh... no. You just set-up a different data processing for STAT tests. It must be the low pay combined with the repetetive nature of their work. These people could use a retraining on patient interaction. Of course I'm a fine one to complain, I haven't worked there as long as they had.

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We had a pre-deployment seminar yesterday in preparation for our Community work in San Juan, Batangas. Fortunately, one of the members of the CHDP program sat in our orientation so we had a nice discussion with him. Unfortunately, we still don't know how we are going to approach the community since we have no data and have reason to believe that we'll have a hard time finding the data we need (due to poor documentation and organization by the CHDP program). I heard that Area coordinators of other groups gave them possible problems to focus on. This incidentally is the original plan for us. Unfortunately, that will not be the case for our cluster(3 groups including ours).

Not to mention that we have to work within the problem tree and objectives of the CHDP. We also have to use the Inter-disciplinary approach and must set up programs that will complement the already existing programs (which we don't know what). Our group is also special in that we'll probably have to work closely with other PH groups in our cluster.

I'm excited but really really scared.

So I've been tagged. 25 random facts. Game!

1. This is the first time I'm answering a meme.
2. When I was in grade school my morning snack consists of 4 pieces of Chips Ahoy and 1 small can of Bear brand sterilized milk but I'm still small.
3. I had primary pulmonary tuberculosis when I was a kid. I was successfully treated.
4. My bed cannot be used.
5. I'm a perfectionist unfortunately...
6. I'm also lazy.
7. I lost two out of my four pairs of glasses.
8. Today, I almost forgot my wallet in the CR.
9. I can semi-sleep while standing given that I am holding unto proper supports.
10. I haven't owned non-white rubber shoes in years.
11. I hope to be able to own so many books that I could drown (literally) in them.
12. I'm a lefty.
13. I'm puzzled why those good in math are believed to be bad in english and vice versa.
14. I had very low scores in our HS english quarterly exams.
15. I had a really high score in ACET, an entrance exam wherein English constitutes 1/3 of the final score.
16. I think in English when I write and in Filipino when I talk.
17. Mahilig ako mag-mura. Hindi ko lang pinapakita sa mga taong hindi ko kalapit.
18. I fear for the Filipino language because of its ugly child, Taglish.
19. I dream of a country where Filipinos appreciate literary classics.
20. I think more Filipino translations should be made and be made accessible(very low prices) in order to promote good reading habits among Filipinos.
21. Due to our HPAD class, I now approach problems and solutions using Log Frame analysis.
22. I really don't want to go to med school right now.
23. I saw a name on the to-be-interviewed list that made me excited though.
24. I do not agree with the Ateneo MD/MM program. This will work only if the students are mature enough to study for 2 degrees at the same time AND really want to pursue a managerial career path. Graduate school should offer freedom to students and not force them to take 2 degrees at the same time.
25. I take a long time to process things thoroughly. Extempo and impromptu speeches aren't for me. I usually need a jeepney ride, a walk or a night's rest to figure things out completely.

Haven't shot anything interesting for a whole while. Most of the pictures in the previous posts were taken last year. *sigh*

Finally saw how sucky colors end up when viewed on the laptop. I should stop doing post-processing on it.

And I still haven't bought new lens but I'll count my money this week and try to buy one next Saturday. Hopefully, there would be new stock in Hidalgo.

Five years for college? What a load of BS.

Not all degree programs need 5 years. Some programs don't even need the full 4 years, given that a student is dilligent.

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CHED says that the tuition of the five year nursing program is roughly equal to the current four year program. This might be true, however; the 5 year program will still be more expensive. Tuition and academic fees are not the only fees the student(and his family) shoulders. There are also transportation, housing, food and other costs. An extra Christmas season alone for a non-working full time student is a burden.

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Granted, other programs might need the five years. The BSPH program might benefit from an extra semester, if not a whole year. Or, an optional year could be instituted for the BSPH program. More exposure to hospital labs, research institutes and community work would definitely benefit BSPH graduates. However, these competencies might breach the Masters in Public Health level. Which brings the possibility of a dual degree program. Hmm...

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I really hate the Cory Quirino shows(TV and radio). Sure they do give correct information regarding nutritious food but they also give wrong advice. Why would you recommend that people include two tablespoons of virgin coconut OIL in their diet without consideration of weight and dietary habits? It's effing oil and to listeners, if it works for Cory that doesn't mean that it'll work for you. Remember, she lives a relatively stress free life spent going to the gym and taking care of herself. She also seems to have really low caloric intake. And rice is not bad depsite how its portrayed on the show.

And her show is a haven for detoxification(whatever that means) quackery. You really don't need to "cleanse your colon"; accept that it's a pretty dirty place full of bacteria and undigested material. Cleaning it won't help and it'll probably be bad for you. And all those herbs they keep harping about? Placebo effect anyone. Maybe it's time to start a company. I'll be selling sugar pills for a very low price. I'll have tons of research to support the effects of my product as placebo effect is a fairly common occurrence. I just need some clever marketing strategies and some people who are willing to give anecdotal evidence.