ONE thing that A and I have always fought about is my late night trips, whether it be commuting home or simply taking short walks in the city. He can't understand my desire to do so given that it is quite dangerous. In fact, I have been robbed with a knife pointed at me once. Truth be told, the reason I do so is to remind myself of why I wanted to be a doctor, why I wanted to excel, why I wanted to make a significance contribution to society.
Amidst the splendor of Manila's skyline at night, deep within its streets is poverty -evidence of the growing inequality between the rich and the poor.
Nevertheless, they say that if one get immersed too much in a certain condition, one becomes desensitized to it. I have been working as a volunteer medic for more than a year now and have encountered numerous patients suffering (may it be due to their own doings or not). I am coming clean that there are times that I would wish for an MCI just for the rush of it. There are also times that I feel vexed rather than compassionate towards the patients. Over time, I came to see them as cases rather that as patients.
I went to medicine because I wanted to help alleviate pain and suffering. I wanted to make a change in society. And this is the main reason why I walk the streets of Manila at night -to be able feel compassion and sympathy once again. To be the great doctor that I want to be.
Something a colleague of mine once said, "You are not going to be a good doctor, you are going to be a superb doctor".
*photo not mine
