What It Takes to be a Doctor

If there’s one thing I learned today, it’s that being a physician does not rely on intelligence alone. It demands grit and a constant refueling of motivation and passion, both of which leading to continuous hunger for knowledge and the courage to be firm with the decisions you make. You may be brilliant but if you’re not willing to embrace the idea of sacrificing your own comfort for the benefit of your own patient, eventually, you’ll be seeing yourself wanting to quit. While critical thinking will enable you to save your patient, that, alone, may be meaningless. Still, it is the hunger for love to be shared, to reach out and to touch lives that will make a huge difference. After all, physicians ought to be an instrument of healing, not just someone who cures the disease. And at the end of the day, the best weapon in any situation is to pray; because there will always be a limit to what you can do. And sometimes, all you can say is, “I’ve done everything that I can, still, it’s all up to You.”
All thanks to a certain surgeon-professor whose words have struck me deeply today. You’ve made me realize how far I still am from being the person I want to be. But at least now, I have a clearer picture of where and how to begin. (April 2, 2018)

– It has been two years since I’ve had this realization. I can still remember how motivated and passionate I was back then, as if I was ready to face any challenge medicine will bring head on. I was still that naive first year medical student who was so excited, like any other who has just started on a journey. Two years have passed and various changes have taken place – heartaches and breakthroughs entwined. The now 24-year-old soon-to-be-clerk in me is much different from the 22-year-old beginner then who was writing these words. Nevertheless, no matter how much has changed, there will always be something that will stay the same. While the world right now is striving against a pandemic, and while in the midst of it, believers around the globe are proclaiming the God who has risen and is alive, reading these words in 2020 reminded me of how important it truly is to understand our foundation – why do we do the things that we do now? Why have we chosen such profession? Why do we choose to go through all the struggles and the hassles brought about by the path that we chose? There is always a reason. In my case, I desire healing to be upon people; and I wanted to be a part of that endeavor. This is what I have always wanted. This, still, is what my heart desires even now. And this is what I continue to look forward to in the years to come.

So during this time of crisis, may these realizations serve not just a glimpse of what we [particularly medical students] must look forward to, but more so a timely reminder for our dearest health workers currently in the front lines. To our modern day heroes, may your exhausted bodies, hurting hearts and dampened spirits be renewed by these words. May each approaching day be looked forward to –because, truly, everyday is a great day to save lives!