Next week, I'll be at Cebu for the annual convention of the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians and WONCA regional conference.. Since it's gonna be my first trip there, I have to take a lot of shots of the city, the people, the famous places. One important thing that I'm gonna surely bring is my DSLR camera. However, I've been on "hiatus" for quite a while on my once-favorite hobby.
Reviewing what I learned when I enrolled for a weekly photography class in Quezon City, here are the notes I've scribbled down during that session. I've also included some of the pictures I've taken prior to the lesson and after it. (Most can be found in my flickr account.)
Still Life Photography
- Object photography, meaningfully or artistically
- Kinds: Indoor - most common
Floral - this is my most common subject
Sculptural
Food - most difficult
Impressionistic
Imitation - from existing art work
- Characteristics: Clear subject
Simple
Good use of colors and contrast
Good light
Unique perspective
Has a "personality"
- Techniques: In "M" or "Av" mode -- sorry, I'm using Canon. I don't know its equivalent to Nikon.
Large aperture (F5 or larger)
Single drive
AWB, cloudy can be used for wooden subjects
Use telephoto lens - 50-100m
Zoom in
Single AF area mode
Center weighted metering
** Tips in taking pictures of flowers and plants --> I barely remember this part. Haha!
- Look for a sense of order or layers or patterns
- Understandable shapes
- Remove distractions or other elements
Landscape photography
- Pictures of an outdoor location
- Emphasizes local colors, culture of the place
- Unique man-made, or natural structures
- Subject is the back-ground
- Types: Natural
Urban/Cityscape
Road
Skyscape
Seascape
Night
- Techniques on how to take it: 3 layers - foreground, midground, background --> 1/3 bottom, 2/3 sky --> if you want to emphasize the sky. But according to the great Mr. Scott Kelby, you can deviate from this rule.
Bangui Windmills
"M" or "Tv" priority
Small aperture (F8, F9...)
Dynamic shutter speed
Single drive
Auto white balance (AWB)
Wide-angle lens (18mm, 17mm, 10mm)
Dynamic AF area mode
Evaluative or matrix metering mode
I am also reading photography books by Scott Kelby and watching lessons on the YouTube. I haven't joined any photowalk yet but given the opportunity, I'll gladly join one. Most importantly, I gotta have lots of practice and patience.
During our oath-taking last September 7, 2007, I remember what the Chair of the Medical Examiners said after we swore the Hippocratic Oath - "you can now prescribe". Well, we can but not all of 'em. There are some medications, drugs that are restricted. In order to prescribe those restricted drugs, we need to have an S2 license. It can be applied at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) office in Quezon City. The cost is Php1,500. It is valid in the same duration as the PRC license, renewable after 3 years. So if you plan to apply for one but your PRC license expires also on that same year, it's better to renew your PRC license first.
The requirements are the following:
1. PRC ID card or duly certified true copy
2. Official receipt of professional tax receipt (PTR); or latest certificate of employment for government physicians or duly certified true copy
3. Tax identification number (TIN) card or latest income tax return (ITR) or duly certified true copy
4. Drug test result (DOH-DDB IDTOMIS-generated report)
5. Two pieces of 1x1 id picture if applying for a S2 paper ID card. If you want to get the PVC ID card, submit two pieces of 2x2 id picture instead.
6. For those who will be renewing, previous S2 ID issued. For lost ID, submit proof of publication of loss
* Duly certified true copies can just be simple but clear photocopies. Bring your original documents for verification.
* Personal appearance is required to facilitate entry & capture of current photo & information into the automated system. Once entered, need not apply in person on succeeding period.
* Government physicians are exempted from payment of license fee. However must submit original duly-notarized affidavit that the S2 license shall be used exclusively in government practice only.
Drug test result - just like when applying/renewing your driving license, urine will be collected to check for presence of methamphethamines. Picture & legal signature will be taken when doing this test. Depends on the laboratory you go to, release of results maybe 1 week after. Forgot the price of this test. I personally went to Hi-Precision Diagnostic Lab.
I filed for an income tax return the same year I applied for an S2 license, so that's what I used. I didn't had a TIN card.
Application for the S2 license was very fast since a few number of physicians were applying. Aside from me, there was also a veterinarian and another physician in queue. I applied for the PVC ID card. If I applied for the paper ID, I was scared that I might mistake it as a trash & throw it away. The card was released after 1 month from my application. But I was given a temporary ID in the meantime. When I claimed my ID, I was informed I can buy yellow prescription pads but that had to wait for half a year. Instead, I used typical prescription pads from my former institution since I was still a resident. Btw, bring another valid ID because you'll leave one at the entrance. And wear closed shoes when going there.
When I finished residency, I've decided to buy yellow prescription pads for my future practice. I inquired at two institutions - Philippine Children Medical Center and East Avenue Medical Center. After phone queries, PCMC has no available stocks of the yellow Rx pad; EAMC has. It was worth Php300 each pad, and I can buy maximum of 3 pads as first-time buyer. So I went there but I bought 2 pads instead. The pads were thick and I thought it would take awhile before I use 'em all. Up until now, I haven't used any piece coming from my yellow Rx pad.
I have my own PRC license number, yearly PTR number, and now my own S2 license. I gotta be more careful. They're all under my name.
I'm in this very familiar situation wherein I'm standing in the crossroads again. A little trip down memory lane: after I passed the PT boards way back 2001, I was a bum for 4 months because I was confused whether to apply for licensure in the US or stay here. I decided to stay & I became a PT volunteer for 5 months in 1 of my previous rotations during internship, then I went into medical school. Fast-forward to 2007 after I passed the medical boards, I was again confused & undecided whether to take local residency or USMLE. My mom insisted that I take residency locally. Ok fine! It wasn't easy as it seemed. Turned out that the first specialty training I applied for is not for me. After just 1 day of pre-residency, I decided to quit. Sadly, my parents hit the roof when I told them the bad news. I told them I wanted to go into Family Medicine and they were not initially happy with it (but eventually they had no choice but to accept it).
And then now.. I've successfully finished my residency training. Finally, I'm out of the hospital, no more duties. I was so excited, psyched to get out again, be on my own, set my "own" rules. I've pondered on implementing what I've wanted to do before - take examinations for other countries (i.e. Australia, USA) to "seek for greener pasteurs". However the thought of asking my parents for financial support for these exams was very embarrassing for me. For the past 3 years, I seldom ask money from them; every penny I spent came from my meager salary as a resident. Instead, I wanted to have a job - as a physician, of course. Not just to earn but to use what I've learned & gained. The examinations have to be "deferred", again.
I've tried to search for jobs over the internet, asked around from colleagues for possible connections. Some have called me back for interview but no reply from them afterwards, but most did not respond. I have also taken into consideration what colleagues say as the "hospitals/institutions to avoid" before applying, because of many reasons (i.e. majority said because of low pay, unfriendly staff, etc.) In the back of my mind, I know I may not have some of their requirements at this time, like if I have attended any module in Occupational Health and/or Occupational Medicine, but I'll get into it. I am being called/informed every once in a while to hold clinic somewhere as a reliever but it's not permanent and not regular. There were mornings I asked myself "What am I going to do today?"
My current work doesn't make me happy, fulfilled. I just think of it as something that keeps me pre-occupied in the meantime while waiting and looking for a better opportunity, and hoping to land one. I've thought of applying for jobs that a moonlighter does, but it's my pride (as a junior consultant but short of a diplomate status) that's stopping me from doing that. We never know. I maybe wrong since I haven't tried that actually.
I am not alone, I know. It's really difficult to start his/her own practice, let alone have a private clinic. But somewhere, I have to start and from there let's see what happens. If ever I land a job, I hope that it will be for the long run.
Last month, I looked through the google website for job searches as physician. I stumbled upon an advertisement which said "Post-FM Female Residency for hire in a private clinic in Makati blah blah blah..." It also mentioned the contact number and schedule of the clinic hours. I wrote the details down in my old Starbucks Planner. That was not the only post I jotted down. And then I forgot all about it.
Last week (because of my desperation for job searching), I remembered about the job entries I wrote down. I prayed that the job is still open. After several inquiries by text, my prayer has been answered. High pay, good clinic location. Looks promising. Or so I thought..
When I was called in for interview last weekend, I was surprised to find several patients waiting in queue. While waiting at the holding area, most of the patients said the word "Canada". I thought if this is a clinic that screens immigrant applicants for Canada? When I was called in for interview, my thoughts were echoed out by the owner. No actual out-patient consultations; I will just be doing physican examination to applicants (for Canadian, or New Zealand visas) plus arrange/sort-out paperworks, or encode data in a computer. I got quite disappointed & I had second thoughts. For someone who graduated from an accredited residency training, I wanted to leave right then and there. I thought that the job description is fit for a GP or a moonlighter. Sadly, the owner introduced me to her staff right away after our interview. She kept on saying to them that I'll be starting on monday. I wanted to stop her from saying that. Instead, I just smiled at her. In the back of my mind, why was she looking for a graduate of a residency training kung iyan lang ang ipapagawa niya? At bakit ko naman yun kinagat? The pay is nice (clue: more than Php20K per month) but everything I've learned during residency will just be wasted & I might regret this later since I plan to take the diplomate exams at the end of the year.
Yesterday, I reported to work for the first time. I met another physician who have been working there for more than 1 year na. She introduced me again to the other clinic staff, gave me a thorough orientation of the clinic & learned some rules, including the fact that we don't start screening applicants until the owner arrives. I was also surprised when I saw the mountains of papers piled in different areas of the clinic. So is that what I'm going to sort? Am I going to encode? When we started seeing applicants, I was observant on how the other physician briefly examines an applicant. When I had the initiative to examine an applicant on my own, the owner scolded me. Probably, she doesn't trust my PE findings for now since I'm just a "newbie". I assumed she's defensive about everything that's put into writing in the documents because her name is at stake. But I'm so dismayed & defeated. For the past two days, all I've ever done was take the anthropometric measurements, visual acuity of the applicants. I suddenly remembered 1 of my rotations during residency, but this was worse. I always tag along (like a dog) with the other examining physician.
My searching doesn't stop here. I'm determined to find & pray for a better work, something that will help me professionally. Financial gain will always follow suit.
(Again, this is a re-post from my Multiply account.)
After 3 years of residency training, thank God it's over. I'm glad my efforts have been recognized. I'm happy that my co-residents have appreciated my work as their colleague and as a leader. I'm grateful for the support my family, friends, and consultants over the years - through good and bad times.
During the first year, I was the "alipin", the "utusan". I was always on the move, the burden of heavy work was always on my shoulders. I was not surprised because all 1st year residents go through this. Heck, I was even lucky to have "weekends & holidays off" compared to others. On the other hand, I was not privileged to file for a vacation leave. When December 2008 came, I was relieved for many reasons - I was promoted to second year and our senior co-residents were graduating. Honestly, I didn't establish good rapport with them. But I didn't care and I didn't feel like it was my loss. I prayed that sana nga, makaalis na siya ng Pilipinas. I'm hopeful that the next leader will be very unlike her predecessor. Well, I was wrong.
I experienced the most "downs" in my residency during second year. It was very chaotic, confusing not only for me but for the department as well. New rules were made just for the benefit of some poeple while those in the lower years suffered, decisions were made without asking what other consultants and residents thought about it, actions that were uncalled for. A rift was created - consultants vs consultants, and residents vs residents. We all knew who sided with whom. It got to the extent that it became personal - our previously graded evaluations were re-evaluated and we all obtained lower (more often, failing) marks. Some of us thought of quitting. However, we reflected that nothing good will come from it, it will make matters worse and we just fought our points-of-view in vain. Withstanding whatever was thrown to us, we stood our ground. The issues died down eventually. On the good side, I was able to have my vacation leave. In terms of training, I felt that I've rotated in only two departments - Family Medicine and Emergency Room Medicine. I rotated at the ER for 3 months and at FM/Floors for 4 months. As early as my second year, I've already consumed all of the assigned number of months rotation (7 months for the entire training) at the Floors. I thought that that was also an act of revenge against me. I wondered how was I going to file for a vacation leave during my third year (as a department rule, we can only go on "vacation leave" as FM/Floors rotators or Community/OPD rotators). It was also during this year that I filed for my sick leave - because I was striken with the novel H1N1 virus. I was the ER rotator then. Because of countless I performed swabs on my patients, hayun! Nahawa na rin ako. I was isolated for 10 days.
My third and final year opened my eyes on the administrative side of our department & became less on the clinical side. The paperworks, meetings, workshops. They were nerve-wracking! One of our consultants gave praises to us - she said we can be event organizers after seeing that our post-graduate course was very organised and a huge success. Yehey! Many big & important stuffs were on my shoulders while I was a chief resident - the PAFP re-accreditation, Accreditation Canada Int'l (ACI) accreditation, our post-graduate course, the dreaded research presentation, and our christmas party. Everyone was cooperative and we all had teamwork. In this final year, I had the privilege to have outside monthly rotations at UP-PGH for Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine, Wellness, Supportive, Palliative & Hospice Care (SPHC) Medicine, and a once-a-week rotation at the Geria Clinic of General IM OPD. For some strange reason, I enjoyed my rotations there and the atmosphere of being surrounded by more doctors. Never mind that some of its facilities suck but the bulk of learning was all there.
I was sad to depart from the department. Until now, I'm still having separation anxiety. Now, the challenge that the department throws at me is what to do with everything that I've learned and how I will put it into good use, before I earn that diplomate degree. Then I can come back to them as a consultant, a good product of their training, and be an example to those who are undergoing and will undergo residency.
[This is a re-post from my soon-to-be deleted (?) account in Multiply]
It was my first time to visit Boracay Island, Aklan. I was with my parents and Arthur, our american cousin who is visiting the country for the first time (actually, he came here with his dad/my uncle in order to search for a wife). We stayed in the island for 3 days and 2 nights.
Day 1, January 17, 2011
We were dropped at NAIA 3 (another first for me because it was my first time to see the controversial airport). Our plane was airphilexpress.com. We patiently queued to check-in our baggage and have our boarding passes. After the security check, we headed to the waiting area near our boarding gate. While waiting, we learned that our flight was delayed because our turn-around plane was also late (made sense). For how long? It wasn't mentioned. Great! There goes my remaining afternoon in Bora. I thought it will be already dark when we get there. We flew at past 3pm and arrived in Caticlan airport at 4pm. The climate was cold and the skies were cloudy.
From there, we were picked up by our hotel personnel to the shores of Caticlan, then rode a boat for 20 minutes to Boracay Island. Then, it was another 30 minutes ride to the hotel. At the hotel (La Carmela de Boracay), we had welcome drinks and were briefed on House Rules. We settled our things down in the room and explored the shores. Mom, Dad & Arthur decided to walk on further but I decided to be left behind. After taking few shots of the sunset, I wadded through the waters. It was cool, the white sands were powdery, the waves were strong. I got drenched from waist-down. I ran back into the hotel, changed my clothes with swimsuit underneath. When I got out, it was already dark. Darn! Dad was looking for me, inviting me for dinner. We had buffet dinner then walked the shore line until the area of D'Mall. My companions were tired thus we headed back. I was determined to wake-up early the following day for an early morning swim and photoshoots.
Day 2, January 18, 2011
Shores of Boracay.. In a Cloudy Morning
I eagerly got up at quarter to 6am, put on my swimwear, shorts and spaghetti top and hit the beach with mom and Arthur. Again, I took some shots of the beach & what seems like to be the sunrise. The water was freezing cold but I got the hang of it. Not surprising, there were also few locals and foreign tourists on the beach - swimming, just hanging around on the lounge chairs, jogging, walking around. I should say there was also a parade of different DSLR cameras & lens hanging around people's necks (pa-bonggahan ba ito?). Dad was the last person to join us in the water. By 7am, we got out and had breakfast for almost 1 hour. By 8, I again went back in the water and was there for a long time (probably 2 hours or more?).
I was intrigued by the different activities available in the island - particularly, banana boat. Arthur and I were eager to ride and experience it. The rule was that a minimum of 5 persons may ride the banana boat for Php250 each head. Well, we were 3 persons short. We asked around if we could join another group who is also short of people. There was a group of korean tourists but they were scuba-diving then. We had to wait for them for more than 1 hour. While waiting, I decided to have my hair braided just for fun and to see if it suits me. Well, it did however it was awfully painful. Coincidentally, the group hanging beside us in the shore was also 2 people short for the banana ride. I bravely approached them and asked if we could join them. They immediately agreed & were friendly to us. Within 30 minutes, we were all in the banana boat being pulled by a jet ski & definitely having a blast! Too bad the ride only less than 15 minutes. I was so hungry afterwards and we had lunch in Andok's. I thought I had done what I came for in Bora. After lunch I showered and put on fresh clothes. I stayed again in the lounge area just people-watching. I was sleepy but I couldn't sleep because of the braids in my hair.
Station 1, grotto of the Our Lady of Balabag
By four in the afternoon, we were headed to Station 1 to look at the grotto of our Lady of Balabag. We rode the tricycle going to and fro, for the benefit of my cousin because it was his first time. Back at station 2, we decided to hang-out in the patio of our hotel having snacks and beer then followed by dinner at Andok's again (Mom and Dad were craving for chopsuey). Since it was our last night, I decided to shop and buy pasalubongs. I went back to the hotel at past 10. I had to remove my braids because I couldn't sleep with them.
Day 3, January 19, 2011
A shot of Boracay Island from another point
I awoke at 6:30 am. We had breakfast again in the hotel and decided to go for Island Hopping for 2 1/2 hours. It was worthwile and we got to see the other islands in Aklan. When we returned, Dad and I decided to swim -- our last -- for 20 minutes. Then we prepared for things for our flight back home. We had lunch at Yellow Cab Pizza and to kill time, I did my last-minute shopping while mom had her hair braided like mine (gaya gaya!) and Arthur had 2 henna tattoos (one in each arm).
We left the hotel at 2pm. At Caticlan airport, we checked-in our bags and waited patiently for our flight. Our flight wasn't delayed and we arrived in Manila 8 minutes earlier than our estimated time of arrival. In one day, we crossed the sky, water and land. How great!
I had lots of fun. I bet it will be more fun if I had a different set of company. Though expenses are more expensive (a P10 taho here in Manila is equal to P50 there, and a 1hour wi-fi is worth P100), I wonder when I'll be going back.
The nickname's Reggie or Reg..
Single.. Moody.. Amateur photographer.. Half La Sallian, Half Thomasian.. Volleyball fanatic.. Physician by day, dreamer by night.. Non-smoker, non-alcoholic.. Vital signs stable.. Not in cardio-respiratory distress.. PE essentially normal..
