March 29, 2005
Not All the World is America…
(Although they do have American Idol)
Today I got an SMS from one of my best friends. She said she was leaving for the US soon and wanted to set up a small get-together with the rest of the barkada before she left the country. I shook my head in disbelief as I read her message. I knew this day would come. We had talked about it countless times in the past. I just never thought it would arrive so soon.
My best friend is already a physician, a licensed one in fact, and moonlights several days a week in a small private hospital in Cavite, about an hour’s drive from Manila. She earns much more than I, a resident in training in a private hospital in Quezon City. Like me, she is single, unattached, and has many goals, some of which will probably never be fulfilled simply because there will never be enough time. Unlike me however, she decided to pursue nursing after we passed the medical licensure boards. She had a steady boyfriend at the time who was also a doctor but who was a green card holder. Working in the US as a nurse (which supposedly is much more rewarding financially than working as a doctor in the Philippines) was the career path she chose to take. It seemed like a practical choice at the time.
When they broke up, I thought she would realize that her skills as a physician would be put to better use here in the Philippines. After all, the last time I checked there was one doctor for every 1,512 Filipinos. Surely, there would be no shortage of patients. Besides, as we have often been told during medical school, no matter where a doctor practices, you can be assured of a relatively comfortable life. If you don’t get paid in cash, you get paid in kind.
Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against people who go overseas to work. My own father worked several years in Saudi Arabia as an engineer when I was growing up. We were deep in debt at the time and the money he earned was what eventually paid for my mind-boggling tuition during medical school. I do understand the need to leave the country to earn a decent wage for one’s family and loved ones. What I don’t understand is why people who are assured of a financially secure living in the Philippines have to leave when their profession is something the country direly needs.
I couldn’t blame my friend though. She had embarked on this career path at the time as a concession to her boyfriend. It comes with the territory. When you are the female in the relationship, you make concessions and adjustments to the plans of the man you love. Despite the equality between men and women, just like my friend, I believe that women should yield to men in life-altering decisions like this. After all, there is even a Bible passage that says something to that effect. I know that if I were in her shoes, I would probably do the same thing too. If being together meant having to change career plans, religion, or country of residence, I would certainly do that in the name of love.
However, in this particular case, the guy was already out of the picture. She was earning a decent wage in Cavite. And, if I may be selfish for a while here, we had planned to go into private practice together with the rest of our doctor friends after I finished my residency training. We had planned to set up am ambulatory care clinic in the south, later provide ambulance services, maybe even set up a small hospital. So many plans…
Then I reread the message she sent me. In it, she told me she was leaving in two weeks. I couldn’t understand why it had to be so soon. I soon saw a short phrase at the end of her message. It said “I’m leaving April because I passed… the American Idol auditions.”
I had to laugh in spite of myself. There I was going off in a million directions over something that was actually a joke. If I had only read the message in its entirety, I wouldn’t have felt so foolish.
However, I do know the day will soon come when the message will be for real. After all, my friend has taken the US nursing boards. She is just in the middle of processing her documents so that she can leave the country, probably for good. Until then however, we will still make plans to practice together, provide ambulance services and even set up a hospital. Hopefully, she will realize that she has it good here. Then I wouldn’t have to lose my best friend.
(Although they do have American Idol)
Today I got an SMS from one of my best friends. She said she was leaving for the US soon and wanted to set up a small get-together with the rest of the barkada before she left the country. I shook my head in disbelief as I read her message. I knew this day would come. We had talked about it countless times in the past. I just never thought it would arrive so soon.
My best friend is already a physician, a licensed one in fact, and moonlights several days a week in a small private hospital in Cavite, about an hour’s drive from Manila. She earns much more than I, a resident in training in a private hospital in Quezon City. Like me, she is single, unattached, and has many goals, some of which will probably never be fulfilled simply because there will never be enough time. Unlike me however, she decided to pursue nursing after we passed the medical licensure boards. She had a steady boyfriend at the time who was also a doctor but who was a green card holder. Working in the US as a nurse (which supposedly is much more rewarding financially than working as a doctor in the Philippines) was the career path she chose to take. It seemed like a practical choice at the time.
When they broke up, I thought she would realize that her skills as a physician would be put to better use here in the Philippines. After all, the last time I checked there was one doctor for every 1,512 Filipinos. Surely, there would be no shortage of patients. Besides, as we have often been told during medical school, no matter where a doctor practices, you can be assured of a relatively comfortable life. If you don’t get paid in cash, you get paid in kind.
Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against people who go overseas to work. My own father worked several years in Saudi Arabia as an engineer when I was growing up. We were deep in debt at the time and the money he earned was what eventually paid for my mind-boggling tuition during medical school. I do understand the need to leave the country to earn a decent wage for one’s family and loved ones. What I don’t understand is why people who are assured of a financially secure living in the Philippines have to leave when their profession is something the country direly needs.
I couldn’t blame my friend though. She had embarked on this career path at the time as a concession to her boyfriend. It comes with the territory. When you are the female in the relationship, you make concessions and adjustments to the plans of the man you love. Despite the equality between men and women, just like my friend, I believe that women should yield to men in life-altering decisions like this. After all, there is even a Bible passage that says something to that effect. I know that if I were in her shoes, I would probably do the same thing too. If being together meant having to change career plans, religion, or country of residence, I would certainly do that in the name of love.
However, in this particular case, the guy was already out of the picture. She was earning a decent wage in Cavite. And, if I may be selfish for a while here, we had planned to go into private practice together with the rest of our doctor friends after I finished my residency training. We had planned to set up am ambulatory care clinic in the south, later provide ambulance services, maybe even set up a small hospital. So many plans…
Then I reread the message she sent me. In it, she told me she was leaving in two weeks. I couldn’t understand why it had to be so soon. I soon saw a short phrase at the end of her message. It said “I’m leaving April because I passed… the American Idol auditions.”
I had to laugh in spite of myself. There I was going off in a million directions over something that was actually a joke. If I had only read the message in its entirety, I wouldn’t have felt so foolish.
However, I do know the day will soon come when the message will be for real. After all, my friend has taken the US nursing boards. She is just in the middle of processing her documents so that she can leave the country, probably for good. Until then however, we will still make plans to practice together, provide ambulance services and even set up a hospital. Hopefully, she will realize that she has it good here. Then I wouldn’t have to lose my best friend.
posted by fay gloria @ 5:30 AM
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