MedTek101

What is a Med Tek doing in an O.R.?

2013-07-12T19:53:00.001+08:00

Most would probably answer "STAT extraction". Perhaps a possible stat blood transfusion or maybe a stat blood exam such as cbc. But what if I told you that this Med Tek does not work in a lab? This Med tek works inside the operating room. To be exact, this Med Tek works in a cardiovascular operating room. If you were a Med Tek who is working inside an operating room, you would probably tell yourself "What the hell am I doing here?". And those were the exact words I told myself.

To be quite humble and honest, I do not know anything about the operating room. From the basic equipments and supplies to as simple as proper handwashing. I know how to wash my hands (DOH Recommended Proper Handwashing Technique) but it is a bit different from how they do it in the OR. The aseptic techniques I learned from microbiology are also different. In short, I have no idea on what's going on. But as I have been saying throughout my blog, the adaptability of a Med Tek just kicks in. This med tek skill is just handy. Before I go out of topic, I will answer the question at hand: "What is a Med Tek doing in an OR?"

The answer is simple. The Med Tek is working there as a clinical perfusionist. In other countries, there is a specific course, or a degree perhaps, that is offered to be able to become a clinical perfusionist. I have mentioned this job on my recent posts: Job Hunting and Transition. Here in the Philippines, medical technology graduates are trained to become perfusionists. It takes about 6 months of training and study to become certified (based on the training offered at the Philippine Heart Center). But according to seasoned perfusionists themselves, it takes more than a year or so before a heart surgeon and an anesthesiologist give their full confidence on a new perfusionist. Trainings are very extensive. You have to get familiar with all the medicine and drugs. You have to be knowledgeable on the anatomy and physiology of the heart. And as always, normal values for blood gases, blood chemistry, hematocrit, hemoglobin and blood pressure. There is a lot to memorize. And of course the heart-lung machine itself. You have to know how it works.

Coming from a laboratory background, everything is just overwhelming. Especially knowing that your intervention is very direct to the patient. When you release a urinalysis result, you won't worry on what meds or antibiotics you have to give the patient. During perfusion, you are in charge of the patient's meds, his/her heart and lungs function, his/her blood gases, in short, the patient's life.

I wouldn't know much since I'm kinda the new guy but I have to say that this new found job has bigger responsibilities. Let me rephrase that because I think that all Med Teks have big responsibilities. The responsibility is direct and the outcome is more instantaneous. I think that is better. A Med Tek in an OR might not be the same as a Med Tek in a laboratory. But it's still the same. Both has the responsibility as a health professional, both should be dedicated to the preservation of life and both are in service of health for patients. I maybe new to this job and may not be at my comfort zone as in the lab, but I would certainly show my new colleagues that a Med Tek in an OR is as good as a Med Tek in the lab.

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Marunong ka ba ng BOX OUT?

2013-07-06T19:58:00.000+08:00

Kung Med Tek ka, malamang sa malamang oo ang sagot mo. Hindi mo palang siguro alam pero nagawa mo na 'to. Maraming ibig sabihin kasi yung box out e. Sa larong basketbol kasi talaga ginagamit yung salitang yun. Ito ay isang technique na ginagawa ng manlalaro para makakuha siya ng rebound. Para sakin, ang pinakamagaling siguro na rebounder at mang-box out na NBA player ay ang hall of famer at 5-time NBA champion na si Dennis Rodman. Lupet nun e! Kung paano naman 'to nagagawa o nagagamit ng Med Tek e basahin niyo na lang yung mga bagong depinisyon ng box out. Kahit mga hindi med tek makaka-relate dito:

1. Box out - Pandiwa. Pagbakod ng isang lalaki sa ninanais na kababaihan upang hindi na mapormahan o maligawan ng iba pang lalaki. Halimbawa: Pare, box out-in mo na si Camille, baka maunahan ka pa.

Kung may ka-I.S. (internship syndrome) ka e dapat talaga ma-box out na yan. Siguro mas applicable 'to sa mga lalake pero pwede na din siguro gawin ng babae.hehe.

2. Box out - Pandiwa. Paghawi sa ibang pasahero ng bus, dyip, taxi o anumang pampublikong sasakyan upang maunang makasakay. Halimbawa: Na-late ako kaninang umaga, na-box out ako nung ale sa bus.

Ang dami nito sa EDSA! Yung mga taong mahilig gumawa nito, yun din yung mga tao na hindi marunong pumila. Pero sa totoo lang, pwede mong sabihin na isang skill 'to e. Yung iba kasi parang eksperto sa pag box out. Parang barumbado na nga lang e pero nauuna naman sila makauwi.

3. Box out - Pandiwa. Pag pigil sa ibang tao na makuha ang pagkaing inaasam na nasa hapag-kainan. Pwede ding tumukoy sa pangunguna sa pila ng pagkain basta't ginagawa ang paghawi sa iba (lalo na sa buffet table).
Halimbawa: Hindi ako umabot dun sa lechon, na-box out ako agad ni sir Edward.

Sa mga piesta, kelangan mabilis para makakuha ka ng gusto mong pagkain. Sa lab, dapat mas mabilis ka kase sigurado akong mabilis sa pagkain ang mga Med Tek. Pero minsan, lalo na pag mababait yung mga kasama mo, ibo-box out na nila yung ibang pagkain para matirahan ka naman at hindi ka maubusan. Hindi naman patay gutom ang mga med tek, mahilig lang talaga kumain. hehe.

4. Box out - Pandiwa pa din. Pangunguna sa pag pila sa mga libreng bigay (freebies) ng mga Med Rep tuwing convention, seminar, meetings at iba pa. Halimbawa: Naubusan ako ng bag na bigay ng Abbott, hindi kasi ako naka-box out e.

Ito ang skill! Kung skill daw ang phlebotomy, skill din ito na matatawag. Wag man natin aminin pero minsan mas madami pa ang tao na nasa mga pila ng mga booth ng med rep kesa dun sa mga tao sa loob ng mismong convention.hehe.

Paki-share naman sa ibang Med Tek! Paki-kwento na may blog na ganito ha.hehehe. Paki-Like na din yung facebook account at pa-follow sa twitter (follow din kita). SALAMAT!

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Pasasalamat

2013-06-30T13:30:00.001+08:00

Naka-isang taon at kalahati din ako. Hindi gaano katagal. Pero busog naman sa karunungan, sa kaibigan at syempre kasiyahan. Pag nagsimula ka sa kahit anong trabaho, pakitang mahiyain muna. Conservative ang kilos, nakikiramdam sa mga tao sa paligid. Mahirap humirit agad, baka masabihan ng feeling close agad. Nung unang mga lingo ko, talagang animo'y mahiyain ako. Konti lang ang salita, hindi masyado umiimik. Isang tanong, isang sagot. Sa mismong trabaho naman sa loob ng laboratoryo, todo ang pagiging seryoso. Syempre kelangan magpa-impress. Maliban sa sobrang aga pumasok, dapat mabilis ang pag-iisip. Dapat matalino. Bago e, dapat impressive! Napapa-aral talaga ako pag uwi ko. Hindi naman sa pagmamayabang pero reference lab nga kasi. Mataas ang standard. Kaya kahit ilang buwan na akong nagtra-trabaho e parang first day ko pa din. Mahirap ang naging transition ko. Mula histopath tapos mircobiology. Tsk tsk... Sa staining lang ako nakaka-relate ng konti. Haha!

Sa mga katrabaho naman, nag-adjust din. Iba-ibang tao, iba-ibang personalidad. Merong malakas tumawa. Merong mahina lang. Merong makulit, meron din sakto lang. May maingay, at may... mas maingay. Madali lang naman silang pakisamahan. Iba-ibang tao na merong iba't ibang personalidad pero may dalawang hilig lang naman kasi. Pag nalaman mo yung dalawang hilig nila na yun e parang nahuli mo na ang kiliti nila. Ang una, pagkain. Ang pangalawa, mas madami at masarap na pagkain. Kaya pag lunch break, ang saya! Pinagbubuklod ng kainan na may kasamang kwentuhan at halakhakan. Minsan nga may halong chismis pa. At minsan, hindi ako maksabay kung tunay na buhay na ba ang chismis o yung napanuod lang nila sa telenovela nung gabe. Tapos patong-patong na kwento dahil nagsasalita ang lahat ng saby-sabay pero mauuwi naman sa sabayang tawanan. Walang kapantay 'to! Mas masaya pa 'to sa pinaghalong Goin' Bulilit at Bubble Gang (Kung may edad ka na, mas masaya pa 'to sa pinaghalong Going Bananas at... student canteen siguro! haha!).

At kung personalidad din lang ang usapan, e talagang nagsta-standout ang lahat. May madaldal, meroong naman malakas ang boses, merong bibong-bibo, merong pasaway, may balidoso, pero lahat siguro maingay o makwento. Lahat mahilig kumain pero konti lang ang marunong magluto. May designated kusinero pa nga kami e. At gaya nga ng sabi ko, iba-iba man e solid naman ang samahan. Kayang-kaya ko sabihin na nagustuhan ko naman ang pakikitungo ng bawat isa. Ang galing nga nila e, napasayaw (kung maitatawag na sayaw) nila ako ng gwiyomi nung anniversary ng program sa Bayleaf Hotel. Walastik, sobrang hiya ko nun.

Ang mga ilang di ko makakalimutan na nangyari sa labas ng laboratoryo e yun mga kakaibang outing namin. Yung unang outing na nasamahan ko sa Laguna, nagulat ako. Mahigit 15 kami nun pero parang pang 4 na tao lang yung pool! Ang kakaiba din siguro e yung baon namin. Kung ang usong baong ulam sa outing e ang walang kamatayan adobo, sila ay sinigang na baboy ang dala. Hanep! Yung pangalawa naman nung Christmas party. Sumakay kami sa shuttle/bus nung institusyon namin. Dahil nga siguro gobyerno at nagtitipid, e parang pwede na dalhin sa junk shop yung shuttle. Hindi ko malilimutan nung umusok yung shuttle ng amoy nasusunog na goma sa SLEX. Ang kapal ng usok, ang baho at dumidikit sa damit.hehe. Iniwan na lang namin yung shuttle sa police station at binalikan kinabukasan. Pero ang mas nakakatuwa e yung sigla ng grupo na hindi nawala. Sumakay kami ng dyip na pampasahero. At imbes na ma-bad trip e lalo pa kaming nagkatuwaan. Gumawa pa nga kami ng laro sa loob ng dyip at sinali pa yung ibang pasahero na hindi naman namin kilala. Adventure din na matatawag yung lakad namin sa Siquijor at Dumaguete. Mahabang kwento 'to. Basta sobrang saya din. At walang aswang sa Siquijor! Ang dami ngang dayuhan na pakalat-kalat e. It's more fun in the Philippines!

Madami talaga akong natutunan, lalo na sa Microbiology. Ang dami naming nasalihan na EQAS. Meron sa Hong Kong (4 na beses sa isang taon), meron sa Salmonella, at meron din sa gonorrhea. Yung kaalaman mo bilang Med Tek, talagang lalawak ng husto. Nahirapan talaga akong sumabay dun sa galing nila. Siguro nga kahit papaalis na ako e hindi ko pa din naabot yung standard nila. Advance na kasi talaga, pang reference lab na talaga. Kaya kung nasa microbiology ka man ngayon or hindi at gusto mo ng training, dito kita i-rerefer.

Nakakalungkot lang talaga yung lumilipat ng trabaho. Nung unang lipat ko, hindi ko alam kung paano magpapaalam sa supervisor ko. Parang nakakailang. Parang nakakahiya. Parang hindi ko alam kung pano sisimulan. At nangyari nga ulit. Kelangan ko na magpaalam habang maaga pa. Mas nakakahiya at nakaka-argabyado kung tipong huli na yung pagpapaalam. Nilakasan ko na lang yung loob ko. Bahala na. Ayun sobrang lakas nung kabog ng dibdib. Nauutal-utal pa nga habang nagsasalita ako. Hirap mag-resign.

Pero lahat ng kalungkutan, kelangan talaga pagdaanan. Harapin ng ngiti. Ngiti na dulot ng alaala ng kasiyahan ng pagsasamahan. Kahit na yung pag-alis mo ang dulot ng lungkot, yun din ang gagamitin mo para bumawi. Nakakalungkot dahil hindi mo na sila kasama pero ngingiti at tatawa ka din pag naaalala mo sila. Kaya ang laki ng pasasalamat ko na maayos at masaya ang mga nakasama ko. Binaunan nila ako ng masasayang alaala na higit pa sa lungkot na madarama ko sa aking paglisan. Isang taon at kalahati na hinding-hindi ko pinagsisihan. Isang napakalaking pasasalamat mula sa isang nagpapakumbabang Med Tek.

Paki-share naman sa ibang Med Tek! Paki-kwento na may blog na ganito ha.hehehe. Paki-Like na din yung facebook account at pa-follow sa twitter (follow din kita). SALAMAT!

Pa-Like: http://www.facebook.com/MedTek101

I-follow sa twitter @BuhayMedTek

Bagsak ba ang ekonomiya ng bansa? Hindi kaya! Naka-SALE ang stock market! Ano pa inaantay mo? Invest na sa PSE (Philippine stock exchange)! Basahin mo 'tong post ko... http://medtek101.blogspot.com/2013/02/rising-tiger.html o kaya click mo to... http://bosanchezmembers.com/amember/go.php?r=15799

The Transition

2013-06-26T21:11:00.002+08:00

Change. It is the only thing that is constant in this world. In a field like Medical technology, we always tend to search for improvement. Looking for new discoveries, researching something new in healthcare, and finding the latest technologies and updates. As a professional, we are never satisfied so we broaden our horizons, open our minds and look for something not necessarily better but something great.

I have worked inside a clinical laboratory ever since I graduated college and passed the boards. I decided it's about time to try something new and challenging. From being a phlebotomist to a rotating Med Tek staff to a Histopathology staff to a Microbilogy staff (reference lab), I might say that I made it to all the corners of a clinical laboratory. And so, I sought for something different and new for me. Hence, I found a challenge and accepted it.

Perfusionist. Wikipedia defined it as "a specialized healthcare professional who uses the heart-lung machine during cardiac surgery and other surgeries that require cardiopulmonary bypass to manage the patient's physiological status". From the clinical lab to the cardiovascular OR. To be honest, I would see myself more as a researcher working for a private company rather than a perfusionist. After all, the latest job I had was at a reference laboratory in a research institution. It's going to be a big transition for me. That's for sure. But just like any other Med Teks, we adapt. It's in our nature. For example, if there's no more reagent for our machines, we do manual. If there is less supply, we make sure it's enough until the next delivery. If there's few syringes left, we make sure we never miss an extraction. It's in a Med Tek's DNA: the ability to survive, the ability to change and the ability to be better.

Facing a new phase in one's career is nothing ordinary to a Med Tek's life. You take a new course, you learn and you grow. Switching from one job to the other is difficult, it's probably harder if you're going abroad. It's hard to make a change. It's even harder to resign and make a resignation letter. It is a process, as one of my colleague would say. Transitions are never easy. But it would be great and fulfilling if you could overcome it. I guess as I start a new path in my career, I would use all the skills and knowledge that I acquired from my past experiences. As a Med Tek, I have always believed that it is innate to us that we are always ready for any changes or transition.

Tell your friends about medtek101.blogspot.com! God bless!

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Follow me on twitter @BuhayMedTek

*Shoutout to ARSRL (Antimicrobial Resistance Surveilance Reference Laboratory) of DOH-RITM! Thanks for sharing your knowledge, thank you for all the laughter, thank you for all the adventure, and of course, thank you for all the priceless moments! Thanks for the memories guys!

Stocks are down... A good time to invest?

2013-06-22T21:23:00.001+08:00

I almost had a month of silence. No post for my blog this June. Well, as you have read my last post, I just felt a little discouraged and depressed after the incident that happened. I just didn't feel like blogging about healthcare pros. I guess we just have to move on.

Speaking of moving forward, the stock market is moving... backwards?! Well, if you have been watching the news lately, you already know that the PSEi is down. The usual explanation they give is that foreign investors are massively selling. What does this have to do with medtek101? Nothing really. But I did wrote a couple of post that invited my fellow Med Teks to invest in the stocks. My stand now with the stocks going down is still the same. Invest wisely. Experts are even saying that this is the best time to buy stocks because market prices are cheaper. Again, make your own research or ask some people who you believe knows about these stuff. If you have a financial adviser, the better. Happy investing!!!

Tell your friends about medtek101.blogspot.com! God bless!

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Follow me on twitter @BuhayMedTek

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Disclaimer: Investments involve substantial risks. Medtek101 and/or the author of MedTek101 does not make any guarantees or promises as to any results obtained from reading this blog. The reader should not make any investment decision without consulting his/her financial advisor or conducting his/her own research.

A disappointing return

2013-05-25T20:17:00.003+08:00

Last week, I returned to the government hospital where I had my Med Tek internship. We transferred a relative who will undergo a possible brain surgery due to a traumatic head injury. Being back after five years or so, I could say that the hospital had a very few improvements. Not much renovations I should say. The quality of service is still far behind from that of a private hospital. It might seem unfair if I compare government and private hospitals but does it mean that our less fortunate fellow countrymen should be deprived of an excellent quality service? If I would not compare them, then it is as good as saying that the government should not improve the quality of healthcare services and hence do nothing.
Before I give my opinions to this matter, I'll share some few things that happened in the ER, in the OR, and the ward. First of all, I want to mention that the government hospital is a tertiary hospital with approximately 300 bed capacity which is located in Manila. (DAY 1) At the emergency room, we were endorsed to the neurology department but later transferred to the ER surgery department. They were evaluating our relative and after the evaluation, the doctors did not bother to tell us what's going on. We were asking nurses, and doctors as well, but we seem to be invisible to them. Of course, we got a little bit anxious and just like any hospital, they immediately respond to anxious relatives. They told us that they needed to run another set of exams, x-ray and CT scan. After these tests, they concluded that surgery is needed. They gave us a list of medicines needed for the operation. We bought it and gave it to them and they told us to wait outside the hospital until the operation was done. When the operation was done, we still could not see our relative, even when she was transferred at the ICU. And yes, we were still outside the hospital waiting to be called in case anything was needed. (DAY 2) When she was transferred to the ward, we finally saw her. After 24 hours of staying outside the hospital and restlessly waiting if our names would be called, we were finally able to go inside the hospital. The ward was clean, as they claim it. The small cockroaches freely crawling around the ward would say otherwise. Nurses can be frequently seen, I guess the RN heals project of our government has proved its efficacy. I do hope that they are compensated justly. Ironically, the response of the nurse's station is slow. Frequent follow-up is needed.
But the slowest response became the fatal one. (DAY 3) It was around 2 a.m. when we told the nurse station that the patient seems to have difficulty in breathing. The nurse in charge claimed that she already called for the resident doctor. As we have timed it, the doctor came more than 1 hour after we reported that the patient seems to have trouble breathing. After a few minutes after the doctor came, our relative was pronounced dead due to cardiac arrest probably secondary to acute myocardial infarction (heart attack).
The doctor did not even had the courage to explain what really happened. We only found out that cause of death was cardiac arrest secondary to AMI when we had the death certificate.
I don't know how to start and give comments about this matter. It's hard to separate your professionalism from your own personal experience as a patient's relative. I will try to be fair in choosing my words.
First, doctors or any health workers for that matter should be fair to all types of patients: rich or poor, charity patients or paying patients, indigent or not. It would also be easing for the relatives if doctors would talk them and give them an idea of what the patient is going through. Being uninformed makes the patient and the relatives restless. ICU and OR are restricted areas of the hospitals. Its sterility have to be maintained. But I have to point out that it would be decent if there is a proper waiting area for the relatives. "Cleanliness is next to godliness" as the saying goes. For crying out loud, it is a hospital. Being clean is not an option. It is a must. And get rid of your pest problems. I was actually pleased with the performance of the nurses especially the ones in the RN Heals program. I got nothing but praises. Finally, the biggest issue here is the response time. I don't know how many residents are supposed to be monitoring the wards. But all I can say is either the doctor is trying to revive another patient during that time or the doctor is simply negligent. It is your duty to save people's live. You made an oath, not the patient's relatives nor me. I have to strongly address that being late for more than one hour after being informed is unacceptable.
Going back memory lane and meeting old friends brings smile. Losing a loved one in a hospital you used to work for bring tears. Not just ordinary tears. These are tears of sorrow, tears of anger and tears of disappointment. I was hoping for something great when I re-entered that hospital especially after seeing some good old friends. But the story was different, there might have even been some patient negligence. It was a disappointing return indeed.
To all my fellow Med Teks and health workers, please treat every patient with utmost respect. Never mind if the patient is paying or indigent. Always remember that the patient is someone's relative, brother, sister, mother, father, best friend, family, or a loved one. To all the nurses, Med Teks, health pros and doctors to that government hospital that are giving their best everyday, thank you and job well done. To a certain Dr. G of that hospital, may you always sleep well at night.

Dedicated to our Ate Helen... May you Rest in Peace!

Evangelina "Ate Helen" Barroso (06/06/1950 - 05/15/2013)

Pic na naman?

2013-05-10T20:20:00.003+08:00

Isang post na walang kinalaman sa pagiging Med Tek pero napapanahon naman. Pansin ko lang... Ang daming tao na ang hilig kunan ng litrato ang sarili. Animo'y tuwang-tuwa sa mukha. Ang daming solo pic! Mahal na mahal yata ang sarili. Hindi pa nakuntento at sige ang bira sa pag-video sa sarili. Hindi pa kaya sila nagsasawa sa kanilang imahe na nakikita naman araw-araw mula sa pagising sa umaga? Syempre maghihilamos ng mukha sa harap ng salamin at sa paguwi ay magsisipilyo bago matulog sa harap ulit ng salamin. Tapos meron din syempre yung sa pagitan sa tuwing bibisita ka sa banyo o di kaya'y magrere-touch ng make-up kung kababaihan. Walang sawa na nakikita ang sarili pero kukunin pa din ang digicam o ang cellphone o tablet at walang habas na kukunan ang sarili. Gagawing wallpaper ng telepono, profile pic, ikakalat sa facebook o kaya'y mabilisang upload sa instagram. Ayos! Galing kasi ng teknolohiya e!
Dati kasi... Nung panahon ng betamax... Mahilig lang kumuha ng litrato yung tao pag kasama ang pamilya o mga kaibigan. Hindi uso ang solo pic. Maliban na lang siguro kung dalawa lang kayo. Pag may espesyal na pagsasalo-salo, handaan, pista o madalas pag birthday, dun maraming kodakan. Pwede din naman yung bakasyon o gala lang sa kung saaan. Maliban sa maiiwang magagandang memorya ng isang okasyon o handaan, nakakatuwa din na may maiiwang mga litrato para sa araw na gusto mo maalala.
Hindi naman sa naiinis pero siguro nakakairita lang. Bawas-bawasan lang ba... Maganda na din yun para makalaya ka naman sa cellphone mo paminsan-minsan. Baka kasi nagsasawa na yung gadget mo sa kaka-picture at video mo sa sarili mo. O di kaya'y sawa na din yung iba sa mukha mo. Konti lang siguro na diversity. Magsama ka ng kaibigan, ka-tropa, kapamilya, kapuso, kapatid para maiba lang. Opinyon lang naman.

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ESBL producers

2013-05-07T20:11:00.003+08:00

Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)

The picture below is a method to detect ESBL producers by using disk potentiation technique. Aztreonam (ATM 30ug) disk and Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid or Augmentin (AMC 30ug) disk are placed 1.5 cm apart on a susceptibility plate. Incubated for 18-24 hours. Positive results can be seen as shown exhibiting a "keyhole effect" between Aztreonam disk (ATM) and Augmentin disk (AMC). *A keyhole effect can also be seen between Ticarcillin/Clavulanic acid (TIM) disk and Aztreonam (ATM) disk.

* I will try to upload more (and better) pics of ESBL positive screening results.

ESBL are enzymes derived from mutations of TEM-1, SHV-1, capable of hydrolyzing extended spectrum cephalosporins such as cefotaxime, ceftriaxone but not cephamycins such as cefoxitin and cefotetan. These may be present and detected among enterobacteriaceae.

ESBL detection is very important in the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance. In 2007, CLSI (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute) recommended that all confirmed ESBL-producing strains should be interpreted and reported as resistant for all penicillins, cephalosporins (except cephamycins and Beta-Lactam/Beta-lactamase inhibitors, carbapenems) and Aztreonam regardless of in vitro results. This means that back then, an aztreonam with a zone of inhibition of 25mm, which is suppose to be susceptible, would be reported as resistant if confirmed as an ESBL-producer. But in 2010, these was changed. All results of confirmed ESBL-producers should be reported as is. This is still the recommendation up to now.

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Tropang Iskrab

2013-05-04T20:11:00.000+08:00

Hindi ko ito maitatanggi. Guilty ako dati dito. Dati ha. Sino sa inyo ang umuuwi ng naka-scrub suit? O kaya grupo-grupo na naka-iskrab papunta mall? Tapos manunuod pa ng sine o kaya e magkakape sa paboritong coffee shop. Welcome sa Tropang Iskrab!

Isang malaking pagkakamali na hindi na namamalayan. Pagkakamali na binabale-wala. Alam kung alam nyo na ang mga pwedeng maidulot pag hindi ka nagpalit ng iskrab tapos diretso uwi o mall o gala, pero bakit kaya ginagawa pa din natin? Ayan ha, sinama ko na ang sarili ko, tutal pareho-pareho naman tayong mga Med Tek di ba?

Pag hindi mo hinubad yung iskrab mo pagkatapos ng duty, pwede ka magkalat ng sakit. Yun ang pinakamabigat. Pwede mong mahawaan yung mga katabi mo sa sinehan, mga tao sa mall, kasamang pasahero sa jeep at bus, kainuman ng kape o alak at maging ang pamilya mo sa bahay. Pero kung alam naman ng lahat 'to, bakit marami pa din tayong nakikitang na-iskrab sa kung saan-saan? Tama ka, hindi lang naman kasi Med Tek ang naka-iskrab. Maging mga nars, caregiver, therapist, reflexologist, yaya, at kahit mga janitor naka-iskrab na din. Ang dami pla natin sa Tropa! All walks of life pa!

Pero balik tayo sa punto natin, madami pa din ang hindi nagpapalit ng damit o iskrab bago umalis ng ospital. Dapat kayang magkaroon ng patakaran ang bawat ospital na bawal lumabas ang empleyado na naka-iskrab? Magkaroon kaya ng sariling laundry para sa mga health professional sa loob ng hospital? Ang saya din nun noh? Araw-araw may naglalaba para sa'yo, at libre pa!

Hindi ko alam kung dapat sabihin na kasalanan ng mga propesyonal yung ginagawang pagala-gala habang naka-iskrab pero "propesyonal" nga diba? Dapat mas alam natin yung tama. Siguro mas magiging maayos kung disiplinahin nalang natin ang bawat isa. Hindi ka na kelangan sabihan ng supervisor mo, ikaw na lang sa sarili mo. Kung talagang gusto natin makatulong sa kapwa, siguro ito yung pinakamadaling gawin. Malaking responsibilidad ang maging Med Tek. Mas malaking kasalanan kung magiging pabaya. Hindi naman siguro abala yung magpalit ng damit bago umalis ng lab o ospital. E d pano yan, hindi ka na sasama sa Tropang Iskrab ha! Sabihin mo na din yung iba pa nating ka-tropa! Salamat!

I-share sa mga ka-Tropang Iskrab! Pakisabi na din bumisita sa medtek101.blogspot.com. Salamat at Mabuhay ka!

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Ganda na ng ekonomiya ng bansa noh? Ano pa inaantay mo? Invest na sa PSE (Philippine stock exchange)! Basahin mo 'tong post ko... http://medtek101.blogspot.com/2013/02/rising-tiger.html o kaya click mo to... http://bosanchezmembers.com/amember/go.php?r=15799

Para sa Med Tek

2013-05-01T20:43:00.000+08:00

Unang post sa unang araw ng Mayo. Sakto para sa ating mga manggagawa. Araw na natin 'to. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang patutunguhan ng mga isusulat ko sa post na 'to pero dahil nga araw naman ito ng lahat ng manggagawa, may karapatan ako na sabihin ang saloobin ko.
Una, dapat siguro magkaroon na ng fixed rate ang mga propesyonal. Ibigay kay Juan ang para kay Juan. Kung halimbawa e Php 11k ang minimum sa mga empleyado, e di yun ang ibigay. Pero ibahin naman sana sa mga propesyonal. Pumasa ang mga Med Tek sa boards, respetuhin naman sana ng mga employer pati na din ng gobyerno 'to. Hindi kami dapat kabilang sa minimum wage. Bigyan ang mga Med Tek at pati na din ang iba pang propesyonal ng nauukol na minimum wage. Nakaka-degrade kasi na pareho lang kami ng salary nung fast food crew. O kaya para kunyare hindi pareho e mas mataas lang ng P10-20 per day. Tsk tsk tsk! Nagkakalokohan naman e... Malaking mga hospital yung tinutukoy ko. Bato bato sa langit, ang tamaan may bukol!
Pangalawa, kelangan namin 'tong susunod talaga. Hazard pay. Uulitin ko in all caps. HAZARD PAY. Kung ayaw nyo bigay yan, e d sila ang mag extract sa taong may HIV! Ano? Kaya ba nila yan? Mag-examine ng sputum ng taong may TB, magbulatlat ng dumi ng tao ng kung sino-sino at magpatubo ng bacteria na multi-drug resistant, may iba pa bang gagawa nyan? At hindi na din pwede yung masabi lang na nagbibigay ng hazard pay. Dapat tama! (teka pang-eleksyon yun ah) Fixed din dapat. Mukhang tama ang 20% ng gross salary.
Ikatlo, siguraduhin ang kaligtasan ng bawat Med Tek (at lahat ng empleyado ng hospital). Ang ibig kong sabihin ay PPE (Personal protective equipment), health insurance at mga gaya nito. Hindi na dapat Med Tek ang bibili ng gloves at mask para sa sarili nya. Dapat may nakalaan na mga mask, gloves, goggles at lab gown para sa mga Med Tek kapag kelangan. Kahit na nasa hospital nagtra-trabaho dapat may health insurance maliban sa Philhealth. Minsan kasi kulang yung discount sa ibang hospital para sa empleyado at pamilya nito. Uulitin ko, dapat sana fixed para lahat makikinabang.

Kung tutuusin simple lang lahat ng hinaing na 'to. Dapat nga e automatic na yan lahat. Dapat nga ay hindi na hinihingi yan. Pero sana madinig 'to. Mas maganda kung magkaroon ng batas para dito. Bakit kaya hindi ganito ang pagusapan sa PAMET? Hindi yung puro lecture at sessions. Bakit hindi pakinggan yung saloobin ng mga Med Tek at ipaglaban. Hindi yung puro pa-cute sa komersyal ng sabon at sa iba pang mga med rep.

Isang makabuluhang araw ng manggagawa sa lahat! Mabuhay tayo!

Paki-share naman sa ibang Med Tek! Paki-kwento na may blog na ganito ha.hehehe. Paki-Like na din yung facebook account at pa-follow sa twitter (follow din kita). SALAMAT!

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May pera ka ba sa bangko? bakit hindi mo i-invest sa PSE (Philippine stock exchange)? Imbes na magdeposit sa bangko, bilhin mo yung bangko (bilhin ang shares)! basahin mo 'to... hindi ito scam... libreng e-book yan... ;) http://bosanchezmembers.com/amember/go.php?r=15799

Image source: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/801601/afp-no-security-threat-labor-day

Still not late to invest

2013-04-29T20:32:00.001+08:00

This year, I wrote three posts about investing. The Rising Tiger, the Rising Tiger 1.1 (mutual funds), and the I told you so. Just to make myself more credible when it comes to investing I searched the net for some sites that would support me. Again, I am a Med Tek just like you. I am not an expert but please believe me when I say invest now. Remember the mutual funds I've been saying? I've mentioned in my Rising tiger 1.1 post that there are a lot of good mutual funds including FAMI (or FMIC). Here's the link on how well they are doing in just the first quarter of the year: http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Finance&title=FMIC-nets-P2.3-billion-as-of-March&id=69123

FMIC is a part of the Metrobank group. Most people think that if an investment is not managed by a bank, then it is perhaps a scam. So for all the skeptics still out there, try Metrobank's mutual fund. BPI also offers mutual funds, and I'm not sure about BDO but maybe.
This post is another wake-up call for those of you who are still not investing. There are video links at the bottom of my blog about investing. It used to air at GMA news tv. The show is called Pesos and Sense and I believe it is sponsored by the COL financial group (formerly citiseconline).
Again, I am not a part of Metrobank or any bank, nor an employee or owner of COL financial or GMA. I am a Med Tek working as a Med tek. Period.
Search the net, ask the right people and do your own research and find out what investment is right for you.

Tell your friends about medtek101.blogspot.com! God bless!

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Party List for "us"

2013-04-27T20:07:00.001+08:00

Since the May elections is just around the corner, let's talk about something related to politics. I was browsing the Comelec website and I was actually looking for the list of senatorial candidates when I saw the candidates' list for party list (sounds redundant). I saw a specific party list for nurses. Then it suddenly hit me, do nurses belong to the marginalized and underpriveleged sector of our country? I guess the answer is yes because the Comelec qualified them to be a party list. First and foremost, I hope that nurses are not being represented by an opportunistic politician or a rich individual who has his/her own selfish goal. We already heard of these scumbags making a fool of our system. On the other hand, I do believe that nurses need the help of our government considering the lack of employment plus private companies trying to take advantage of these situation. If you have heard about the government program "RN heals", I personally think that it's more of a "RN hurts". Underpaid, less than 1 year contract nurses. I don't have to say much about that.
Now you're probably asking me what does this has to do with "us" Med Teks. The answer is a lot. Not only to us but other health professionals as well. While the government has its eyes on our nurses, other allied health professionals are being overlooked. No harm intended for the nurses. I just want to point out that Med Teks, rad techs, PT's, ECG techs and other health professionals should be represented as well. They are making laws to protect our nurses and give them jobs but how about the rest of us? They are trying to get extra plantilla positions for nurses in government hospitals but in the lab, Med Teks lack manpower too. Yes it's true. We lack manpower in the lab yet there is no salary increase to make us want to stay in the Philippines or attract Med Teks abroad to go back here and work. I would not say I envy the nurses because the government is trying to do something for them. I would rather say that the government should be able to do the same for all health professionals not just nurses.
Again, I would hope that maybe, just maybe, in the next election the health professionals would be represented (even behind a nurse's party list). It would be so much better if we could at least know that someone (or a party list) in the congress is making a bill or a law to protect our interest. It would be the best for all health pros to have a Party List that would hear us, fight for us, and represent us.

Tell your friends about medtek101.blogspot.com! God bless!

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DISCLAIMER: MedTek101 and/or the author of this blog are not recommending any party list or politician.

Tamang simula

2013-04-25T21:01:00.000+08:00

Bakit kaya sira agad yung araw mo sa lab kapag mintis yung unang extraction mo? Pag panget yung simula ng trabaho mo, parang pagod ka na agad. Parang kalahating araw ka na nagtra-trabaho. Hindi lang naman sa blood extraction. Minsan sa hema, parang sakit sa ulo agad pag puro may dengue yung morning pick. Toxic agad! Sa histopath, mas gusto mo yung maganda yung unang slide na gagawin mo. Minsan pinipili pa nga kung ano yung pinakamadali i-cut na tissue block para yung unang slide e perfect agad. Sa micro, ayaw mo na bumungad sayo yung plate na madaming mixed colonies, sakit din kasi sa ulo yung madaming ire-reisolate na colony. Sa blood bank din, nakakagulat din yung pagpasok mo e ang daming blood bags ang kelangan ng mga pasyente tapos kulang yung available na stock. Nakupo! Kung pwede lang magdonate ng sampung bag araw-araw e d ginawa na yun ng lahat ng blood bank staff. Sa madaling sabi, nakakasira ng araw kung panget yung simula mo sa trabaho. Sabi nga nila, "Start the day right." E pano nga ba talaga kung may halong malas yung araw mo?
Bilang Med Tek kasi, hindi naman maiiwasan yung ka-toxican. Hindi rin maiiwasan yung sablay n extraction. Hindi talaga maiiwasan yung mga problema sa lab. Ang tingin ko lang, bilang propesyonal, dapat handa tayo. Dapat marunong humarap sa problema, sa kamalian, sa ka-toxican kahit na kasisimula pa lang ng araw. Kung may mangyari sayo na 'di kaaya-aya, relaks lang... chill lang! Hinga lang ng malalim na parang kukunan ng dugo tapos back to work na. Ganun naman talaga e.
Wala naman kasing problema na hindi kayang lampasan. Sabi nga nung isang Med Tek na kilala ko, "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." Hindi ko alam kung saan nya sinotto yan. Pero tama naman. Sa propesyon natin, alam na natin yun. Routine na lang yan sa atin. Minsan ayos na din para magkaroon ng extra challenge yung "already challenging" na Med Tek life natin.
Basta ako, ayaw ko talaga yung panget na start ng trabaho. Mas gusto ko na swabe yung simula para tuloy-tuloy lang. Kamot sa ulo lang kasi yung solusyon sa missed extraction e. Joke lang ha! hahaha! Just do your best to start the day right. Kahit ano pa man yan, kahit gaano ka-toxic, matatapos din yan.

Paki-share naman sa ibang Med Tek! Paki-kwento na may blog na ganito ha.hehehe. Paki-Like na din yung facebook account at pa-follow sa twitter (follow din kita). SALAMAT!

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May pera ka ba sa bangko? bakit hindi mo i-invest sa PSE (Philippine stock exchange)? Imbes na magdeposit sa bangko, bilhin mo yung bangko (bilhin ang shares)! basahin mo 'to... hindi ito scam... libreng e-book yan... ;) http://bosanchezmembers.com/amember/go.php?r=15799

old friends, same laughter

2013-04-16T21:27:00.004+08:00

It has been a couple of years seen I last met my classmates in college. I graduated three years ago... Psych! Let's just say I haven't seen them for a long time. Half of them are still Med Teks, but in different field of expertise if I may say. Some are in research, some are in the reference laboratory, one in the nuclear medicine department, and some are in the heart station. Less than half were doctors. And the remaining few have taken a different career, not related to healthcare. You can just imagine how hard it is to schedule a date that everyone could attend. The doctors are the hardest to get a free day. It seems like they do not rest. Maybe they really don't. Most of the Med Teks were free on the weekend. And yes, I know what you're thinking, only senior staffs get an off during the weekends. We're not old, we're an exception. Haha!
Amid all the trouble getting our schedules right, we finally had a day when everyone is free. Although we still had a few colleagues who really wished could be there.

The reunion, sort of, was just crazy! It was a laugh trip. Everyone was just reminiscing the good old days. Everyone was just sharing stories that everybody still recalls. We all remembered this one time where we had to do an impromptu speech or act for our english class (I forgot what it was exactly but it was impromptu). I did a radio dj, one had to do a speech as a mayor, another one had to portray a diligent student. But the funniest ones were of course the unforgettable ones. My classmate, after reading what he has to do, just run across the front row and out of nowhere shouted "MOTHER!!!". Hahaha! I don't even know if you find it funny but it sure is to us. This was also the time when the infamous "CHETER" word was born, it's theatre actually. The group talked for hours about a lot of funny but memorable times during english class. I'm not sure why english class but I guess we were so active in this class. Kudos to Ma'am Aranda, I'm sure you're not reading this! We sang Bob Dylan songs (can't remember why). We sang the chorus ("the answer my friend is blowing in the wind!") but just hummed through the rest of the lyrics while our classmate who plays the guitar doesn't even know how to play the song. We did jazz chants or so we thought. I'm just happy I did not belong to other group who has to wear those stockings-like customes. Everyone was just laughing hard remembering all these. Even a phrase or just one word could make us smile. Examples are "Boneless", "RSJ", "Kangaroo punch", any words that rhymes with "chu" and many more. Who could forget Angel or Jollibee or Jeds Tonegawa or Aprub? Even the bad things were funny. In Filipino class, we had to report something that involves a process or proceso. I was surprised that some could still remember that I did an Origami. But the professor got angry that one of my classmate showed how to make pastillas. I guess she got angry because everyone was just eating during and after the proceso. There are other stuff that were bad that seems funny now but I chose not to write it. Hahaha. If playing inside the lab is bad, then I guess playing outside is just fine. But what if your 6 foot tall classmate is spinning your less than 5 foot classmate around like a centrifuge machine? I guess they had fun, they called their game: Centrifuge-Centrifuge.
And of course, back then we celebrate everyday for no apparent reason. So you could just imagine how we celebrate birthdays! Party?! That's just too lame for us. We went wild and had a trip to Manila Zoo! Hahaha. Those were the good old days.

We also talked about what we do now. How our lives are after college. But every time we talked about the present, it just connects everything to our college days. Then it ends up with a story back when we were still Med Tek students. We had a lot of fun back in college. The lectures and lab works were definitely taken seriously but with our class, it all felt light. The day we had was a crazy day to say the least. Everyone was just talking if we can do it again. Maybe not next month. Maybe next year. Or maybe after a couple more. But the bottom line is, we very much missed each other's company. And hell yeah, we're going to do this again.

Support my good friend and fellow Med Tek Dr. Lyka Medrano and get a copy of her book by following this link... http://central.com.ph/bookstoreplus/products/AAC248/

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I told you so!

2013-03-31T20:52:00.000+08:00

Hate to say it again and again but I TOLD YOU SO!

Maybe I'm one of the first Med Teks to encourage people, or rather fellow Med Teks, to invest in the stocks. I already made two post about investments last February. I suggest you invest through stock brokers (like COL Financial Group) or by mutual funds (like FAMI of Metrobank). Fitch, an international ratings firm, already acknowledge the Philippines as one of the countries in Asia where you can invest safely. They said that our economy is "resilient". Let's research and study facts on how to make good investments. Again, the time is now. Get up and invest! Some stock brokers and banks offer as low as Php 5,000.00. Investments are long term. Think of it as your savings for your wedding, or additional income for your children's education or as your retirement fund. I'm encouraging everyone not for my personal gain but for the same reason I'm writing these blogs: I want to help my fellow Med Teks. What are we waiting for? It's in the news, it's everywhere. Our economy is growing like a Rising Tiger! Research, think hard, and invest! Our incomes may not be financially competitive but maybe our investments would be...

God bless everyone!!! Share to all fellow Med Teks and health professionals!

For those who want to know more about invesments, scams, risks, and gains on investment. I found this link that I personally recommend that would help you answer your queries about investments. http://pesosandsense.com/top-10-investment-blogs/

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New MED TEKS!!!

2013-03-25T21:37:00.002+08:00

First and foremost, congratulations to all the newly passed Med Teks! All the hard work and sleepless nights had paid off. Don't forget to give thanks and praise to God for all the blessings you received. Give thanks to your parents, your family and your friends for their unconditional support. And of course, thank yourselves for being patient and focus throughout your review. Congratulate yourselves for a job well done! (Finally, some good news!)

March 2013 Medical Technologist Licensure Examination by Rappler Philippines

For the 10 examinees who Top the board...drumroll please...

TOP 10 March 2013 Medical Technologist Licensure Examination

God bless us all and have a blessed Holy week!

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Is there any other news?

2013-03-25T21:18:00.001+08:00

Now that is a good question. These past days were all about Kris Aquino and James Yap, and Heart Evangelista and Sen. Chiz Escudero. Is there really nothing else to talk about? The crisis in Sabah is not yet solved. I'm not in favor of war but I do think that the Sabah issue would be more interesting. And the Aquino-Yap feud, sorry to say but it looks like a one big showbiz stint. We all know who's the victim here. Not Kris nor James, unfortunately, it's their son. As for the parents of Heart Evangelista, let your daughter live her life! She's 28 years old! I am not saying Chiz or Heart is right (nor campaigning for the senator). I'm just saying that her parents should stop the drama. If you think that no one is good enough for your daughter, then lock her up in her room or put her in top of a tower like Rapunzel and wait for prince charming. I'm just getting sick and tired of all these stories that should definitely not be headlined. These people are saying they want privacy but they continue to make press conferences and live interviews. Stop it already! For Christ's sake, it's Lenten season! I hope the coming days would be a Yap-Aquino-Heart-Chiz-Free days! I hope they stop all the "controversy" or rather all the drama because it's really starting to get annoying. (Good thing some of them already left the country).

It's the Holy week. I hope everyone would move on from these news. On a good note since it's Lenten season, I hope that whatever issues they have, may they come to a mutual agreement, and maybe forgive each other since this is the time for forgiveness. May we all stop from all these negative things and reflect on the good things this coming week.

God bless us all and have a blessed Holy week!

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earth hour?

2013-03-24T19:17:00.000+08:00

Weird...and pathetic! People were saying that they joined Earth hour yesterday but posted their shoutouts at facebook and twitter during the Earth hour itself. Are you guys for real?!
I'm not anti-earth hour or anti-nature or whatever you want to call it but I sometimes thought these things are hypocritical. It's good to have an "earth hour" but some people are just doing it to be noticed. Like the people I mentioned above. If we really want to save mother earth, reuse and recycle. I'm no environmentalist. I just want to share my thoughts 'cause I got pissed at some people on facebook and twitter. Who likes people who pretend?

Picture source: http://swathipradeep-comics.blogspot.com/2010/03/earth-hour.html

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Sablay

2013-03-18T20:50:00.001+08:00

Unang post pa lang ngayong March. Napakabagal ko kasi. Pasyensya na. Madami lang ginagawa. Nakapag-invest ka na ba? Hindi pa rin?! Tsk tsk... Sablay yan. Pero 'eto muna ang isa sa mga gawa ko na sigurado akong makaka-relate ka. Pasok na siguro 'to para maging isang tula. hahaha!

Sablay

Lunes na Lunes, maagang gumising.
Bagong ligo, maagang pumasok.
Ang haba na ng pila,
Mga pasyente bumulusok.

Unang tusok sa unang pasyente,
Ayos na ayos, swabeng-swabe!
Sa ikalawang banat, magalaw na ugat;
Hindi nakunan, sa labi na lang napakagat.

Sablay!
Napailing.
Napakamot.
Parang katawan ay biglang napagod.
Parang nanginginig ang tuhod.
Pero tuloy-tuloy lang,
Daloy ng pasyente, hindi titigil yan.
Tusok lang ng tusok,
Matatapos din ang araw.
Pasyenteng hindi nakunan, 'wag nang pag-isipan.

Likas na buo ang loob,
Hindi dapat papa-apekto sa kamalian.
Trabahong minahal, 'di agad iiwan.
Suliranin man ay dumating,
Nakangiti na babatiin.
Sablay na tusok man ang makaharap,
Babangon sa pagkakamali sa isang iglap.
Med Tek, hindi mabilis matinag.
Hangga't may hawak na syringilya,
Bilib sa sarili, walang kaba!

Paki-share sa lahat ng Med Tek at Phlebo! Salamat!

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Para kumita ang pera na may mas malaking interes... basahin mo to... hindi ito scam... libreng e-book yan... ;) http://bosanchezmembers.com/amember/go.php?r=15799

Job alert!

2013-03-12T21:11:00.000+08:00

Looking for an alternative???
My good friend and fellow Med Tek Mr. Joyce Guiyab would like to invite everyone who are interested to join them in a new challenging environment to email and send their resume to joyce.guiyab@yahoo.com.
Further details could be seen below.

Ang Monday at ang Med Tek

2013-02-24T20:58:00.004+08:00

Bakit kaya madami pa ding pasyente ng Monday? Kung iisipin mo, mas konti nga dapat ang tao pag weekdays kasi pare-prehong may mga trabaho. Dapat mas madaming pasyente pag weekends kasi nga walang pasok. Pero konti lang ang pasyente pag Sunday. Minsan nga mas madami pang tao sa Monday kesa sa sabado. Akala ko nga dati hindi kasma ang mga hospital staff sa Monday sickness kasi nga wala naman tayong weekend off, pero nakakatamad pa din pala ang Monday. Ang daming tao, ang daming trabaho, ang daming follow-up! Mas madaming phone calls, mas madaming lab exams, mas madaming makukulit na tao! Lunes na naman. Napakatalinhanga mong Lunes ka. Biruin mo, nakakapagdala yan ng katamaran sa sanlibutan. Ang galing noh! Hindi mo naman pwedeng tanggalin yun. Pero kung sakali, magkaroon kaya ng Tuesday sickness? Siguro. Pagkatapos kasi ng napakasarap na off e biglang Monday na at balik na sa realidad. Kung nag Sunday duty ka naman, e petiks lang ang Sunday tapos pag pasok mo ng Lunes doble yung trabaho. Toxic!
Kaya pag tulog mo ng Sunday, parang ayaw mo na gumising ng maaga para sa Lunes. Alam mo kasi na balik trabaho na naman. Hay Monday... Pero kahit gaano kabigat ang katawan, kahit parang ayaw mo pa maghilamos sa sarap ng tulog mo, babangon ka pa din. Med Tek e! Maliligo kahit malamig ang tubig, magpapabango para hindi nakakahiya sa pasyente at sa madaling araw yan ginagawa lahat dahil bago mag-6am dapat nasa lab na. Grabe talaga ang Med Tek! Salat na salat sa dedikasyon. Parang ang laki ng sweldo at ang sipag mag trabaho. Hinaharap ang lunes kahit ang isip ay tila naiwan sa tinulugang kama. Ganyan tayo e, Med Tek pa! Tuloy tuloy lang. Kahit anong araw pa yan! Karamihan naman sa atin ay walang weekend off. Kayang-kaya naman. Nakakapagtaka lang talaga tong Lunes e. Buti na lang talaga... tayo ay mga... Oo, alam kong alam mo na. Med Tek! Tibay talaga!

Paki-share naman po. Ikalat sa mga Med Tek na sabik n sabik sa Lunes! Salamat ha!

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Rising Tiger 1.1 (Mutual Funds)

2013-02-16T19:53:00.001+08:00

In my recent post Rising Tiger, I've shared with you on where to invest your money. One of my suggestions was to get a mutual fund. I read the recent post and I felt like it was too technical. So I decided to explain what a mutual fund is in an easier way. Mutual funds, especially equity funds, benefit a lot from our rising economy. So here's something that may help you to understand mutual funds more.

A mutual fund is basically a pool of money from different people. Just like in banks, you earn through interests. But you also earn through shares. These shares have values. You earn more money when your share increases.

There are a few types of mutual funds, here's some of them:

Bond funds. I mentioned Retail treasury bonds(RTB) as one of my suggestions on my Rising Tiger post. In bond funds, they invest in RTB's to gain money. Since RTB's are government issued, bonds are guaranteed. If you're the type of person who wants a low risk investment, this fund is for you.

Equity funds. These funds invest in the stock market. A growing economy such as ours favors equity funds. *Since stock market is unpredictable, equity funds are said to be high risk.

Balanced funds. This is a combination of bond fund and equity fund. Moderate gain. Moderate risk.

Get a mutual fund that you feel that you are most comfortable. Some mutual fund companies even offers to assess you so you would know what fund suits you better. You can start as low as P5,000. Google search for mutual funds in the Philippines. There are a lot of them! FAMI (a Metrobank group), BPI, Philequity, Sun Life, and Philam just to name a few. I still believe that this is the right time to invest. I would not waste my time encouraging us Med Teks if this would not profit us in the future. Honestly speaking, we Med Teks are not justly compensated. I shared these information because I know that we deserve more. I know that our profession is not all about money, but don't we have the right to be financially competitive as professionals?

Still don't get what a mutual fund is? This video may help you. ;)

Sources: http://mutualfundsphilippines.net/
http://www.pinoymoneytalk.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/PesosAndSense?feature=watch

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Internship Syndrome

2013-02-12T22:54:00.006+08:00

Sakto 'to sa Valentine's day! At unang taglish post din ng medtek101! (Subukan din natin yung mala-Bob Ong at Tado Jimenez inspired na post) Una, bigyan natin ng malupit na definition ang Internship Syndrome o kilala din sa tawag na I.S. Naks! Napapangiti agad!

Ano nga ba ang IS? Ito ay ang namumuong pagtitinginan ng dalawang Med Tek Intern na naka-duty sa iisang hospital. Ito ay maaring bunga ng anim na buwan na pagkasawa sa isa't isa na naging sanhi upang makaroon sila ng mas malalim na pagkakakilanlan at pagkakaunawaan sa bawat isa. Oo nga naman, 16-24 hours mo ba naman kasama sa duty e, tapos araw-araw na regular duty pa (8hours din yun) talagang magsasawa ka at baka ma-"fall" ka nga siguro. Paano pa kaya i-describe ang IS? Subukan natin translate sa english. Internship syndrome is an emotional phenomenon that occurs between two Med Tek interns that have been together for many months getting them inclined to like each other. Emotional phenomenon? hahaha! Inaantok na yata ako. Pag na-IS ka kasi, parang hindi mo talaga choice yun e. In general, ang mga lalaki, physical attractness talaga hanap nyan sa simula. Sa IS, iba siguro. Kahit lalaki, minsan hindi pinapansin yung physical aspect pag na-IS siya e. Kaya siguro phenomenon yun! Pero sige, sabihin naman natin na choice nung lalaki. Nakagusto yung guy sa tipo niyang intern, syempre kukulitin ng kukulitin. No choice yung girl kungdi pansinin yung guy kasi ka-group e. Araw-araw kasama hangang night duty. Pag nagkick-in yung IS, swerte nung guy! At vice versa yun ah! May kilala ako, yung girl medyo... ahh.. ndi masyado ... ahh... pano ba? mabait yung girl! Basta "mabait" na girl tapos ok na guy. Yung mabait na girl lage nya kasama yung guy. Hinintay lang nung girl ma-IS yung guy, tapos sila na! Pag magkasama nga sila, sasabihin mo true love e! May itsura kasi yung guy pero yung girl... mabait! Kaya kung intern ka at nababasa mo 'to, maganda ka man, gwapo o mabait, magpa-cute ka na! Antayin mo ma-IS! Hindi din lahat ng IS maganda. Hindi ko tintukoy yung mga na-basted ha! (Aray!) Madami kasi ako kilala na na-IS kahit may gf at bf na. Magkahiwalay kasi ng hospital na-assign, kaya ayun, napalitan ang bf/gf dahil sa IS. Hindi daw naman nila sinasadya e. Acceptable ba yun reason na yun? Biktima ng IS? Meron din pala nun. Mahirap pala ang internship pag hindi mo ka-hospital yung bf/gf mo, parang long distance relationship. Dapat magkasama kayo ng bf/gf mo para hindi siya mabiktima ng IS sa iba.

On a serious note, internship would have not been memorable without these things. Kagaya ng hangout kasama ang mga ka-intern (kasama pati ibang school), chibugan (hindi ka Med tek kung hindi ka mahilig kumain), inuman, road trip, swimming, tambay, 24 hour duties, endorsement ng extraction, tulugan kahit night duty, marami pang iba at syempre ang IS. Your internship would not be complete without these things. Hindi lang puro theoretical at technical ang matutunan sa lab. Friendship and camarederie, not necesarilly IS, are also built during internship. Pero back to IS, alam ko majority ng mga Med Tek nakadama nito. Hindi naman kelangan naging kayo or nanligaw ka. Basta malamang sa malamang na-experience mo 'to. Imposibleng hindi. Siguro sinecret mo lang! hahaha!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY MED TEKS!

Share you IS story! I'll post it here! You'll remain anonymous if you want.

(email me at medtek101@gmail.com if you want to share your IS story/experience)

Leave your comments and suggestions below.

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Government vs Private: Where to work?

2013-02-09T20:12:00.002+08:00

I have been asking myself and some few batch mates this question ever since we passed the boards and looked for a job. I actually ended up getting a job in a private institution but now, I am currently working in a government institute. So now that I personally experienced applying for a job, working for and earning from both private and government institutions, let me share what I learned and try to answer the question, "Where to work?".

For newly passed Med Teks, the usual instinct is to get a job nearest home. The end result is working at a hospital most convenient to them without considering if it is a private or a public hospital/clinic. Honestly, I did the same thing. But I did inquire and applied to both big private and government hospitals.
When it comes to application and getting hired, here are the scenarios that came across. A certain well-known tertiary government hospital in Manila needs you to undergo a six months externship/training without pay and without any assurance of getting hired. On the other hand, two well-known private tertiary hospitals (one in Manila and one in Quezon city) wanted you to train for 3 months without pay but with assurance of getting hired (casual or contractual, not regular). Private and free-standing labs immediately hire RMT's and pay you during training.

About the volume of work, it all depends on how big the hospital is. But you have to consider that most government hospitals have fewer staffs compared to private hospitals.
Another concern is the income. I could say that this is one of the biggest factors in getting any job for that matter. People tend to get a job that would compensate for the work and effort that they give, especially us hard-working Med Teks. Truth be told, most government hospitals give a better pay than the private ones. They even have more benefits than private companies. But if you can find private universities with hospitals, this institutions would give their medical staffs discounts on their family's tuition fees if enrolled in their school/university.
Aside from income growth, you may also consider career growth and promotion. In a private hospital setting, the usual setup is you start as junior Med Tek. As years of service pass by, you become a senior and you might get a chance to be a section head. After more years of service and maybe a master's degree, you might be eligible for a supervisory position or as we call it, the chief Med Tek. As to rank and file, in a government setting, it might be a bit complex. The common entry position is the Laboratory Technician II (or its equivalent). Then, you might get promoted to Med Tech I, Med Tech II, and so on provided that there is an opening. There is also a strict requirement prior to promotion such as certifications or a master's degree.
When it comes to training and seminars, I think both private and government hospitals give their employees a chance to attend seminars. On a personal note, I only attended PAMET conventions sponsored by med reps when I was in a private hospital versus a couple of seminar and a convention in just 1 year in a government institution.
There are probably more other factors to consider in choosing between government and private. Choosing where to work will definitely be a personal preference. All these factors are debatable and would have to be considered. In general, I still believe that there is no specific answer to the question. Again, it all depends on the person and his goal. For example, the Med Tek is in need of money and a job immediately, he would probably opt to go for a private hospital or a free standing lab rather than go to a long process of employment in a government hospital. In contrast, a young newly passed RMT, who has all the time in the world, may want to consider a government hospital despite the long process. A Med Tek who does not want to work abroad might also prefer choosing a government hospital over a private one because of the income, retirement benefits and health benefits. (Thinking of working abroad? Read this - To leave or not to leave). As for me, I don't to leave you with a hanging question so let me answer it with a bit of courage. haha! I'll go with government hospitals because of better income and benefits. Plus, they give trainings (and sometimes out of the country trainings with pay!). But as for research and studies, not hospitals, I have to say private companies but just by a hairline. haha!

Med Teks... where to work? Leave your comments and suggestions.

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Rising tiger

2013-02-06T22:23:00.001+08:00

A slow start for MT101 this 2013. This is technically my 2nd post. A lot of crazy things just happened so I am going to try and bounce back. Although it's a slow start for MT101 this year, it has been a great start for the Philippine economy. The world bank even quoted us as the 'Rising tiger'. And yes, you're reading the same blog, this is still MedTek101 and I am going to say something about the economy that might help us Med teks too. Remember my first post of 2013? I said something about investments. I actually did my own research on investments and tried it last year. As I have said, our economy is growing so if you're planning to invest or earn more money from your savings, the right time is now. Here's a little something I learned that you can do aside from just putting your money on your savings account:

Get a Mutual Fund. A Mutual funds is a collection of money or funds that came from different individuals, investors and/or corporations. The funds are managed by a fund manager who will invest the collected funds/money through stocks, bonds, money market or another mutual fund. There are a lot of great mutual funds to choose from and some of them only requires you to start at Php 5,000.00 to Php 10,000.00. Banks like BPI and Metrobank (FAMI) offer mutual funds.

Retail Treasury bonds (RTB). These are government bonds. If you're worried about scams, then I'm sure that the government will not scam you. You can start as low as Php5,000-25,000. You earn a fixed amount of money every three months up to the end of contract which can go up to 10 to 20 years. I think they offer RTB's only twice a year. But if you're interested, you can inquire and avail through government owned banks like Land Bank.

Time deposits. Not sure about stock investments or mutual funds or RTB's? Try time deposits. Just make sure that the interest rates are higher than the inflation rate. I think that the inflation rates these days are 4-5%.

Invest in the stock market. In times like these, there is no better way to enjoy a rising economy but to invest through the stock market. It's so easy to invest through stock now. There is an online stockbroker known as the COL Financial group (former Citiseconline) which offers to be your stockbroker at a low investment of Php 5,000. They will even give you a free seminar on how to invest wisely. You earn money through dividends and capital appreciations. Ah...the terms are a bit technical but it just means you gain money over a long period of time. You buy shares from big companies then you gain when they gain.
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