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'Ephraim in the Philippines' >Mental Meanderings - week one |
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First Week of School Whoa. If there is something that sums up the first week of medical school, it is that word. It is both everything that I expected, and nothing of what I expected. Will the classes be tough? Sure will. Not only is the content complex, but the rate that it is taught is very fast. Now you throw in the language barrier. They teach primarily in English, but there is quite a bit of Tagalogue mixed in as well. Usually, it is the anecdotal information, rather than the hard science, but that is the stuff that helps explain the concept. That being said, every single one of my professors have stated that since there are "foreign students" in their class, they will make every attempt to speak English, and if there is something that is not understood then we can interrupt immediately. Next there is the technical side, which is about 15 years behind what Americans are accustomed to. For example, I have not used a microscope without a built in light since grade school. Even though there seems to be an ample supply of binocular, lit Nikon microscopes in the lab (and there is a TV co-focused with the lecturer's microscope), our class uses old microscopes with mirrors to send the ambient light through the condenser. For me, Mr. PowerPoint, this place is the stone age. Actually, it is in the midst of transition. There is currently one projector per department, and why waste that on freshmen? The good news is that some professors are offering extra credit in exchange for help in converting their lectures. Cha-ching! Another funny thing is that the desks are tiny. Tiny and uncomfortable. I am about the average size for a Filipino, but these are still too small. And, boy, do they pack them into a class room. There is plenty of room in the back, but the desks seem to migrate closer to the front on their own accord. One reason for this might be because the classrooms still have chalk boards instead of the high-contrast dry-erase boards to which we have grown accustomed. Perhaps it is because every class is taught by an MD, and the stereotype regarding their handwriting holds as true here as in any other place I have been. In any case, I am getting used to having someone's patella squashed into my gluteus for a three hour lecture. And I have given special attention to washing my own knees during every shower. Finally, the funniest adjustment is the fact that the often mentioned "Filipino time" is, in fact, a fact! Even in medical school. I have yet to have a class start on time, either due to the professors being late or the students still filing in the door. Another Phil-Am here, Keith, and I have also discovered that no two clocks in the school read the same time. There is as much as 26 minutes difference between class room clocks! Countering that, is the fact that our class section has the same schedule, which the professors know, and being late to another class due to the previous teacher letting us out late is perfectly acceptable (given the fact that this teacher can now keep us longer). Classes that should run until 6:00 pm will normally get out around 7, or 7:15. Kind of like a doctor's office, I imagine. Does that mean I am not happy to be here? Hell no! It means that when in Rome, you need to act Italian. I am glad I have the opportunity to learn. I am glad that there are no distractions. I am glad that I can afford it. I am glad that I can surround myself with like-minded individuals that share the same passion that I do; who understand the gravity of this commitment. Signing off, Ephraim ps: ask me if I am still happy around end of July - August. That is mid-terms. |
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