WHILE many of us would do almost everything to achieve our selfish ambitions, only a few would put the same effort to realize a dream of serving others in their most vulnerable state.
Ben Jay Porcadilla, MD, is among the few who think of others while he pursued his dreams of becoming a medical doctor.
He graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology at San Pedro College in Davao City and finished his Doctor of Medicine at West Visayas State University College of Medicine in Iloilo City in 2014.
The steps to become a doctor were not that easy for him as he had to go through four years of pre-Medicine course and another four years of the actual Medicine course.
“After graduating Medicine you have to go through another year of post-graduate internship in your hospital of choice before taking the Physician Licensure Exam. After getting that license, I thought everything would be like a walk in the park. (But) instead it was just the beginning of another hellish struggle with the Residency Training. (It) was tougher than what I’ve been through already,” Dr. Porcadilla shared in a Facebook messenger interview.
He said being a doctor was always a childhood dream for him but more than that, he chose to study medicine after he graduated from college because for him being a doctor is a vocation that suits his personality which is caring.
“Caring for patients as people really is at the heart of Medicine, and it’s a great privilege to be able to help people when they’re at their most vulnerable state. The feeling of fulfillment after seeing a patient recover from his/her illness is really rewarding and it makes me strive harder in what I do.”
He also considers Doctor of Medicine a giving profession. “We train for many years so that we can have the skills in order to serve patients in the future. It requires sacrifice and dedication to a cause greater than ourselves,” the young doctor said.
He also narrated their daily routine and the goings on with a doctor’s life, saying “We’ve been working 10 hours to 36 hours straight. Then we’re expected to study every night when we get home.”
The frantic schedule of a doctor’s life hinders them from getting a good night’s sleep most of the times.
“We even skip meals just to attend to our toxic patients,” he added, describing toxic patients as harsh and disrespectful people or those who are critically ill.
The offspring of Benito and Belen Porcadilla admits that though as a doctor, he often misses special occasions and family gatherings because of hospital work, sometimes they get to a point of being depressed and depersonalized, but all of these are worth it after being thanked by a patient whom they have helped get well and feel better.
“I know all of these struggles will be worth it especially when your sick patients thank you for making them better and discharging them with an improved condition,” Dr. Porcadilla said.