Well, hello there 2017 :)

I never thought this day would come, that I would get to write about tomorrow - my last duty as a first year Medical Resident on Duty. :)

Recalling the first few months of MROD-ship, my excited self has no idea of the many many tears that I will shed for the experience that I had. Then come the halfway point where despite being halfway there and in spite of the inspiring words of my seniors and the people I work with, I still thought about and was really into the brink of quitting (which eventually and thankfully passed!). So cheers to today, where we are about to pass on the first call status to our incoming and bibo first years! (definitely mas bibo samin :P) :)

So please indulge me as I recall last year's moments :)

First rotation as HSP. The first two to three months when we were still 21 (for a few weeks :p) - when we were learning the ropes, getting a real grasp of the system that we joined into. My first of the many ICU transfers and OPD where we get our very own PF (ie penoy and family mart goodies). :p

Lookie, then OPD intern now first year MMC MROD :) Good luck Oliver!:)

The chaos, the noise and everything in between during morning/afternoon endorsements :) The walls of this call room which has probably heard all the rants and the tsismis of the day. 

The rare moments you get to see each other inside the callroom - mostly for CR or water or air or crying breaks. *hingang malalim pagpasok* "Ayoko na" *hingang malalim bago lumabas* and then kinain na ng floors.

The couch which was our sole source of comfort when trying to sneak in 30 minutes turned 1 hr turned 2 hour naps and the "shocks calls!" "shocks beeps!" and the worst of it all - "namatay yung phone ko!" 

Or sometimes sneak those naps while doing histories :p hello Jane!:) 

Who wouldn't forget the many many nights of completing records, making abstracts when all you really want to do is curl up in bed and have a good night rest - but alas, either you complete it or you suffer the consequences. hihi.

Round table discussions, conferences and medical missions in and out of the hospital which has contributed a lot to our growth (physically! hahaha). The countless freebies, free food, free coffee and free learning (chos:p) which was actually really converted to free time to sleep (wag gayahin haha) :p 

The rare times we get to go out of the hospital and actually have some Vitamin D if we are lucky :p Mostly though, our going out is still about nurturing our physical growth - eat out!

The growing PGH 2015 family in MMC :) Welcome Franni, Joseph and Ruvz! :) Enjoy the cold! haha:p

Grateful for these two people who made last year really more than bearable - "tara bili tayo ng coffee", "dinner sa condo!", "Ayoko na pumasok - me toooooo."; 

Of course, to the person who introduced me to MMC - Thank you for all the help, for listening to everything, for the random breakfasts, for being an awesome neighbor na nagpapaligo, for being a good colleague, an awesome kapalitan and above of it all a great friend, I love you Jar!:)

This next picture deserves a space here - not only because I am with the most supportive person in my whole wide universe but because this was taken the day after my "quitting moment" hence the puffy eyes trying to be covered by the eyeglasses to no avail of course (I think I was crying for 12hours. haha.). It was really my most down time. Never have I thought that such time would come when I would call my parents crying on the phone and saying "Ayoko na." When I no longer cared with the infinite texts and missed calls concerning patients and that I no longer cared at all. When what I only hear were words with no meaning from my seniors who painstakingly encouraged me that I can do it.  This was my lowest point and it would forever remind me of what I had to go through to be here. It would remind me that I have it in me to go on and to continue. It would remind me that I can always cry and be okay after. :)

And now, we're here - 11 months (next picture taken during my birthday!) and 12 months after :) Stronger, happier, unfortunately mostly still pasaway (yes, yes we know.) but hopefully wiser. We may all have different work ethics, different personalities but we are one batch and we all have that one dream that's why we're staying. :)

First year MRODship was difficult that I wouldn't want to go through it all again. But I know there will be more difficult years ahead with more and more responsibilities at hand. If there's one thing which prevented me from quitting, as cliche as it may seem, it was remembering why I started. Each day, I pray to be better because ultimately it's for the people I will help in the future. So let's take one year, one day at a time until we get to the dream. :)

Recounting those sleepless nights, my forever tired legs and all the time devoted to mastering this specialty, I am grateful to have come this far. Armed with everything I gained last year - mentally, emotionally, spiritually (and yes physically!) with all the people - family, Robert, batchmates, all our seniors, consultants, everyone in the health team I worked with - who made last year memorable and a good one, I welcome 2017 with a big smile and a ready heart :)