Hops 7: Dr. Patricia Asuncion

Medicine requires stamina and grit. Studying past midnight, being on duty during a holiday, missing family events or hangouts, are not uncommon in the field. As the summer approaches, some of us may be yearning for a break especially in these unprecedented times. With this, we asked one of our alumni, Dr. Patricia Asuncion, Phi 2011B, UPCM 2016, how one could  keep things light and fun in med school.  

​“People have this idea that medicine (both studying for it and having it as a vocation) can be physically, mentally, and spiritually draining. How do you make med school fun? Do you have any fun med school stories that you would like to share?”

When I found out that I got accepted in UPCM 10 years ago, I remember feeling two things: first, excitement because I got into my dream medical school; second, fear. Fear that I was going to give up my social life and live away from my family. 

My high school and college friends congratulated me with “We’re so proud of you! ‘Wag mo kami kakalimutan ah? Magpakita ka pa rin! Sumulat ka.” As if I was going to go abroad and phones weren’t invented yet. 

They say med school will suck the life out of you. It will, if you let it. Looking back, did I regret my decision? Sometimes. If I wasn’t a doctor, I’d probably be married with 2 kids right now. But did I enjoy it? Yes!

With my BFF and roommate, Camille and then new found Imed friend, Jio at BSLR-West

1. Take a seat somewhere else you don’t usually sit.

Seating arrangements could change your life. During the first sem I stuck with people I knew from college. They were my seatmates — some were even my roommates. There were times when it gets tiring seeing the same faces for the whole day. Until one fateful day, I decided to take a giant leap across the next row of seats behind me. There, I found… a new seatmate (duh!). And yeah, a lifelong friend. This is the simplest best thing you can do. 

2. Med school isn’t all about studying.

Contrary to popular belief that med school isn’t all about studying, there are actually a lot of avenues for you to get involved in the different projects and events in med school. During LU3, EVERYONE is required to participate and bring out some form of talent for TRP. Believe me, when I say everyone becomes talented during TRP. If you are athletic, join any UPCM sports team and compete in Palarong Med! I was part of track and field and touch football in high school and college. Going to med school, I thought I was going to bid farewell to sports. To my surprise, there was an equivalent UAAP sports event in med school which was Palarong Med. Although my sports were not included, I decided to learn and join the women’s football team. It was fun trying a new sport with med students from different year levels as your teammates! Clerks and interns were still present during games – imagine, still being able to play a sport even when you’re tired from duty! It just goes to show how much time you can actually give to something you are passionate about.

Holi Festival Themed TRP in 2015 with my batchmates, PHIerce

UPCM Men’s and Women’s Football Team during Palarong Med 2012 with past dean – Dean Mejia. Shout out to my Phi teammates: Chax, Panic, Marla, Nino, Mamu, Manzo, Carl, and Waxx!

With my batchmates, Angeli and Gellai and BFF Jow, most likely after 2-hour-worth of studying in Coffee Bean Adriatico in the era of Ipad Minis and 10 megapixels

3. Go on dates.

I mean, study dates. No, not the ones where you eat in some fine dining resto with some guy where you all dress up fancy and cute only to have that guy try to hold your hand as you wait for your Grab. No. I’m talking about gathering your closest friends, opening a book, and reading together in silence. This is better than reading alone in your room. You can even spice it up (spice up a study date? how?) by going to Makati, BGC, or even Tagaytay! In my case, my batchmates — Gellai and Angeli — and I would drive to BGC, study together for 5 to 120 minutes depending on our mood, then get some pandesal from a nearby Pan De Manila, buy a cheap bottle of booze from 7/11, then talk about life and dream about the future.

4. ‘Wag jumowa ng classmate.

7 times out of 10, ‘di mo siya mahal. If mahal mo talaga and you both know it, congrats. Ikaw na mahal ng Diyos. But otherwise, no. Imagine breaking up with that person then seeing that person everyday for the next five years. That’s not just awkward. That’s the 10th circle of hell. You can landi, but landi responsibly. 

A reason why you should landi responsibly: UPCM Chismis; TRP 2011

A random day at Oarhouse in 2012 with Phi ‘06 to Phi ‘12 sisses and brods

5. Be stupid sometimes.

Med students. They study hard and party the hardest. Chances are, your friends and classmates will find a reason to party. Halloween? Christmas? New Year? Birthday ng pet dog nilang si Brownie? Check — it’s party time! Yes, I know that drinking is unhealthy and you should be studying but will you not want to see your friend sway and stumble on the ground, saying “I Love You” to anyone? Of course you’d want to witness their stupidity before they become prominent doctors and leaders of society in the future! Also for me, it kind of helped me build strength in powering through my classes and duties. Partying can be good training too. 

6. Manila is not just the space between Robinson’s Manila and UP Manila. 

It’s Rizal Park. The Planetarium. Museum of Natural History. Manila Ocean Park. Binondo. As you reach LU5, you’ll realize that you don’t need to study everyday for weekly exams — and no, I’m not just being lazy. After an exam or even when you wake up from your post duty nap, why not visit one of the places I mentioned above. One of the best things I did was visit the National Museum during one post duty day to please my inner hipster self. I also remember having a Binondo food trip with my Pedia residents after a long and busy Pedia ER duty. I also visited one of the most famous and iconic sites in Taft Avenue: Flaming Wings. Yes, I thought they were only in Katipunan — exclusively serving UP Diliman, Ateneo, and Miriam students. But I was wrong. See? You learn new things. 

My friends and I at the Carlos Celdran Tour in Intramuros. Yes, this was in Intramuros and not just some random garden.

My ICC blockmates and I in Boracay – on a Tuesday in 2013

7. Get out of Manila as often as you can.

If you have already seen all the beautiful paintings in the National Museum, taken enough selfies in the Planetarium, had your fill of dumplings in Binondo, or have your purse snatched at Rizal Park, then it’s time to venture outside. Use your weekends or your intermodules wisely. Go to the beach! Go hiking! Go camping! Do whatever you like as long as it’s not in the city of Manila. I remember being an LU5 student, when we went to Boracay — on a Tuesday! Who would’ve thought that was possible? I think it was during internship when I had the darkest skin I ever had due to how often I went to the beach.

8. Do things that are not “med school” stuff.

Med school routine will burn you out. Hence, it’s best to get out of that cozy bubble and try something new. For me, it was film photography. Remember tip 1? Well, sitting in another seat gained me a friend who was also a photographer on the side. There, we started organizing photowalks in Manila with our other classmates. We even bought old film cameras at Hidalgo Street and carried my QC-sheltered self to Quiapo. Another hobby I got to do (if it was a hobby) was attending gigs. My sheltered QC self was now able to go to the grimey dungeons of Saguijo, B-Side, and 19 East. I was even able to see Up Dharma Down before they got “popular”. That was me. For my other friends, it was yoga, marathons, rowing, painting, and others. You don’t lose anything trying something new. So just try and try and don’t limit yourself. 

Photowalk in Quiapo using Canon QL in 2011

9. This is your second chance of being a student. So be a student wisely. 

You are now a 20-something year old student. You’re at the peak of your life, and yet you are still doing “student things”. Enjoy it. No, I don’t mean to get drunk everyday and flunk your subjects. Be a student wisely. Go where it is that you’ll have the most meaningful fun. Attend school events and traditions. For me, one of my most favorites was Lady Med. Now speaking as a Rupaul’s Drag Race fan, I can’t believe that back then I was somehow living my drag dream by transforming straight male students into queens and have them compete in a pageant. We were make up artists, backup dancers, video editors, and stage personnel. It was such a fun class production! Another med school tradition I was able to enjoy was SUNOG or PURI where interns cheer on their favorite people and shout at the people they despise. This seems disruptive, but trust me it is very therapeutic. Please thank our class for our sunog efforts and successfully abolishing PACU (Anesth post op) monitoring for it was such a pain.

Sunog-Puri 2016

10. Join Phi

This list wouldn’t have been possible if not because of my Phi sisses. If not for Phi, I will not be giving tips like this. I will just be saying tired phrases like “Study hard.”, “Don’t dull your sparkle”, “Be your best self”, etc. Because of Phi, I found new friends and family in my sisses and brods. It opened the door for me to gain lots of experiences in med school. We studied, we partied, we travelled, we contributed to society, we learned new hobbies together, you name it! I will be forever grateful to my sisses and brods for joining Phi was truly the best decision I made in med school.

You may think that me and my friends were delinquent students. Trust me, we’re not. We just found the best way of balancing studies and enjoying our youth. After all, we were 20-somethings looking to live the best life possible. A lot of the craziest people I know graduated with honors. A lot of those “party people” ended up topping our class, eventually becoming chief residents and fellows. 

You will not remember med school in your room leafing through a 1000 page book. What you’ll remember are the drunken nights with friends, the hustle and bustle of pulling off a school event, and going to places with your most favorite people. 

Once this pandemic is over, my wish for each and everyone is to get out and LIVE. ☺