Moving To The Philippines: The Countdown Begins

We are down to our final days on the island!!!

No, we haven't packed. Still.

We have been too busy maximizing our healthcare benefits, so to speak. Come to think of it, we typically do such things in certain circumstances such as switching employers or in this case...moving to another country.

Earlier this week, I couldn't understand why my husband was in such a rush to get me out of the house. He wanted to go out for a scenic drive around the island...after all, we only have a few days left to soak it all in. As I got in the car, I found myself pleasantly surprised...

Gourmet chocolates and coffee from Padovani's Chocolates!!!

My husband had purchased this edible, heart-shaped candy tray just for me. Isn't it pretty??

Observing National Doctors' And Mid-Level Providers' Day

Did you know that today's National Doctor's Day?

Some healthcare facilities in the U.S. mainland also consider today as "National Doctors' and Mid-Level Providers' Day". Mid-level providers are our Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners--they are our "Physician Extenders" and their work must not go unnoticed or unappreciated.

Today, I sent a thank-you email to my OB doctor. She is the best OB, ever!!! She has a good bedside manner and she provides thorough explanations to reassure her patients and give them enough information re: their care plan and situation. I'm not a very patient person (working on the "patience virtue" every day) and whenever I'd see that my OB is running late, I'd sit and smile, not minding at all. Why? Because I know exactly why she's running late: she takes time to provide each patient with the best care possible. She definitely is one who goes the extra mile. Yesterday, she even called my husband's phone when I failed to see her calling my phone. She wasn't even in-clinic (she was on hospital duty) that day but she decided to call me about my email, anyway. Frankly, I am not used to this kind of excellent, personalized service from a health managed organization (HMO)...or even from private practice!

I also plan to mail a thank-you card to our Allergist (since I keep on forgetting to get his email address). Earlier this week, he saw our family sitting at the Pharmacy waiting area, waiting for our Travel Medicine and Allergy medications. He waved to get our attention (since I was staring off into a far, far, distance) and the moment we noticed him, he started walking towards us. He asked how one of our sons was doing since he had just gotten the flu shot; he wanted to make sure that our son no longer had an allergic reaction (since he had a severe allergic reaction to it many years back when he was only a year old). How nice was that?!

We Just Paid $427 For Our Travel Medicine And Allergy Rx For Our Move To The Philippines

Yikes!!! We just paid $427.00 for our Travel Medicine and Allergy medications!!!

On a brighter note, it would've cost even more if we didn't have the "premium [health insurance] plan" that's offered by my husband's employer--of course, we have to pay a higher premium per month but with our family's high utilization, it's worth having a smaller co-pay for office visits, prescriptions, and procedures.

Photo Taken During Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2010
Military Training Exercise in Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH)
Photo opportunity provided by Marine Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC)
and MCBH Public Affairs

What can I say, our family's medical and dental appointments make me feel as if we're on an obstacle course: one down, fifty more to go...and that's just the warm-up for round 1!!!

Well, we finally tackled our Travel Medicine and Allergy appointments! It seemed as if we were in-clinic all day. It felt like an entire work day and we came home with two huge, brown paper bags filled with prescriptions.

Other than making sure that our immunizations are up-to-date (i.e. influenza, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Polio, etc.), we also had to take home a ton of prescription medications (and some) per our "Travel Medicine - After Visit Summary", which include (but are not limited to)...

Pre-Geeking Out: Already Preparing For The USMLE

It's like Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3 of the USMLE!!!

Last week, I convinced my husband that we need to buy the USMLE Step 1 First Aid 2013 book as well as the Rapid Review Pathology by Goljan book. The intent is to familiarize ourselves with the materials so that we could cross-reference them during our 1st and 2nd year in medical school in the Philippines.

In addition, we went to Kinko's after picking up the books at Barnes and Noble. We were able to get both books hole-punched (spines removed) so that we could put each of them in a 3-ring binder. This would allow us to easily insert notes / paper in between the pages, as needed.

I'm no Science major, so I can tell you now--when I saw the photos / illustrations in both books, they seemed quite foreign to me.

Attempting To Align Philippine Undergraduate Medical Education With California Requirements

Pebble Beach, California

This blogpost is a continuation of my attempts to dissect the Medical Board of California's licensing requirements for International Medical Graduates (IMGs).

I called the Medical Board up this morning and was redirected to someone's voicemail, twice. According to the recording, I should hear back from them within two business days.

So, I decided to do my own research to try and understand California law to the best of my ability.

The following screen shot caused me to wonder how IMGs can remediate their undergraduate medical education in the event that their curriculum does not meet California's physician licensing requirements, specifically the requirements stated in the Business and Professions Code Section 2089(b).

The Road To Our Application To A Philippine Medical School

A glimpse of the Philippines while aboard Philippine Airlines
during one of its descents in September 2011

We've hit a huge milestone, by God's grace! With His help, we have passed the preliminary stage of our journey into attending medical school in the Philippines: that is, the application process.

From considering the possibility of going to medical school in our 30s (with kids in tow), to researching and agreeing that going to a Philippine medical school is a viable option, to seeing that this is where God is leading our family, to preparing and sitting for the Philippine National Medical Achievement Test (NMAT) in Los Angeles, to compiling our documents to complete our medical school application process, to conducting our interview via Skype, and finally...to progressing to the next stage: getting accepted into medical school!

Dissecting The Medical Board Of California's Licensing Requirements For IMGs

A major concern of international medical graduates (IMGs) is that their foreign medical school's medical curriculum may not meet the medical licensing requirements observed by certain State Boards in the United States.

While my husband and I are not sure if we will eventually be practicing and settling in California, we thought we'd go by the Medical Board of California's requirements since it has been concisely laid out for us on their website (and from what we've heard, it has one of the most strictest licensing standards).

We thought it would be helpful to compare the State Board's current requirements with a preferred Philippine Medical School's current medical curriculum...

Overwhelmed, Less Than A Month Left In The United States

We have less than a month left until we depart for the Philippines. We still haven't packed. We just bought our plane tickets last week. This past week has been filled with funerals, birthdays, and doctor's appointments. We have even more doctor's and dentist's appointments--and procedures--that lie ahead, prior to our departure.

We still need to do our taxes. And some.

We still need to get rid of our cars.

We still need to get rid of some real estate.

We still need to straighten out our children's school enrollment/dis-enrollment from school.

We still need to decide if we're going to bring our dog with us (he's not even with us in the State of Hawaii right now--he is on the U.S. mainland).

Thankfully, God has already blessed us with a place to stay in the Philippines while we attend medical school. Thankfully, He recently allowed us to get accepted into medical school! 

With such blessings come great responsibilities!!! 

My Good, Bad, And Ugly Experience With Combat Veterans

An older photo of historic aircraft located within the hangar
of the Pacific Aviation Museum - Ford Island, Oahu, Hawaii

Just yesterday, I crossed paths with a spouse of a combat veteran (her husband had lost his leg). She was a very nice lady, who just randomly started telling me that if I were to ever have the opportunity to live, work, and study overseas--do it.

A few minutes later, I ran into a combat veteran who had gotten shot at and landed on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). He limped his way to the door with a walking cane on one hand and insisted that I walk ahead of him while he held the door open for me.

Truthfully, I wanted to be the one to hold the door open for him, but it was clear that he still wanted to be a gentleman despite his condition. Sadly, there are men out there who no longer want to make the effort to be a gentleman--and they could walk on both legs perfectly!

I thanked him for his kind gesture as well as his service, to which he replied,

"It's been fun!"

Airline Tickets Booked, Med School Reservation Fee Paid

The aerial view from SFO to HNL during sunset

Things have gotten even more hectic upon getting accepted into medical school in the Philippines. In the last two days, we have booked our flights to Manila. It isn't the most straightforward itinerary, mind you, since we still have to make a few trips to other places on the U.S. mainland and make arrangements to pick up our dog (yes, our dog--this would probably have to be a blog post of its own).

Also, we were able to pay for our reservation fee in the amount of PHP 20,000.00 per student via bank to bank transfer. This secures our spot in medical school. Last year, it was only PHP 5,000.00. What a huge jump this school year!!! This amount applies to both local and foreign students. Thankfully, it will be credited to our tuition payment.

These are all the updates for now. I'm dead tired. For sure, I'll be even more tired in the days to come, especially as we progress into med school, clerkship, electives, residency, and more...

Finally Accepted Into Medical School

Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Manila, Philippines

This is the moment that we've been waiting for: my husband and I have been accepted into medical school in the Philippines!

By God's grace, our Skype interview this past Sunday went well.

Two of the many things that happened today: 1) my husband and I both received our Letter of Acceptance into medical school and 2) our church family threw us a farewell or "despedida" party.

Things sure are happening fast!!!

Soon, we will begin our search for airline tickets to Manila, not to mention pack our bags and ship some boxes.

It was just like yesterday when we started this journey...five months ago, we decided to take a shot at taking the Philippine National Medical Achievement Test (NMAT). I'm convinced that we still haven't fully recovered from that experience. Today, here we are, preparing to move to the Philippines--for sure.

God is good! Amazing.

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." - Philippians 4:13 KJV

DISCLAIMER: I am by no means affiliated with any of the organizations listed in this blogpost. For the most accurate and recent information on any of these organizations, please visit their website or contact them directly.

Philippine Medical School Interview Scheduled For Next Week

Yesterday, we received confirmation that my husband and I are scheduled for an interview next week with one of the faculty members of the Philippine medical school of our choice. We will be doing the interview via Skype! Thankfully, they could accommodate us this way so that we wouldn't have to fly all the way over to the Philippines just for the interview.

After the interview, we'll find out if we get to be accepted into medical school or not. We really hope that we could find out on that same week, if possible, so that we could make preparations for the move as well as purchase our airline tickets.

If only...

From what I was told, enrollment will be sometime during the first week of May; this means, we should plan on being in the Philippines by the final week of April, at the latest.

In the meantime, we hope to find someone who could watch our baby while we pack our things. There are a myriad of things that we have yet to do to prepare our family for the big move (nope, can't press the "Easy" button on this one).  As with everything, we trust that God will make a way for us to accomplish all of our tasks.

A Timeless Channel Of Blessings

Sunset at Ko Olina Beach Resort - Oahu, Hawaii

Farewell, my brother-in-Christ.

Upon checking my email today, I learned that my friend, an American missionary to the Philippines, recently passed away on February 16th. He suffered from a brain tumor. He is survived by his wife, a Filipina; she is very gracious and has the sweetest smile. They also have children whom I got the opportunity to briefly meet on another trip that followed years later.

Our Philippine Medical School Application Documents Have Arrived

Footprints in the sand @ Waimanalo Beach Park

Our medical school application documents have come a long way!

Today, we were informed that our documents have been reviewed by our preferred Philippine medical school's Office of Admissions and that they have been forwarded to the College of Medicine for further review.

We are very grateful to God that our documents were not lost on the mail nor were they misplaced during the hand-off process. This has already happened once while the documents were still here in Honolulu.

Now, we are waiting to hear from the College of Medicine with regards to when they will be scheduling our interview. According to my most recent conversation with their Office today, they plan on reviewing our documents on Thursday, February 28th.

My Philippine NMAT Result And Study Strategy

It has only been a little under four months since my husband and I had started to consider going to med school together. It was then that I also started scouring the web for resources for prospective medical students who are interested in going to medical school in the Philippines and are intending to do their residency in the United States. It has been (and continues to be) very challenging to find relevant information in any one place; it has been very time-consuming (to say the least). Thanks to breastfeeding our infant, I'm forced to use my "sedentary" time to do lots of information-gathering on the Internet. Being bilingual in English and Tagolog helps a lot, especially when reading posts from the Filipino diaspora.

Always a nice view to wake up to: Ala Moana Beach Park and Magic Island

Upon waking up this morning, I found a comment on one of my blogposts! It's the very first comment that I have ever received re: the Philippine NMAT and only the second (non-SPAMmy) comment that I have received on my blog. To whomever you may be, wherever you are: Aloha and mahalo for your interest in our journey! We wish you the very best on your medical school adventures as well.

Things To Do In Hawaii During A Ten-Hour Layover

After having experienced our very own version of "airport tourism" firsthand, the time has come for us to give back and help a friend who just had a ten-hour layover at the Honolulu International Airport (HNL).

(If you'd like to read about our "airport tourism" experience, please read my previous blogpost.)

The historic landmark - this is where you'll find Kahuku Grill

Why ten hours?!

Between Layovers: Our Very Own "Airport Tourism" Experience

Layovers can be fun!

Well, sometimes...

Has anyone coined the term, "airport tourism", yet???

Please allow me to share with you some vivid memories of our own layovers...

The Runway at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines

The Road To Apostilles and Document Authentication by the Philippine Consulate General

The Hawaii State Capitol Building

Thinking that the process hadn't changed since my last visit just last month, I returned to the Hawaii State Capitol to obtain an apostille on some notarized documents that I'll be needing for our med school application.

Unfortunately, the Lieutenant Governor's Office recently implemented a change in the apostille/document authentication process: they would only directly apostille Vital Records (i.e. birth certificates) that have been issued in the State of Hawaii and that contain the State Registrar's original (vs. stamped) signature and have been notarized by the State of Hawaii Department of Health. All other documents need to be taken to the First Circuit Court, Legal Documents Section, at 777 Punchbowl Street in Honolulu, for verification of the Notary Public's signature and commission. The cost is $3.00 per notarized bundle.

When And Where It's Okay To Be Spammed

SPAM musubis at Target

Today, I made 40 sets of SPAM musubi all on my own, for the very first time. That's a total of 80 "mini" SPAM musubis!

One can of SPAM can make approximately 10 musubis.

Did I mention that it took me 5 hours to complete this task?!

It's called my "labor of love".

After deducting my so-called "expenses", I calculated that if I were to have sold my SPAM musubis to a major distributor, I would've probably just ended up earning $2.00 per hour (on the high side).

That's right. $2.00 per hour.

I am going to med school. I would like to make more than $2.00 per hour.

Okay, okay...I'm not going to med school for that purpose. Oh yeah, I was not planning on selling any of my homemade SPAM musubis. I made it for our family. Our two older boys can easily devour 10 SPAM musubis in less than 10 minutes! Who knows, maybe they figured out how to swallow it whole.

Crazy Weather, Crazy Drivers, And A Murder Suspect On The Loose

'Twas a rainy day on the island of Oahu, yesterday. My husband and I decided to drive two separate cars as we both had appointments that morning. The traffic was horrible, and to make matters worse, the road was unsafe. Not only was it slippery, it also reflected the sun's bright rays straight into your eyes. I wasn't wearing any sunglasses--I have lost all of them as a result of my many recent travels between airports. The sun was so bright that I could only see what was outside in front of me; I could not read the numbers on the gas gauge nor could see the digital clock inside my car.

I was driving directly behind my husband's car, when suddenly, the driver in front of him slammed his breaks for no apparent reason. Thankfully, my husband was able to react fast enough, and by a mere strand of hair, so was I. Unfortunately, the lady driver behind me wasn't paying attention to the road; she did not expect anyone to hit the breaks as traffic had already started clearing up on the H-1 Freeway. When she finally realized that my car wasn't moving in front of her, she hit the breaks as hard as she could, tires screeching and all. My husband, though two cars away from her, saw and heard what just happened, so he inched his car as close as he could to the car in front of him. I did the same.