After releasing my blog about PSYCHOLOGY AS A PRE-MED COURSE IN THE PHILIPPINES my DMs has been flooded with numerous request to do a pre med series of other courses as well.
Worry no more because I’ll be doing a 4-week series on Medical Technology, Pharmacy, Biology and Nursing featuring my classmates in CEU-SOM and other schools as well.
WEEK 1: MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
So I’ve asked two of my very amazing classmates Yasmin and Ernest who are registered medical technologists and very amazing friends. I trust these two when it comes to laying their opinions behind med tech as a pre med course and their experiences as well in medical school.
Biggest misconception of medical technology graduates?
Y: “The biggest misconception of medical technology is that the only work we do is extract blood and check the patient’s stool and urine but there is more than that.”
E: “Many students think of Medtech is the best premed, but for me there is no such thing as best premed cuz it depends on the study habit of every aspiring Physician. Also, there is a misconception that medtech is easy. LOL So before you take this course, make sure that you’re headstrong because med tech is tough and at the same time what you’re handling is kinda gross. Lastly, this course is not only for those who are tough or for those who aren’t afraid of blood, but it is also for those who aspire to become a member of the unseen heroes who save lives together with the Medical Doctors.”
Other career opportunities related to Medical technology
Y: “There are a lot of job opportunities besides from the usual laboratory works for RMTs. You can work in the academe, research center, and pharmaceutical companies as medical representatives.”
E: “If you graduate with a degree in medical technology and pass the licensure exam, a lot of opportunities are waiting. Sabi ko nga sa mga estudyante ko para kang stem cell na pwedeng maging RBC hahaha joke but you could become a professor (just make sure to enroll and finish your masters degree), you could be an FA, policeman or proceed to med or law school.”
Undergraduate internships and on the job training programs: Were these programs helpful in med school?
Y: “Yes. Mas nakatulong yung one year hospital exposure ko compared sa theoretical part in acing topics in medicine. All of my knowledge comes from my personal experience na apply ko sa medicine from interaction with my classmates and the cases given to us. Books can only teach us the superficial information but applying and experiencing it at the same can give you an in-depth understanding. So it’s like when you’re given a case or you’ve read something from the book, it’s easy to nail a topic because it’s easier to imagine and you already had prior experience. Not everything that you do in the clinics are book based. Long story short, clinical internship honed my critical thinking.”
E: “Yes it’s really helpful because you get to see the health care setting of the Philippines. Also you’ll get to be hands on because a lot of training hospitals are honing globally competitive med techs, sa dami ng pasyente at ira-run na test ewan ko nalang kung di ka matuto at mahasa. There are also training institutions that you yourself will run the tests, extract blood, read the urine sample, etc. You’ll definitely enjoy every single training day lalo na kung baon baon mo lagi common sense mo at sense of humor, lagi ka din nyan magdadasal kasi ipipray mo na wala kang demerit or palyang extraction. Sobrang unforgettable lahat nyan, kasi hanggang sa pagtrabaho mo, maaalala mo mga ginawa mo during internship. It helped me to balance life even more, also my leadership skills that is really well utilized during the first 2 years of my journey as a Med Student. The discipline and respect to people ano man ang estado nila, yun ang nakikita kong nakatulong sakin sa Med school yung pag build ng genuine connections sa mga tao.”
Timeline #RoadToMD: what are the most common residency training programs that med tech-grads-turned-MDs usually take?
Y: “Pathology, Internal Medicine, and Infectious Disease doctor.”
E: “Pathology, Pediatrician and Internal Medicine. ”
Board exam and the NMAT
Was the board exam helpful for you now that you are in medical school?
Y: “Yes! Taking the board exam was one of the humbling moments that changed my perspective in life particularly in the professional world. Besides from learning the theoretical part, it also taught me the importance of discipline, faith, team work and determination in getting that 3 letters at the end of my name. These are priceless learnings that I am still applying as a medical student. It also gives you the upper hand for the PLE because you have an experience in taking the boards”
E: “Yes! I’ve retained my study habits during boards and still use it upto this day and mas inayos ko lang haha! It was really helpful most especially when it comes to discipline when studying (dapat wala talaga internet connection sa room mo). My study traits and habits includes my perseverance to read the topic all over again, reciting what I’ve been studying out loud, explaining concepts in my own words and rest as well. Also I never forget to pray for wisdom and guidance at the beginning and the end of my review session because I believe that it is important (most especially if there are a lot of temptations everywhere).”
What are the advantages of med techs when it comes to the National Medical Admission Test?
Y: “To be honest most medtechs are struggling in getting a higher NMAT score unlike other science courses who can ace all the special areas in the NMAT namely – physics, chemistry, biology, and social science. But based on my experienced I did not have a hard time answering the biology and chemistry part because some questions were medtech-related. So my advice to my fellow medtchs, study physics!”
E: “Biggest advantage or med techs during the NMAT is definitely the mirror image and chemistry as well. Experience wise, math and physics was definitely hard. ”
Medical school in a nutshell
Top 3 subjects that you find easy in med school
Y: “I didn’t have a hard time in histology, pathology, and micro & para because these were my undergrad major subjects. I can say that I had a good foundation with these 3 subjects because of in-depth discussion and personal experience from hospital exposure during my undergrad years.”
E: “Microbiology was the easiest because besides from already being familiar with the different microorganism, this is what I teach in my previous job. Next is histology and pathology because I really love to study things under the microscope and also I’m really patient when it comes to looking for the abnormal structures and pathologic lesions.”
Top 3 subjects that you find hard or challenging
Y: “The top 3 subjects that I find hard are anatomy, pharmacology, and pediatrics because I don’t have a good foundation from my undergrad years.”
E: “I had a hard time with anatomy and physiology because I had a lot to memorize eh medyo tamad ako mag memorize tho di naman lahat sa subjects na yan mahirap, there are certain topics that needs a much broader understanding. FCM is also hard, irdk ang hirap nya lalo nang second year, I’m not good with numbers and everytime that I see numbers, I lost the motivation and drive to study hehe.”
Is Medical technology a pre-med degree and would you recommend it to the current senior high school students to pursue medical technology as their pre-med degree?
Y: “Yes, BS in Medical Technology is considered a premed degree. I will definitely recommend young people to pursue medtech as a premed if you want to become a doctor. This is from my personal experience and this premed degree had help me so many times in medical school like on the spot recitations, answering cases, taking the exams and lastly interacting with my future colleagues and patient. This skills was honed in my premed degree and it’s a big plus you just need some polishing hehe.”
E: “Yes Advantageous kasi talaga kapag Medtech ang premed mo lalo sa 2nd year I would highly recommend Medtech as premed for those who are fond of studying microscopic elements. Also, I can say na mas madali ka makakapag diagnose kapag buong puso mo inaral ang mga subject sa Medtech (board subjects lalo)”
Top 3 tips for future med techs turned MDs?
Y: “Do not be afraid to fail and make mistakes! Reflect and learn from it so the next time you will encounter it, you will have a different response. Be an eager learner during your internship days because this is a once a lifetime experience. Grab every opportunity given to you because this will give you a lot of valuable lessons and new experiences that you will not learn from the books you read. Who knows maybe your experiences could be asked on the board exam! Work and communicate well with your classmates-turned-future colleagues because they will be your support system who will help you when life gets tough.”
E: “If you are an aspiring Medtech and you wanted to pursue medicine, you need LOV Learn to manage your time properly and aim for good scores so that you won’t be stressed when finals is near. Openness for correction, kasi di tayo perfect, basta ba Fraternal correction ah pero kapag offensive at wala sa lugar know to defend yourself, but rememeber this saying “It’s not about what you’re going to say but how you say it”. Visualize the nearest future with attainable goals, be kind to other people, always pray and trust God in everything that you do.”