The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and

leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called
"truth."

CASE STUDY:
Jose Maria Amaina, 52 year old male, is a typical working father who tries his best to
earn a living to be able to feed his family. He has three kids one of whom; the youngest is in
second year college. His two other children got married after finishing high school crushing the
dreams he had for both of them. Now, his only hope, the youngest is taking up nursing so he/she
could at least have a better chance than the other siblings. Because of the high inflation rate, all
basic commodities have more than tripled in prices, tuition not excluding. Most of the time, he
would miss meals to save up for the kid’s tuition, allowance, and other expenses. Earning a
minimum wage, he really is struggling to keep his kid in school. He keeps on reminding himself,
two years to go and he’ll be able to take things easy as soon as his youngest graduate from
college. The problem is he keeps on experiencing a gnawing pain on his epigastric area which
started a couple of years back. He cannot afford to seek consultation nor buy medicine because it
would eat up on his savings. He would drink warm water to lessen the pain because he doesn’t
want to spend money for coffee or bread. “ Kinakain ko lang po sa agahan ay pandesal at tubig,
kung may pambili ng kape, nakapagkakape paminsan-minsan, sa tanghali po ay hindi na ako
kumakain, nabubusog na ako sa isang stick ng sigarilyo sa may karinderya at sa amoy ng mga
lutong ulam na kinakain ng mga tao dun, kailangan ko kasing magtipid para sa anak ko.” ‘Sana
naman ay nag-aaral siyang mabuti para naman sa kanyang kinabukasan, mahirap ang walang
pinag-aralan.’

The child in question appears to be studious at home, always locked up in his/her room.
But inside in his/her own little world “ di man lang makahawak ng libro, celphone ang hawak at
abala sa pag text. Ang computer na inutang ng ama para sana sa kanyang pag-aaral at ang
internet connection para daw sa research ay magdamag na nagbabaga sa kalalaro ng magaling
na anak. Di nya naisip ang hirap at pagod ng magulang para matustusan ang kanyang mga
hiling.” PAgdating sa school, nagsasayang lang ng baon, tuition at panahon, may sariling
mundo, walang pakialam. Para sa kanya, wala na siya dapat malaman, alam na nya lahat. Abala
lang ang teacher na matagal na nagtuturo sa harap, ano oras kaya nag break, ano oras kaya sila
papauwiin? Yun ang laging tanong. Sa bawat quiz at exam ay din a nag-aaral at may kokopyahan
naman. Hangang sa school dala ang pagiging addict sa computer.

So the child and the father went on with their lives, the child not knowing the sacrifices
of the father and the father blissfully unaware that his child is throwing away his/her future.
There is no cure for stupidity.

Finally the kid is graduating, one last clinical rotation to go. During his/her duty, a dirty,
frail-looking, old patient was brought in by bystanders who saw the old man collapsed while
trying to buy bread. The patient was bleeding both per orem and per rectum (hematemesis and
hematochezia) probably secondary to bleeding ulcers. No one is around because the doctors are
busy in the OR with multiple trauma patients as well as his/her groupmates. All alone in the ER,
he/she needs to attend to the old man. “ Ang baho naman nyan, sa loob loob niya, napakalansa
dahil sa mga dugo na lumalabas sa bibig at puwet ng matanda. Ano nga ba gagawin nya, wala
siya maiisip, wala siya matandaan, dahil wala naman talaga siya natutuhan. Magkunwari na
lang may alam, punasan ang pasyente para matangal ang dugo, punta sa stockroom, kuha ng
gloves at kidney basin. Kumuha ng tubig, talagang binabagalan nya, wala nga siya alam gagawin,
di bale ng mamatay ang pasyente, taong grasa naman yan. Sanay nga pala siya mag BP at pulse
rate kahit papano, ginawa nya at pampatagal din yun, mamaya na nya pupunasan, ang baho
talaga e. Bakit wala siya madinig na BP, baligtad pala lagay nya ng steth, wala talaga natutunan,
wala din makapa pulso, mali pala kinakapa, wala talaga alam. Apat na taon nasayang. Naitama
din ang pag lalagay ng steth at pagkuha ng pulso, buti dumating ang CI. Wala na talaga BP at
pulse, namatay din ang taong grasa dahil wala siya alam gawin. May kunsensya pa naman kahit
papano, tinuloy nya ang pagpunas ng dugo, pero ang baho talaga, ang lansa, hay salamat at
mukha na lang................................... di nya napansin, tumutulo na pala luha nya, ang taong di
niya nalapatan ng paunang lunas man lang dahil wala siyang alam, ang ama pala nya na
maghahatid sana ng tinapay para sa kanya