Do not resuscitate

Earlier this week, I was invited to judge the Creative Art Competition at Cebu Doctors' University on the occasion of its University Week 2006. My fellow judges were Junior Kilat's band members, Budoy and Araceli, who showed up fashionably late.

One factor the organizers missed in their criteria for judging was time management. Only one group finished on time including cleaning up their workspace. The rest were dilly-dallying even after the contest ended. I really wonder if medical students are trained to be time conscious lest their patients suffer the consequences of their attitudes. I've learned that no matter how nice your presentation is, if it's not on time, hupas na! Time is life. Life is time well spent.

Since the theme was "Preserving Filipino Cultural Heritage with Openness to Change", I understand we still preserve the mañana habit. After all, what's to rush about? Why should we be like New Yorkers or Singaporeans who walk and talk like there's dynamite stuck up behind them? This is what's nice about living in idyllic Cebu; people just take their sweet time.

After the contest, we were ushered to the dean's office for picture taking and here I am with a bunch of radical-looking judges sporting dreadlocks. As I recalled something happened in this very room years ago, I gave my widest grin.

I wanted to be a medical doctor. I enrolled myself at Cebu Doctors' College (then) because I live nearby even though my friends advised me that it wasn't the best school for my pre-med foundation. If I can afford the extracurricular fees involved every semester to maintain my social status in that school, maybe I can graduate with honors. Mao ba? What were they talking about? I just had to find out and pay the price.

It was a week before the start of the school year and I already have my class card and uniforms ready. Somehow, I passed by a sign that said psycho testing for freshmen. I had to check it out just for the heck of taking exams.

"Miss, you have to remove your nose ring before taking the exam," said the proctor. Why? Because the dean said it is not allowed in the testing room. Actually, I didn't see any signs and I don't have to take that exam but I was perplexed why on earth nose rings weren't allowed as opposed to earrings or bracelets.

I went to the dean's office and asked her why I wasn't allowed to take the exam with my nose ring on. She told me to read the Student's Handbook. I already did and there wasn't anything stated about nose rings. Only men weren't allowed to sport long hair or earrings. I asked her to explain why other women wore earrings and what the big deal about my nose ring was. That blew her top! She screamed at me for not following the rules and threatened to take me to the board of directors and her lawyer.

Was I missing something here? All I wanted was a good pre-med education and in front of me was a hormonal head of the college. Would a nose ring impede my skills as a doctor someday? What do I do? I've paid for my tuition and uniforms already and certainly, taking my nose ring off wasn't my priority. She continued ranting and turned red as I politely told her I wouldn't want to be part of this discrimination and would like clearance to withdraw myself from this academic circus. God forbid, I might turn into someone like her after I graduate!

At the last minute, I got in another school where the dean was rumored to be gay. Who cares? He's a nice guy and they have the best pre-med program I was looking for. I got to be buddies with the terror professor and really learned a lot about life aside from lab and lecture.

Recently, I met one of the directors of Cebu Doctors' University and had a pleasant chat about my nose ring. I recounted my saga and ended it with, "Doc, I have this tattoo ra ba. I didn't bring it up to the dean na lang kay basig ma-DNR (do not resuscitate) unya to!"

CebuDoc has surely gone a long way from the time I was born there to the present moment. Not everyone can get away like Patch Adams but the least you can do is be professional and look like a doctor. It's easier to change than resuscitate old habits. Old deans never die, they just fade away.