Dear Prof. Jorge,
Good evening and Happy New Year!
I am sending you my Reflection paper 3 for your perusal.
Thank you for all the learnings. Appreciate it.
Cheers!
Kerk MD.
Cebu REGIS LEADERSHIP - Reflection paper # 3 My Passion
Leader Kerwin Mark L. Gubantes, MD.
Passion is a heavyweight of a word to be able to fulfil and I am not quite sure if I could live up to it. But as they say, there is no harm in trying. Maybe the closest thing that I could think of is probably my consistent desire to help others in need. I remember as a young kid, my friends are mostly from the poor neighbourhood and it gives me a sense of joy to be able to share what I have with them. Being able to share what you have with others and make a difference in their lives is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful things we could do in our lifetime. Sharing a toy when you were young with your playmates makes us happy. Helping a friend fix his broken bike makes our day worthwhile. I remember during a mountaineering expedition during my senior year in college in the challenging terrains of Mount Halcon in Mindoro, something really bad happened. A fellow lady mountaineer was carried downstream in the river crossing by a strong current, two of us without hesitation, dive into the raging river and luckily were successful in bringing her back ashore to safety although with a significant injury to her leg. That experience, albeit fleeting and dangerous would have a huge impact in my life looking retrospectively. Saving someone else's life in anyway could have a profound effect on anybody. Certainly it did positively for me and even up to this day , the experience is still very vivid in my memory. As a Head and Neck Surgeon for the past 12 years now, helping others is very much part of my daily life. My expertise in the field of Otolaryngology
- Head and Neck Surgery has given me the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of a great number of patients.
People with hearing loss are given a ray of hope after being fitted with hearing aids and be able to understand speech in a noisy environment better.<iconsulta ko tinnitus ko?> People with Head and Neck tumors have been given a new lease of life after having successfully undergone surgery to remove them. I remember Mr. A.T., A 65 year old male patient of mine whom I did Total Laryngectomy for a stage 3 Cancer of the Larynx in 2009. He was a happy, contented and thankful person even until his untimely death due to a cardiac arrest in 2013. There is no monetary value to the experience of being able to successfully resolve the ailment of a particular patient more so that they are able to continue living normal productive lives again after treatment.. The risks of surgery however is very high let alone very stressful. I also remember Mr. J.R. , 59/ male, with a stage 4 Maxillary sinus cancer with Orbital extension. I was the Chief resident then at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center and was assigned to operate on the difficult case. We were almost done with the surgical procedure and in the last minute, disaster struck, a major artery was damaged and we could not control the bleeding, the patient unfortunately died after three days in the Intensive care unit - may his soul rest in peace. The insight tot that experience was that we should not act like we are superheroes who always win at the end of the story. We should be aware of our limitations and should understand the intricacies of the Surgical profession. Somebody formulated that " A good Surgeon knows how to operate, A better surgeon knows when to operate but the Best Surgeon knows when Not to operate". This mantra should be in the minds of every person in the Surgical profession or even those contemplating to be one someday.
My foray into the Surgical Profession was pretty much a result of my wonderful experiences during my days at the Red Cross Youth Organisation. We were able to organize and implement programs which are geared towards helping people in need. These are people who have been at the mercy of catastrophic events like Volcanic eruptions e.g. Mt. Pinatubo, Floods secondary to strong and violent typhoons like Yolanda as well as Earthquakes. I was fortunate to be part of the team that was sent to different parts of the country to lend a hand and make a difference Pro Bono. After finishing my Medical Degree and training in Head and Neck Surgery, I continued these activities as a member of an NGO, which goes around the country and conducts Surgical missions for Free. These experiences have opened my eyes to the reality that a good number of our countrymen cannot afford quality medical and surgical care in private hospitals that is why they eagerly await programs such as these for them to avail of the services they desperately needed.
I have witnessed firsthand the quality of care and services being given in government hospitals as against private hospitals. It is definitely a goal of mine to create a new system that could provide the standard quality care and services to both poor and rich patients alike at a cost which is acceptable to the majority of the population in the community. By doing so, we could serve more people for less and contribute to Nation-building.
What is the New Learning?
Indeed , Passion is something a leader should have and cultivate in order to achieve his goal. When we love what we are doing and really give our commitment to the task at hand then there is no goal which is far-fetched. My passion in helping other people especiallly in the Health sector is something I can build upon.
What is the relation to what I already know?
Passion in helping others in need is a tough task. We need to have the resources in order to effect your plan of action and hopefully achieve the goal. It is not easy to gather the resources needed for it entails financial requirements in most times and logistical support. Although the technical skills is already available but we need to have the commitment to sustain whatever programs we have planned. I am quite aware of my limitations and weaknesses, but I am hopeful. I will build on my strengths and the help of people who also have the desire to make a difference in the community - there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
What have I done, am doing, will be doing in the future?
Most definitely, this is an ongoing process. The process would certainly require my commitment and resources. Day in and day out, patients come to the clinic to seek for solutions to their health issues and I don't really mind that some of them receive my services for Free. Our project with the Santo Nino Children's Home Orphanage will continue for as long as I am here in Dumaguete and help provide the needs of the children. Once I have completed the Business plan and Model for the New Health Facility which aims to provide Standard Health care and services at a low cost for the community, then we will start the process of looking for suitable partners and probably some Angel investors who are willing to help us achieve the plan. At present, my learnings from the Ateneo Graduate school of Business has proven to be very crucial and important in understanding the intricacies of trying to formulate the business plan and strategies.
Happy New Year 2016!!!
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