Ateneo Leadership Reflection Paper # 3 My Passion by Leader Kerk Gubantes MD

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.