My UNFORGETTABLE Medtech Internship Experience

Team BASA's Day 1 in Sacred Heart Hospital

It was a regret that I haven't written a single article on how my internship days went. With all the busy and toxic shifts that we had plus burning the midnight oil for comprehensive exams, needless to say I had no time for blogging.

Seeing myself in a blue scrub suit gives me the thrill everytime I'm going to work. This is it! The internship stage! I thought this is gonna be the chill life after burying myself in so many textbooks till fourth year first sem but it isn't.

Three years passed and I still have with me the lessons and memories that I've treasured during internship in my heart. Although our six months were not enough but the bond that we formed among the batch and the medtechs still linger.

Well, this is my list of unforgettable medtech moments:

NOTE: Never do some of our mischiefs when your Clinical Instructors are around or you'll be given an extension.

 #1. Quotas

I laughed at the thought of it. Our quotas were hilarious! It says on our intern's handbook that we have to perform 100 CBCs, 100 urinalysis and 100 stool exams for two months in each hospital! Only God knows how we reached that certain number as we write it in our performance handbook or we called it P BOOK with the medtech-on-duty's signature.

#2. Night shift 

 My best shift among the three as I think of sleep, food trip, or even a movie in a chilly and quiet night.

Triple night shifts

As an intern, never did we complain with our 3 Nights and 1 day off scheme as we thought it's a normal schedule for a medtech. But as I work now in a hospital, it dawned on me why we survived that schedule. 

#3. DTR (Daily Time Record)

It's better to forget everything but not the DTR. I see to it that my DTR is in my bag before I leave home. Loss of a DTR is subject for a repeat internship. In our time, we don't have a bundee clock so it's done manually by a medtech assigned in the department. If you're friends with the MT, then it's great :)

#4. Clinical Instructors

In short, CIs. We envied the CIs from the other school as they are approachable and considerate it's just that our CIs are more strict and firm. 

I remember a time when we rushed to complete our quotas as we saw our CIs approaching. It's like ZOMBIES ARE COMING!

To see them in the lab meant a shifting exam so we're no longer surprised if they hand us out testpapers.

#5. Friends

to the center that we love the most

Aside from my batchmates, I was able to make friends with other interns from the other school too. It happened when the hospital allowed two schools to have the internship program. It was wonderful as we exchanged our struggles with research, seminar, and compre exams. Also, it was nice to meet friendly and approachable medtechs as well.

#6 Warding 

warding at night in VSMMC

Probably, the best thing that's ever happened to me all throughout internship esp. when we spent our last two months in a government hospital where life was pretty toxic. This was when our phlebotomy skills (either syringe or ETS) were harnessed, getting blood from all kinds of patients (pedia, geriatric, trauma patients). It made my internship days challenging. The techniques that I developed during internship were useful until I work as a warding medtech. Also, I'll never forget the 'saves' from my co-interns when I'm in difficulty. I realized they are always ready to lend a hand.

 #7 Gloves and masks 

We are required to bring our own gloves and masks but when we're running out of it, we humbly ask the medtech-in charge or sneak to the cabinets of a provision. I hope they didn't mind.

#8 Didactics and Comprehensive exams

Our sweet escape from the stressful duty in the lab but it's not really. Studying after duty is a must but I seem to fail one exam after another. It was a privilege to have one of the names in the field of medical technology, Ms. Anna Leah Navarro to visit us and give us 2 days of lecture in Micro, ISBB and Hema.

#9 Extensions

Lates, absences, and negligence of duty acts are subjected to extensions. I did my best to avoid committing major offenses like damaging hospital's property (like machines) because that would put into a possibility that I may not join the commencement exercises!

I served my extension to my favorite center and that was worth it. I had two weeks of extension because of my lates.

our termi in VSMMC with Mam Jovy

All in all, I enjoyed my internship a lot: I made friends, I practice what I learned in school and it molded me to where I am now. I wish it was longer but six months served its purpose. It made a responsible medtech out of me. I come to love the laboratory even more than just my workplace but a second home and an avenue to help people.

Cherish your internship moments and make it more fun, ridiculous and exciting! 

medtech level up...INTERNSHIP! (my expectations)

at last, so happy with my scrub suit on!

Wow! This is it! The blue internship uniform! I couldn't believe that I'm wearing it now and will be wearing for the next six months to come. Right in front of the mirror, I see myself differently. It's like an updated version of me wearing that dignified scrub suit. Though I look so professional on that blue outfit but I just couldn't hide my worries and made-up 'what-ifs' to would happen for this span of time.

Yes, I know this will be the toughest one. Being a medtech intern isn't something to brag on because you're thinking you're near the finishing line but it's not yet. We need to work hard and if must, two times the effort that we do to our studies to pass not only internship but a subject called Seminar 2 as well. Now here's the deal, if I was able to escape from the evil clutches of seminar 1 then our clinical instructor reiterated that this time she will be hard on us to see who are those worthy to join the commencement exercises this coming May. Whoa! If most of us think this semester will be all about duty to different medical center, rotating to every department and catching each shifts then that's not it. I have to study still or I'll end up crying again seeing failing grades because of quizzes and practical exams.

my driving force why I'm trying my best to
every step of the way

During the two-week module, honestly I found it so difficult to do the laboratory procedures with order and precision. Truth to this is because when we were still third years, our performance in the laboratory is not evaluated individually. It is a group work all throughout semesters and we just have to observe the person actually doing the test. Well, I have to say that I'm not also that kind of person who easily gets the things to be done after being told. If possible, I have to clarify it first just to make sure things will run smoothly. At times, I'm not with my self letting fear overcome me that took our clinical coordinators to notice it. Waah! Presence of mind please. Most of the day, I feel so sorry with my partner he got himself a clumsy pair like me. (So sorry, please forgive me)

What I have to work more now is phlebotomy and the blood smear preparation coz these two are the essentials in the clinical laboratory and still I couldn't get it right. My first center is in the Sacred Heart Hospital and I hope I would be having a good start on my internship experience. Although they say the center is not so busy but I'm looking forward as to the help that I could render to the patients and for me to harness my skills in the clinical laboratory.

I know there might be extensions along the way but I hope this will not stop me from finishing all the rotations till May. I hope that I could get along with my groupmates as well. What I only ask are their understanding and their willingness to help their co-interns because that alone would lift up our mood and somehow that would build the trust the RMTs would be giving us.  I hope I'll learn more and more as I hop in to one center to the next.

I guess this will end my expectations. I have lots of them on my mind but I give it up to the heavens to be with me all the time. More internship diaries to come!

Feeling excited,

Cindy♥♥♥

SURVIVING MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY: How hard is MedTech to fail a many?

I and my bff Gerardine♥

MANY ARE CALLED BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN

As I was walking along the wide and well-lit corridors of the Medical Technology building, there I saw a flight of interns. They were wearing the very enticing blue scrub suits already, the color that shows they were now interns. As I watched them passing by, as a neophyte, a sudden thought hit upon me, ‘Wow, I wish I could be like them someday.’ but then a follow-up question burst in a split second, ‘but HOW am I going to be like them anyway?’ 

Well, we can not deny the fact that medical professions are one of the in-demand jobs of today. And because of that, schools that are offering medical courses are opening its doors wider to the increasing number of students who want to enter the field of medicine especially in medical technology. 

It is sad to reminisce that we were once a big happy family in our block. I’ve got my circle of friends then, had enjoyed studying as well as working with them no matter how hard the circumstances were. I thought we will be just the same brood of med tech aspirants who will continue for the next journey when suddenly I have seen changes after every semester. The changes of not just having new load of subjects to study but the considerable amount of students who yielded for their ambitions. I was left with curiosity when I found out that one of my friends could no longer proceed to the course for a reason yet unknown. 

As I’ve noticed, as the year level gets higher, the number of students tends to decline. Let’s say last year, 100 students were enrolled for the second semester then it happened that by the end of the said semester, only 90 students survived, feeling persistent that they should keep the fire burning while others took rest. 

There are a handful of reasons why some who took the course relinquished. First, it is because of the financial security. Tuition fee increases yearly due to the requirement of having laboratory subjects and books as reference materials. Second is the lack of interest, some were just forced by their parents to take up the course without asking their thoughts about it. It is also when other carefree students prioritize things other than their studies. The major problem of having ‘terror teachers’ and ‘nosebleeding subjects’ is a nerve wrecking to all of us because it gives us heaps of chapters to study. Notions that third and fourth years are the crucial stages for the lives of each med tech students are true for this is the time we are getting closer to the reality and must be hands-on to the profession. What made medical technology a course to be pondered upon is that it requires a lot of familiarization and a keen sense of understanding to things within a scope. Take note, we juggle 9 major subjects! Time to time, we can’t expect reposing ourselves but keep on spending sleepless nights and think endless possibilities of failing because the pressure keeps up. A single failure might pulls us down and it might lead to resignation, letting fate take its course after failing an exam. 

studying the structure of the heart..
it is not easy during moving
exams

These observations are appalling knowing that some were discouraged, crestfallen, and doubtful if they are still on the right track. 

Then here goes my realization about this dilemma: Medical Technology is not as easy as ‘peanuts’. It needs hardwork and not to be taken for granted. Hence, we must explore beyond its depths and be more passionate about it. That is why I was able to relate this with the bible verse that says 'Many are called but few are chosen' because we see good students right at the beginning, feeling so sure of themselves but as time passes by, only those ‘survivor’ Med Tech students came out to be the victors of the bloodshed. We want to be registered Med Techs someday but the problem is, are we competent enough to surpass the test of time? 

This course challenges us to be more responsible and be persistent to our focus no matter what happens. Getting involved with this field of study requires much of our interest, skill, and diligence to heed what is being asked on time because it involves diagnosis to various illnesses found in the human body. I’m writing this not to dissuade people but I want to plant an infinitesimal yet a germinating seed to the minds of each Med Tech students to fight against the odds. We must fuel our minds with positivity amidst of the trials hindering our way and should have an incessant faith to the Providence that by the end of this strife, we will find ourselves grasping the sweet scent of our diploma and the opportunity of serving the masses using our high caliber skills our dedicated teachers instilled into us. I hope that we’ll be able to keep on making footprints on our way to the zenith of success because together, by believing in ourselves and to God’s will, we can do it. Believe and you'll be RMT someday...Kudos to everyone!