My MedTech Journey

MY MEDTECH JOURNEY

            Hi.I am Ma. Vanessa O. Pinoliad, a 4^th year student taking up Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology at Holy Name University Bohol and I’m writing this piece to deliver my mountains and valleys I have experienced while learning and loving this course.

           

            My 16 year old self was once all giddy and tremendously excited to enter “College Life”. I still vividly remember my first day in college. I was so excited in meeting new people. College felt like a liberation for me since I once think that if I go to college, I am a fully grown lady already. But I was wrong. College is a place where you make mistakes, failures and unmet expectations. A pit where you can be drowned and barely breathing and a sanctuary where you learn to fight back and never give up.

            Yes, at first it was a bit difficult to be with people I never knew. I didn't know how I should behave just to fit in. But eventually, everything went smoothly. I met wonderful friends whom are still my best buddies even until now. Every time we would meet up, we will never fail to recall how we were back in the first days in college; how we were molded to what we are now. College is like a dry run of the rest of our lives. It's a training ground on how to be successful and become good people at the same time.

            So much about college, now let’s talk about Medical Technology. Honestly, at first I never imagined myself being enrolled with such course. I have no background ideas with the door I’m starting to enter. All I knew was that Medical Technology was the best premed course and all I wanted was to fulfill my childhood dream of being a successful doctor someday since I hate seeing my family, friends and the people getting sick. So my first and second years in college were as smooth as butter.Everything was very fine and my classmates and I we’re doing great. The only common problem we had is that we forgot to bring our PE Uniforms.

            Holidays, birthdays, semesters and years passed by and on my 3^rd year in Medical Technology, things started to get real. Microbiology? Parasitology? Hematology? And all the “Logys”. What’s that? And Clinical Chemistry? I thought we’re all done with chemistries here. When you once thought that soon enough you’ll be graduating, but all these things keep popping and seems to be blocking your way. I was shook, literally shook when all these bacteria and microorganisms are presented to me all at once. Like you have to understand and memorize their morphology, structure, pathogenecity and everything that makes them significant. I exclaimed and told myself “What door am I trying to enter? Can I really do this?”

            Have I cried? Yes, I vent it all out when I’m sad or upset especially when it’s all about academics. I mean, what’s the point of holding it all in you when it’s okay to cry? Have I failed? Yes, not once nor twice but a lot of times. Sometimes I feel like I’m the most stupid person on Earth, because there’s this one time when we we’re having our major exam wherein I sincerely studied yet I didn’t pass. I sacrificed hours of my sleep just to understand and hopefully pass it yet I've field. I did my best but I think my best was not enough.  But did that stop me from reaching my goals? Definitely not! Have I crammed? Yes, that’s my special talent. Have I had sleepless nights? Yes. Literally I didn’t sleep for a minute or two just to study. Have I had a breakdown? A BIG YES to that. Before, my grades are aces. All of them were like uno (1.0 something) and it was really pleasant to the eyes. But now, just a passing grade was more than enough for me.

            So people are like asking “Why did you chose MedTech? It's a very unpopular profession. You get to deal with all the dirty and filthy stuffs people have. (Like all the shit and blood and mucoidal secretions)” Hearing that makes me quite furious because all this time we have been crawling and barely breathing just to pass and all we got is that?? But Medical Technology is more than that. In the world of medical technology, you get to discover a lot of things. You get to know the bacteria present in your skin, on any surfaces, in your foods and in every little thing you get in contact with. Plus, you get to see them too through the microscopes. As minute as they are, they too have different shapes and characteristics that distinguish them from the others. You get to be acquainted with the different diseases one might have if a particular level in our blood is elevated or low. When you eat food, you also take in microorganisms such as parasites, bacteria or fungi that may cause an infection. What causes a particular disease and why? Hence, you tend to be conscious of the things you touch and do. When you’re a medtech, you develop skills like blood collection and extraction and the processes going on in the laboratory. Yes, it’s a silent profession because not all knows what we’re actually doing in the laboratory. But with medical technology, you grow, you nurture different virtues and gain knowledge you can share and apply in our day-to-day living.

            I once thought that college is a bigger pond to conquer with bigger fishes to oppose. But it’s not. It’s not about competing with those big fishes, but cooperating and working hand in hand with them. It’s not about being the one who should excel the most but rather the one who will help his/her comrades, friends and classmates so that you will all graduate together and achieve your dreams. I’m not telling you that I have failed or cried or had a breakdown to scare you or let you back out in entering Medical Technology but to inspire you to make your dreams a reality. Follow the compass inside your heart because it’s there right now and it’s been there from the very start. No matter what you do even when clouds surround you, always walk in the sunshine. You gotta have hope and you gotta keep trying, you gotta keep praying and you gotta keep on believing that everything you are striving for is worth something. You gotta have some heart, and you gotta have the drive, but most importantly, you gotta have hope- and hope comes from within.

            Sometimes, the hardest times in our lives are hat pushes us further and inspire us to be bolder. They help us become the greatest version of the person we always hoped we’d be. Be proud of all you’ve achieved and everything you are. No matter what the circumstance, state or place you may find yourself in some days, keep your feet on the ground and always remember that you were meant for great things and you got what it takes to be a Registered Medical Technologist.