“Healing is Art”

For the Health Professional Interview, I interviewed Dr. Frances L. Valderrama, currently a Medical Officer III under the Government of the Philippines; she also run a clinic with her husband, also a doctor.

Starting with the interview, according to Dr. Valderrama, she always wanted to be a nurse/doctor when she was a kid. Dr. Valderrama had been wanting to help people around ever since. She took Nursing Degree before she went to Medical School. She said that the path she took was challenging, but at the same time, it was something she always wanted. Dr. Valderrama is standing right now in this position because of her perseverance. And now, she is the first doctor of her family; makes her think why she is a good daughter.

Dr. Valderrama explained that her role as a doctor is to make sure that she helps the need of her patients. As she works in the province, she can see the people’s struggle because of the lack of money. Because of that, Dr. Valderrama always tries to give them an alternative to help her patients. While on this job, she said it was fullfilling to see people recovering from the pain. Dr Valderrama said: “Healing is Art” because it takes time and process, something that can’t happen suddenly. And because she is a consultant now, she holds her own time and not like when she was still in hospital, wherein you need to be available 24/7.
She was surprised that being a doctor doesn’t make you rich instantly. Because of what she heard, being a doctor means that you will be rich. But according to Dr. Valderrama, it wasn’t the case, she said jokingly. But the most surprising thing for Dr. Valderrama, is that she didn’t expect to be in her position currently. She didn’t expect that she will accomplish multiple things in her life.

Dr. Valderrama shares that being in a medical field is difficult. Her friends were having the life while she was still studying in med school, but her desire to be a doctor pushed her. She thinks that being in medical field sacrfice a lot of time. She advices people who wants to be in the medical field to have a great fighting spirit. She said that even though she is now a doctor, she is still currently catching up because medical field is dynamic. Technologies, medicines, and more are changing every time. Dr. Valderrama advices that if you are in a medical field, you should be good adjusting and that everyone should be strong-minded to successfully fulfill the duties that a health profession should.

I learned a lot from this interview; Dr. Valderrama’s words were very inspiring. My view about health science expanded; I learned multiple skills to be a successful health professional in the future. I respect the hardships of health professionals and their struggles just so everyone will be able to heal and healthy. I am thankful for the advice that I received and I am sure that I would be carrying it till I become a health professional like Dr. Valderrama.