The Top 9 Philippine Doctors’ Blogs You Should Be Reading
Anne
Many doctors nowadays have taken to wielding pens as well as scalpels. In case you didn’t know, there are actually a fair number of Philippine blogs by healthcare professionals that you could benefit from reading. Whether it’s because you want a sampling of some real-life Grey’s Anatomy or just want to stay informed about healthcare, you may want to try the following blogs.
Dr. Ron Baticulon is a pediatric neurosurgeon with an impressive resume and a wonderfully sensitive writing style that manages to convey all the drama of his profession without straying into trite territory. His family’s story alone was deemed gripping enough for a feature on national TV—he comes from a family of 5 children, all valedictorians—but even his professional anecdotes are gripping. He writes about a wife who lost the money for her husband’s hospital bills to muggers, for example, and does so in a way that shows a very real glimpse into the lives of the people trying to save ours.
This very active blog is run by Dr. Iris Thiele Isip Tan, who drags so many initials after her name that one has to wonder how long it takes to write them down properly. The blog won recognition in the 2015 Philippine Blog Awards, where it was named the People’s Choice for the Health and Fitness category.
There are a lot of things to like about Dr. Tan’s blog, as she covers a wide range of subjects pertaining to health and medicine in the country. Of particular note are her interests in patient data privacy and medicine in relation to current technology. For instance, whereas most doctors are quick to voice annoyance with patients self-diagnosing through online research, she takes a measured stance that advocates doctors becoming more Internet-friendly. This and this may be something you want to show your physician the next time he insists on you not looking up health information on Google.
HealthXPH is a blog born out of the collaboration of various parties of interest in local healthcare—this includes the patients, take note. Some of its founders have blogs in this list (like Dr. Tan of The Endocrine Witch and Dr. Aguilar, listed just above).
This is a very active blog and offers a lot of deep insight into the ever-evolving field of healthcare. They regularly post material on topics like doctors as patients and the problem of congestion in hospitals, then continue the conversation in tweetchats. This is a great place to visit if you want to be more socially active in the conversation regarding healthcare.
This entry sticks out in our list because even though it is a blog run by a doctor, she happens to be a non-practicing one—and it’s okay. Dr. Dela Cruz actually has a Health Media Award from the Department of Health, as well as a finalist’s position in the 2015 Philippine Blogging Awards. If you take a look at her blog, you see why none of this is surprising: she provides a fount of practical health insight by tackling such locally-relevant topics as glutathione for skin whitening and digital dementia.
Yes, yes, this is technically a blog run by a medical technologist, but it still offers enough value to be put in the list. Janey Danes talks about a lot of practical matters in medicine that could benefit you. For instance, her latest post detailed the possible side effects of withdrawal from Alprazolam, which happens to be among the most commonly-prescribed medications for anxiety and panic. She writes her posts in a very logical and reader-friendly manner, which further highlights the practicality of most of her posts.
Dr. Helen Madamba is a Cebu-based doctor who also teaches medical students. She provides an insight into the world of physicians training other physicians, into the conferences and structures that go on in that world, and ways healthcare professionals can improve at their jobs. This does not mean that she writes posts exclusively for that audience, though: she also provides data on matters like the Philippine HIV Epidemic, for instance.
Note that Dr. Madamba and Dr. Sison (below) are also behind the HealthXPH site, by the way.
Sand and Stone is a doctor’s blog, but it is really more about life in general from the perspective of a doctor. Dr. Gia Sison provides some very sincere and touching posts on many topics, though, especially that of her struggle through cancer.
This is a nice blog to read if you need a shot of something life-affirming. Dr. Sison actually writes more like a Zen philosopher or yogini than an internist, and her positivity may well rub off on you.
Dr. Allan Corpuz, aka the Rayuma Doktor, writes about technology, his love for photography and uses the blog to further educate patients about gout, arthritis among other things. You can read more about his story on his about page here.
Dr. Corpuz’s clinic hours and contact info: Click here
