I think it is about time I stop ranting and raving about the difficulties now that I am about to end my first six months of residency training... So here's a short list of why I am lucky to be doing my residency training where I am now surrounded by the people around me now in my work place.

1. I have only 4 consultants to whom I am answerable to and I already know their quirks and personalities.... I get along with all of them for the most part, and know that I can relax around them. If I make a mistake, I know for sure I will never be yelled at... mistakes will be pointed out to me as calm as possible.

2. I can vouch that my three male seniors care for me in their own way although they will try to get on my nerves at certain times. They sort of look out for me and advise me at all times.

3. As I am in-charge of the interns a.k.a. senior clerks rotating every fifteen days at our department, I also get to look out for two or three persons and help them to understand the intricacies of the different imaging modalities, though I don't entirely understand things myself either. I have always wanted to influence people in a positive way,a nd this is it.

4. By sometime next month, I may get an assignment to lecture before the second year and third year medical students of the affiliate university of the hospital where I work. It reminds me of my first career choice which I wrote down way back in second grade- to be a teacher, like my mother (who used to teach grade school before she chose to be a housewife). My father, an engineer by profession also used to teach mathematics part time to business and accountancy students of the university I went to in college. It sort of continues the tradition -> now I'll be teaching medical students, and for the first time, they will get to listen to someone who has gone through the entire process of problem based learning (PBL) give them a lecture. As one of our consultants just mentioned today, it's a practice for when you'll be "lecturing" the examiners when taking the oral examination for the specialty board.

5. Even if the mostly male staff (from the chief radiologic technologist of the hospital down to their probees... well even the rad tech interns occasionally...) will tease me to no end, I guess that somewhere beneath everything, I have already sort of gained their trust in my ability to take care of the work done... I'm starting to believe that everything they say is only part of their..."pag-lambing". And today marks the first time (I still can't believe it has happened though!) that none of them had made a teasing comment at all!

6. The secretaries and receptionists will talk... Then again, what else will they talk about now that I have told them point blank the real reason why I have no intentions of getting married (sigh!). As usual, people can't seem to grasp the concept of someone not being a nun , not living in a convent or wearing a habit and still not getting married for loftier reasons.... Maybe I still have a lot more explaining to do through my actions as well, which is a lot harder since the staff can get on my nerves.

7. Mama still packs me a great lunch everyday. I do need it. And so I am grateful.

8. I still get some occasional lull time wherein I can relax at my workplace.

9. I am at the coolest department in the entire hospital.... It has somewhat calmed me when I am particularly busy and moody at times.

10. The Blessed Sacrament is reserved 24/7 at our hospital's chapel... I can always go there to seek solace, or if I cannot do so at once, I can "fly" there in my mind's eye.

I guess, there is no more reason for me to be ill at ease, to be frazzled, annoyed and worried if I always keep in mind these 10 thing.s