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Post by juancarlos on Oct 5, 2007 7:30:58 GMT -5
Filipinos are up in arms against the American show "Desperate Housewives" for airing a recent episode where Teri Hatcher's character seemed to question the quality of Philippine medical professionals. news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article3028709.eceThe ensuing mayhem made national headlines in the Philippines and among the Filipino-American community. The Desperate Housewives fans message board was bombarded with complaints from irate Pinoys. abc.go.com/primetime/desperate/index?pn=mb&cat=25224At what point does a parody become a slur? In my opinion, this was an overreaction, bordering on absurdity. |
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Post by shugi on Oct 5, 2007 8:09:36 GMT -5
This is Blasphemy, This is Madness!!?!?
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Post by juancarlos on Oct 5, 2007 8:12:58 GMT -5
This is Blasphemy, This is Madness!!?!? ... this is SPARTAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyhow, I forgot to add, that in an apparently unprecedented move, ABC and the producers of DH have issued an apology already. |
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Post by Roam'n on Oct 5, 2007 9:24:21 GMT -5
Personally I wouldn't overreact (I don't even watch TV)......
but I think there's absolutely nothing wrong with having some pride... as Filipinos as a whole are generally a very proud group. I think that's great.
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Post by juancarlos on Oct 9, 2007 4:55:10 GMT -5
yeah...filipinos are a really2x proud group...I mean, in my opinion, American medical schools are better than filipino medical schools...based on the credentials of the faculty, the training in terms of internships, the caliber of the students, and the curriculum! GMA doesn't know what she's talking about - it can't be a racial slur cuz the desperate housewife was questioning the "schooling"...not passing judgment bcz it was a filipino. It wasn't racial....it was insulting of filipino medical schools, which aren't up to par with amer med skuls according to that line... Well, that's your opinion. Sure, American schools have better technology, better equipment cos they're much better funded. However, with regard to the training and the curriculum itself, Philippine medical schools are one of the best in the world. And the "caliber of students" ... what exactly are you implying? That Filipino medical students are less smart than U.S. medical students? I am appalled to say the least. Otherwise, how come you see lots of Filipino doctors getting their medical licensure in the U.S. if the Philippines is not up to par in medical training compared with the U.S.? That just would not make any sense, would it? Finally, if the quality of the Philippine medical education system and students are not up to par, my Filipina aunt would not have become medical director of a Chicago hospital with American doctors as her subordinates. Needless to say, I am very offended by what you just posted. |
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Post by juancarlos on Oct 13, 2007 7:12:06 GMT -5
Well, that's your opinion. Sure, American schools have better technology, better equipment cos they're much better funded. However, with regard to the training and the curriculum itself, Philippine medical schools are one of the best in the world. And the "caliber of students" ... what exactly are you implying? That Filipino medical students are less smart than U.S. medical students? I am appalled to say the least. Otherwise, how come you see lots of Filipino doctors getting their medical licensure in the U.S. if the Philippines is not up to par in medical training compared with the U.S.? That just would not make any sense, would it? Finally, if the quality of the Philippine medical education system and students are not up to par, my Filipina aunt would not have become medical director of a Chicago hospital with American doctors as her subordinates. Needless to say, I am very offended by what you just posted. Relax pare...i also have uncles that are doctors...they came to the states in the 80's when it wasn't hard to come to the US as a filipino educated medical doctor. The curriculum in my opinion and internships in filipino med schools are far below the standards of american med schools. the Phils is a 3rd world country for crying out loud. they aren't familiar with the advanced equipment that is standard in american hospitals...they aren't trained in surgeries/procedures that are common in american hospitals such as invasive surgery or at an ER setting for GSW's. That's what i mean. No, it's just that it's much easier to get into phil med schools than american med schools. I think all filipino americans/balikbayans know this...actually, it's starting to decline - but i'll agree there are some filipno doctors educated in the phils that are able to get licensure in states...but it's not easy at all...most fil med doctors go into nursing as you probably already know cuz it's hard as hell to get us licensure for medicine. yeah, she was able to becz the US wasn't strict with fil doctors back in the 80's...i'm sure she must be a good doc...after having worked as a doc in a us hospital for so many years... Um...is there any chance that you're in law school??? hahaha Bakit ang baba ng tingin mo sa mga doktor na Pinoy? Why do you think so lowly of Philippine doctors? Sure, Philippine med schools may not have the most advanced technologies and procedures, but that doesn't mean they can't provide good medical training. I mean CPR is CPR whereever in the world you go. Actually, in the Philippines, medical students are forced to improvize and use their ingenuity as they try to treat patients using very limited resources. My aunt studied at University of Sto. Tomas, one of the top medical schools in the country. She was already a good doctor even before coming to the States. Why do Philippine doctors choose nursing upon coming to the States? Well, for one, taking the medical board exam is really expensive, plus they are required to take additional costly medical classes for that. Also, it's an aberration that doctors have a harder time getting Green Cards, than nurses, so why stick with medicine in the first place? As for me, I'm in business school at the moment. I've thought of law school, but I've asked myself, "Why do I wanna be a liar ... I mean lawyer?" |
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maybe
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Post by maybe on Oct 13, 2007 8:13:57 GMT -5
Why do you think so lowly of Philippine doctors? Philippino doctors killed Tony Clifton   |
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Post by EA Observer on Oct 13, 2007 12:25:28 GMT -5
As for me, I'm in business school at the moment. I've thought of law school, but I've asked myself, "Why do I wanna be a liar ... I mean lawyer?" Well, some doctors lie, also.  |
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Post by EA Observer on Oct 13, 2007 12:30:59 GMT -5
With the shortages of qualified nurses who are willing and able to work long and hard hours, the U.S. needs all the Filipino nurses it can get. Published March 23, 2007 Immigrants step in to fill U.S. nursing shortageThere is an alarming perception that nurses who come from foreign countries are a low cost alternative to prevailing wages and that the care they provide is low quality. The fact is that foreign countries are losing their best and brightest according to a study by Dr. Marilyn E. Lorenzo, director of the Institute of Health Policy and Development Studies and professor at the University of the Philippines College of Public Health. The nursing shortage in the United States has reached a level where hiring foreign nurses is not just an option but an economic necessity. There are currently more than 126,000 vacant nursing positions in the United States. The Department of Health and Human Services predicts this number will rise to 1 million by 2020, in part to nurses leaving the profession, but also to a greater demand for nurses as the baby boomers reach old age. In 2004, over 37,000 applicants were rejected from nursing schools in the United States. Schools do not have the resources to train all the nurses needed as there is a faculty shortage. Many professionals with the qualifications to teach do not choose academia because they can make a better living working as bedside nurses. This brings up the issue of mitigating the nursing shortage with foreign nurses. In our state, the majority of immigrant nurses are from the Philippines and Canada, in that order. They come to the United States following heavy recruitment by U.S. hospitals and travel agencies and the disillusionment with low nursing wages and poor working conditions in their home countries. They also want to show gratitude toward their families by providing them with financial support in return for their sacrifices. These care providers are sometimes vulnerable to exploitation. There is one particular case where a California company recruited a Filipino nurse. She signed a contract that paid for her family travel and nursing license. In return, she agreed to a six-year contract. After her first year of practice, her hourly wage as a registered nurse was $12 while her nurse counterparts were making in excess of $30 an hour. The buy-out clause for this contract was $50,000! Her entire family eventually pitched in to buy her out of this abusive labor condition. Yes, you should be aware of the details when you sign a contract. But when you make $400 a month and recruitment companies offer to quadruple your salary, pay for your travel and certifications and promise to take care of you, the future is bright and irresistible. I still hold an active nursing home administrator license. During my residential care days, I had the privilege of working with Filipino nurses who provided outstanding care. Coming from a country where elders are revered, these nurses give compassionate and respectful care to our elderly patients. We are fortunate to have the ability to bring foreign nurses to mitigate the critical need for competent and caring professionals. Over the long term, our nursing schools should invest in the recruitment of qualified nursing professors, expand their student capacity and provide our high school graduates with the opportunity to enter this critical and noble profession. Lourdes "Alfie" Alvarado is deputy director for the Department of Veterans Affairs and chair of the Governor's Affirmative Action Policy Committee. A member of The Olympian's Diversity Panel, Alvarado can be reached at alfiealvarado@msn.com. www.theolympian.com/opinion/v-print/story/72007.html |
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Post by SecretAsianMan on Oct 13, 2007 22:42:11 GMT -5
<snip> At what point does a parody become a slur? I'll chime in here. I don't see how this can be interpreted as a "parody." Of what is it a parody? I don't know about you, but I am not aware of a major problem in the U.S. caused by inferior, foreign-trained physicians who somehow slip past the US Medical Licensure Exam (USMLE). Quite the contrary, foreign doctors are helping to mitigate a major crisis in American healthcare (yes, another one that is not well-publicised). More on this later... Aparently, the writers of that show find it humorous to denigrate physicians who received medical training in the Philippines (a country in the developing world, of course). Or, is this supposed to be poking fun at a widely-held view/stereotype that physicians who received training in the Philippines are inferior? Yeah, right. I'm rather glad to hear that Filipinos are voicing their disgust over this. Americans should be more concerned over the critical shortage of physicians that is staring them in the face. Live in a rural area of the U.S. and need a specialist? Good luck finding one. Low-income urban areas (e.g., capital Washington DC's Ward 7) are also without doctors. Moreover, many hospitals have great difficulty recruiting and retaining general surgeons these days. And this is just going to get worse, since America has a growing, aging population. For years, the American Medical Association held the position that an oversupply of physicians existed, and the Congressional Council on Graduate Medical Education did its best since the 1980s to limit the supply of new physicians. Oh, and the U.S. stopped opening new medical schools in the 1980s -- the Association of American Medical Colleges only recently ditched their prediction of an imminent surplus of physicians in America. The reality is that, in spite of skyrocketing malpractice insurance premiums and other expenses (practice overhead, etc.), the medical profession is still lucrative, and this is precisely because doctors are in short supply relative to demand. As it takes the better part of a decade to train new physicians, I see no other relief in sight for this problem in the near term than to try to attract quaified physicians from wherever we can find them! |
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Post by juancarlos on Oct 15, 2007 7:16:29 GMT -5
I dont think lowly of filipino doctors...in fact, if they can pass the USMLE to get into the US then they're good doctors. What I am saying - is that filipino med schools aren't as good as US med schools...and i think this is common sense actually. You can't compare the top med schools in the phils to the US med schools in my opinion...i know st. tomas and up are impressive to filipinos but they're not that impressive when you compare it against any of the US med schools cause of the standards, faculty, difficulty in admission, quality, etc etc. the exams for nursing is just as expensive for med...and it's tougher for fil docs to get visas cause the US doesn't need doctors...they need nurses as the previous post says.... ah, business huh? we should start a new thread for illegal business in the PIs...smuggling and the import/export in particular...hehe Gohan, Again that's your opinion that Philippine medical schools are inferior to American med schools in terms of standards, faculty, difficulty in admission, quality, etc etc. Putting aside the facilities/technology aspect, I think Philippine med schools are just as good in terms of standards, faculty, difficulty in admission, quality. In fact, Philippine med school admission is more competitve, given the thousands if not tens of thousands who apply and only a few hundreds chosen. I hope you're not suggesting that Filipinos are inherently inferior to Americans in terms of intelligence, as that is racism. Also, in my experience, academics is generally more rigorous in the Philippines than the U.S. in terms of undergrad studies. I think that carries on to med studies as well. Peace. JC |
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Post by juancarlos on Oct 15, 2007 7:18:33 GMT -5
Philippino doctors killed Tony Clifton LOL, someone old enough to remember "Tony Clifton." You must be at least as old as I am... Ha! Ha! I guess I'm not the only old person here. Misery has company for a change. |
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Post by juancarlos on Oct 16, 2007 5:35:22 GMT -5
Gohan,
Did you not state in one of your prior posts:
yeah...filipinos are a really2x proud group...I mean, in my opinion, American medical schools are better than filipino medical schools...based on the credentials of the faculty, the training in terms of internships, the caliber of the students, and the curriculum! GMA doesn't know what she's talking about - it can't be a racial slur cuz the desperate housewife was questioning the "schooling"...not passing judgment bcz it was a filipino. It wasn't racial....it was insulting of filipino medical schools, which
aren't up to par with amer med skuls according to that line...
So, exactly what did you mean by the inferior "caliber" of Filipino medical students?
Sure, non-U.S. and Canadian takers of U.S. medical boards have lower passing rates. But quoting that statistic to judge the quality of Philippine medical schools has major flaws, as follows:
1. The non-U.S./Canada score is the average for a conglomeration of other nationalities, not just Filipinos. Following your logic, you can essentially argue that British/French/German/Australian med schools are also inferior to American ones because they belong to the non-US/Canada category too, which has a lower overall passing grade. Lol;
2. You fail to control for language differences and testing differences. Have U.S. doctors take the Philippine medical board exam in Tagalog and see how well they do;
3. It does not control for test preparation resources. I can bet you that the American medical students on average had spent more $$$$$$$$ per capita on Kaplan test preparation materials/seminars/books/tapes/cds than the Filipino medical students.
Again, U.S. medical schools have better technologies, facilities and funding. Essentially, they just have more money. If you control for those things, Filipino medical schools I would say are just about even with the quality of U.S. medical schools. Give Filipino medical schools the same level of funding of U.S. medical schools and then we can compare true quality as you say. It's all about the $$$$$$$$$$$!!!
I maybe proud of my heritage, but I'm also very realistic to the flaws of my culture. In fact, I pointed out at the very beginning of this thread that Pinoys were overreacting to the Desperate Housewives brouhaha!!!
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Post by juancarlos on Oct 17, 2007 5:58:43 GMT -5
Gohan,
Lol, yup you screwed up the quoting thingy. My eyes were beginning to hurt just trying to make sense of what you wrote. I was born in Manila, if you must know. As far as being Eurasian, I do not count myself as one per se simply because I don't know how far up I have to go my genealogy to find a European. Lol. One thing I know is that my mom is of German descent. What about you ... where were you born and are you Eurasian?
As far as the med schools, you can only convince me that Filipino med schools are inherently inferior only if you provide them the same level of funding and test preparation as American med schools do and document that Filipino med students are still failing the USMLE by a mile. Otherwise, your argument has no validity whatsoever.
JC
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Post by long on Oct 17, 2007 9:35:51 GMT -5
^ From what I see his argument has plenty of validity. From what I can tell, you're giving up quite a bit of ground by suggesting that we could only compare the schools if all things were equal. With this idea you're admitting things aren't equal in some way (funding, technology, etc.) Those things in themselves could be enough to suggest that Fil MD schools may not do quite as good a job of preparing students for the practice of medicine in the US. (I'm guessing this could be said about schools in the vast majority of countries). - One thing I know to be true which you seem to be denying: Filipino med schools have lower standards of admission than US schools (at least for American students). Students with lower grades that are unable to get into US schools are accepted to schools in the Philippines. I know multiple people for whom this was the case, have talked to many premed advisors, seen stats... in my exp. this seems to be a universally accepted truth. - None of it is to say that Filipinos are less intelligent than Americans or any other group. - Once an MD has passed the licensing boards she should be treated with the same amount of respect as any other, regardless of schooling. With this in mind, I can see how Filipinos could begin to be justifiably offended. It's really worth pointing out that in this show the doctor in question is clearly white so the joke merely concerns his schooling not his race. This makes the whole thing much less offensive in my eyes. I love Filipino people, I think they're wonderful  |
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