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Some Days You Can’t Save Them All
"In the event of an error, the only thing a writer loses is a chunk of swollen ego. But a physician’s incorrect diagnosis will always be a matter of life and death. Dr. Baticulon’s dispatches from the country’s leading public hospital are told in language that requires no further acrobatics. How do you tell a mother that the smiling ten-year-old boy in her arms will not survive the following week? How do you tell a little girl she’ll never be able to go home to play because her parents can’t afford P54,000 for her surgery? How do you live with yourself after breaking a promise to save an eight-year-old boy’s life? Like the trenches of war zones, the operating room is the frontline of life’s most difficult questions. Here are a neurosurgeon’s gripping ruminations on hope and loss."
—Lourd De Veyra
"Ronnie Baticulon follows in the footsteps of many other physicians for whom the task of understanding and healing humanity did not stop at the clinic or the operating room. They used words and language not only for their patients but also for themselves—a long and distinguished line from Rabelais, Chekhov, and Maugham to Michael Crichton, Richard Selzer, Oliver Sacks, and of course our own Jose Rizal and Arturo Rotor. Dr. Baticulon is a worthy addition to that tradition."
—Jose Y. Dalisay Jr.
—Lourd De Veyra
"Ronnie Baticulon follows in the footsteps of many other physicians for whom the task of understanding and healing humanity did not stop at the clinic or the operating room. They used words and language not only for their patients but also for themselves—a long and distinguished line from Rabelais, Chekhov, and Maugham to Michael Crichton, Richard Selzer, Oliver Sacks, and of course our own Jose Rizal and Arturo Rotor. Dr. Baticulon is a worthy addition to that tradition."
—Jose Y. Dalisay Jr.
192 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2019
About the author
Ronnie E. Baticulon
2 books115 followersRonnie E. Baticulon is a pediatric neurosurgeon, teacher, and writer. He was a fellow of the 8th UST National Writers Workshop and the 58th UP National Writers Workshop. He won a Palanca for essay in 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
August 25, 2023
A well-written personal essays about an individual who dreamt of being a doctor and became a doctor in the end. With a lot of challenges, hardships, joys, empathies, guilts, hopes, and sorrows in between.
November 15, 2019
It's the best description of what it looks like to become a practicing Doctor in the Philippines. The intense emotion, balancing between feeling something and deciding right there and then when thrown with a situation that's of life and death (because every single minute you lose, you lose a battle for that patient too, either for a recovery period or for a relative's hope for their father, husband, mother or child to live a second life or grow older and see the life ahead) and when it's time to operate, the stress that the patient's relatives have to deal with (running to and fro asking for medical abstract just to obtain Guarantee Letter as a requirement for some politicians assistance, for purchase of OR materials, the expensive antibiotics, and for post op care- social service in public hospitals can only extend help up to a certain limit), when it's supposed to be the government's responsibility to manage this large issue at hand. While one of a politician's kid is having a lavishly grandiose party, another patient is dying solely because they're poor and has nothing to provide for their medical needs.
To add more, the exhaustion of 36 ++ hours of duty, the lost weekends that are supposedly for family time.
One must thought, what a sad reality.
But the book didn't just highlighted the nightmares, it also reflected that beautiful feeling seeing a patient walk to the clinic for a follow up weeks after either a surgical or medical procedure. It takes "Doc, thank you...Godbless po" and admittedly, nakakawalang pagod.
This piece of art is going to be a good reference to the next generation. It's a reminder of the importance of humility, perseverance, honesty, and developing a habit that include complaining less.
To add more, the exhaustion of 36 ++ hours of duty, the lost weekends that are supposedly for family time.
One must thought, what a sad reality.
But the book didn't just highlighted the nightmares, it also reflected that beautiful feeling seeing a patient walk to the clinic for a follow up weeks after either a surgical or medical procedure. It takes "Doc, thank you...Godbless po" and admittedly, nakakawalang pagod.
This piece of art is going to be a good reference to the next generation. It's a reminder of the importance of humility, perseverance, honesty, and developing a habit that include complaining less.
October 25, 2020
This is a brilliant work of literature made to shed some light on how doctors navigate their daily lives in treating patients under the current healthcare system in the country. Albeit personal, I’d like to assume that this is how doctors are especially in government hospitals in the country.
Dr. Baticulon’s well-articulated essays on personal experiences revived my pre-school dream of becoming a doctor even just for a day. But more than that, this also served as an exposition on how rotten the healthcare system in our country is and how difficult it is for the marginalized and the poor to have access to a quality healthcare that they deserve. Health is supposed to be a basic human right but many of the Filipinos are deprived of it. It goes to show how far it is from being fair and just to every Filipino who needs it the most.
I hope that every person who are in medical school get the chance to pick this up and read this gem and may it be a source of motivation and inspiration for them to strive and become the doctors that this country needs. May this teach them empathy and courage to face and fight the inequalities that this system brings to most people—victimizing them, and leaving them with no option for a better healthcare.
Dr. Baticulon’s well-articulated essays on personal experiences revived my pre-school dream of becoming a doctor even just for a day. But more than that, this also served as an exposition on how rotten the healthcare system in our country is and how difficult it is for the marginalized and the poor to have access to a quality healthcare that they deserve. Health is supposed to be a basic human right but many of the Filipinos are deprived of it. It goes to show how far it is from being fair and just to every Filipino who needs it the most.
I hope that every person who are in medical school get the chance to pick this up and read this gem and may it be a source of motivation and inspiration for them to strive and become the doctors that this country needs. May this teach them empathy and courage to face and fight the inequalities that this system brings to most people—victimizing them, and leaving them with no option for a better healthcare.
March 24, 2020
Okay sorry di ako marunong mag-review pero gusto ko lang sabihin na favorite ko 'tong librong 'to huhu! Naalala ko pa noong nirelease 'to sa fullybooked, nagpa-reserve agad ako ng kopya at inintay ko talaga text nila.
Sobrang timely kasi ito yung binabasa ko nung nasa ospital ako nitong February lang. Halos 1 month din akong absent sa school at sa 1 motnh na 'yon on-and-off sakit ko hanggang sa na-confine ako for almost 2-3 weeks. Comfort read ko ang librong 'to at habang binabasa ko 'to sa ospital, iniiyakan ko lang 'to hahahauhu. Siguro dahil nga yung set-up ko e naka-admit ako habang binabasa ito. Kahit papano nakakarelate ako sa sentiments ng mga pasyente... at bilang gusto ko ring maging doktor sa hinaharap, nakatulong itong librong para ma-prime ang utak ko sa kung ano man ang posibleng mangyari sa akin sa magiging journey ko sa med school. Lalo na't sakitin ako pero pinapangarap ding magpagaling ng mga may sakit.
Ang ganda niya kasi natutunan kong intindihin ang iba't ibang perspectives. Dama ko ang awtor. Sana ma-meet ko si Dok sa future! :)
Sobrang timely kasi ito yung binabasa ko nung nasa ospital ako nitong February lang. Halos 1 month din akong absent sa school at sa 1 motnh na 'yon on-and-off sakit ko hanggang sa na-confine ako for almost 2-3 weeks. Comfort read ko ang librong 'to at habang binabasa ko 'to sa ospital, iniiyakan ko lang 'to hahahauhu. Siguro dahil nga yung set-up ko e naka-admit ako habang binabasa ito. Kahit papano nakakarelate ako sa sentiments ng mga pasyente... at bilang gusto ko ring maging doktor sa hinaharap, nakatulong itong librong para ma-prime ang utak ko sa kung ano man ang posibleng mangyari sa akin sa magiging journey ko sa med school. Lalo na't sakitin ako pero pinapangarap ding magpagaling ng mga may sakit.
Ang ganda niya kasi natutunan kong intindihin ang iba't ibang perspectives. Dama ko ang awtor. Sana ma-meet ko si Dok sa future! :)
September 24, 2023
Some Days You Can’t Save Them all is an essay collection of Dr. Baticulon’s journey of becoming a neurosurgeon. He shares stories of triumphs and struggles in medical school and residency, his patient encounters and the lessons he learned throughout the years of experience.
Being a healthcare worker, I find this book relatable, emotional yet inspiring at the same time. No matter how hard it is to work in the medical field, the lives of our patient relies on our hands. Our daily patient interaction isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Many of them struggled financially and cannot afford hospitalization and treatments. Regardless of the situation, our duty is to give our best to heal and save their lives. We may not be immune to deaths but we must remain our composure and continue what we do.
The best lesson this book gave me is to be compassion and empathetic towards others. I had my fair share of frustration, failures and achievements but what keeps me going? Seeing the patients we took care of are doing well. That’s a reminder that I did great and I should keep doing what I love.
I am lucky to meet Dr. Ronnie Baticulon during the Manila International Book Fair and I got my book signed. Thank you for sharing your stories, Doc! Thank you also to Dr. Cheska for recommending this book to me. 💛
Being a healthcare worker, I find this book relatable, emotional yet inspiring at the same time. No matter how hard it is to work in the medical field, the lives of our patient relies on our hands. Our daily patient interaction isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Many of them struggled financially and cannot afford hospitalization and treatments. Regardless of the situation, our duty is to give our best to heal and save their lives. We may not be immune to deaths but we must remain our composure and continue what we do.
The best lesson this book gave me is to be compassion and empathetic towards others. I had my fair share of frustration, failures and achievements but what keeps me going? Seeing the patients we took care of are doing well. That’s a reminder that I did great and I should keep doing what I love.
I am lucky to meet Dr. Ronnie Baticulon during the Manila International Book Fair and I got my book signed. Thank you for sharing your stories, Doc! Thank you also to Dr. Cheska for recommending this book to me. 💛
October 26, 2022
4.5 ⭐️
October 11, 2022
This is one of the few Filipino books I’ve bought just because the title caught my eye. On the second day of the Manila International Book Fair 2022, I was at the UP Press Booth to look for an interesting local read that I can binge read. This caught my attention; I would have to admit the title may seem to bait readers. (Bait was worth it, though)
Some Days You Can’t Save Them All is a collection of anecdotes and essays. It covers numerous topics, but in a general sense, it covers Doc Baticulon’s (quite rough) journey in med school and his experiences at a public hospital in PGH, Manila. Doc Ronnie was not privileged enough from the start, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing medical studies. He was talented and hardworking enough to get into the INTARMED program of the University of the Philippines which basically quickens medical studies by two years.
It’s very personal; Doc Baticulon was not afraid to express how difficult it was to be a medical student and, soon enough, a practicing doctor/surgeon. He showed vulnerability through his writing, most of all, being honest about his upbringing and economic situation, as well. He was blessed enough to have a very loving and supportive family, which I think is very much the secret to his success.
You can sense the passion he has in his writing, especially how determined he is to serve his patients and treat them with the utmost care. He has a love for teaching as well, which is really notable for him. Teaching is always a noble job, and the fact that he is excited and ardent about giving lectures and discussions about medicine is something that will make him more significant in his field.
I liked how there were essays on his commentary on the Philippine healthcare system. Hence, it is not only a memoir but a critique of the current and local healthcare system. It is eye-opening that you will realize how rotten the system can be and how much more funding needs to be done in Philippine public hospitals.
Boy, do I want to meet him in real life. He seems like a very wise and respectful man. There’s this quote that stuck with me in the last essay of the book, “Everybody is in such a hurry to achieve something or become someone that we forget to be thankful for what we have in the now. We are always where we are meant to be.”
Some Days You Can’t Save Them All is a collection of anecdotes and essays. It covers numerous topics, but in a general sense, it covers Doc Baticulon’s (quite rough) journey in med school and his experiences at a public hospital in PGH, Manila. Doc Ronnie was not privileged enough from the start, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing medical studies. He was talented and hardworking enough to get into the INTARMED program of the University of the Philippines which basically quickens medical studies by two years.
It’s very personal; Doc Baticulon was not afraid to express how difficult it was to be a medical student and, soon enough, a practicing doctor/surgeon. He showed vulnerability through his writing, most of all, being honest about his upbringing and economic situation, as well. He was blessed enough to have a very loving and supportive family, which I think is very much the secret to his success.
You can sense the passion he has in his writing, especially how determined he is to serve his patients and treat them with the utmost care. He has a love for teaching as well, which is really notable for him. Teaching is always a noble job, and the fact that he is excited and ardent about giving lectures and discussions about medicine is something that will make him more significant in his field.
I liked how there were essays on his commentary on the Philippine healthcare system. Hence, it is not only a memoir but a critique of the current and local healthcare system. It is eye-opening that you will realize how rotten the system can be and how much more funding needs to be done in Philippine public hospitals.
Boy, do I want to meet him in real life. He seems like a very wise and respectful man. There’s this quote that stuck with me in the last essay of the book, “Everybody is in such a hurry to achieve something or become someone that we forget to be thankful for what we have in the now. We are always where we are meant to be.”
November 17, 2022
The book featured a collection of anecdotes depicting the realities of the Philippine healthcare system, told from the perspective of a neurosurgeon and fleshed out through the life stories of his patients. Every narrative empathetically depicted a paradox of human emotions – agony and comfort, sickness and healing, helplessness and hope.
How the essays were paced was also something I especially liked. We get to see how Doc Ronnie went from “a boy who dreamed” to becoming a “first-generation doctor.” It was truly inspiring. It gave me a forthright, un-sugarcoated preview of what it would be like to be a physician in a public hospital in the country – challenging yet fulfilling. It also reminded me of the memoir, When Breath Becomes Air – both were written by neurosurgeons; likewise both are timeless creations that explore comparable ideas of purpose, longevity and emotional endurance.
I finished the book while in the middle of our public health internship. Indeed, it was an eye opener. It recounted disconcerting disparities in our society, and revealed how factors such as financial capacity and other social variables have a much stronger impact on treatment options and health outcomes than does clinical efficacy; thus underscoring our tenuous healthcare system.
"This was not bad luck. This is the society we live in, where the vile and callous prey upon the destitute, defenseless, and despairing."
How the essays were paced was also something I especially liked. We get to see how Doc Ronnie went from “a boy who dreamed” to becoming a “first-generation doctor.” It was truly inspiring. It gave me a forthright, un-sugarcoated preview of what it would be like to be a physician in a public hospital in the country – challenging yet fulfilling. It also reminded me of the memoir, When Breath Becomes Air – both were written by neurosurgeons; likewise both are timeless creations that explore comparable ideas of purpose, longevity and emotional endurance.
I finished the book while in the middle of our public health internship. Indeed, it was an eye opener. It recounted disconcerting disparities in our society, and revealed how factors such as financial capacity and other social variables have a much stronger impact on treatment options and health outcomes than does clinical efficacy; thus underscoring our tenuous healthcare system.
"This was not bad luck. This is the society we live in, where the vile and callous prey upon the destitute, defenseless, and despairing."
September 11, 2023
This collection of essays by a practicing medical doctor in a public hospital in the Philippines reminded me again of one thing that should never be forgotten: 'Believe in the power of kindness and humanity.' I've always known that I'll like this book, but it still surprised me how raw and truthful it was. How insightful and moving. How articulate yet inspiring. Highly recommended.
November 27, 2023
"If these essays would inspire even just one person to push further when all things seem unyielding, to strive for one's best instead of settling for what is mediocre, to choose what is right and what is kind when the alternative would have been an easier way out, then I would suppose that the stories of a boy who dreamed are worth telling."
This book started off good, and concluded strongly. I couldn't even count how many tabs I used as there were so many moments that I just had to highlight.
Some Days You Can't Save Them All is a compilation of stories not only of Doc Ronnie, but as well as the patients whose lives he has touched.
This book had made me cry, laugh, mad and ultimately hopeful. It did not only talk about the sufferings of ordinary people to get access to health care but it also touched on issues about how our health care system could better help our ailing citizens if only our government and elected officials give enough support with the funds that they have in hand.
Having the experience of staying at a hospital under charity for a week to watch over my dad, I resonated with how true and raw the stories are in this book. It made me realize how dire the public health system truly is in the Philippines.
I hope a lot more people, especially Filipinos, get to read this book and make the people in charge hold accountable to take actions.
This isn't only for those who dream of becoming doctors, this is for everyone who dreams and perseveres to achieve that dream.
To Doc @ronibatsmd, thank you for sharing these stories with us.
May books like these not only be left imprinted on our minds but also be a passageway for a call to action.
This book started off good, and concluded strongly. I couldn't even count how many tabs I used as there were so many moments that I just had to highlight.
Some Days You Can't Save Them All is a compilation of stories not only of Doc Ronnie, but as well as the patients whose lives he has touched.
This book had made me cry, laugh, mad and ultimately hopeful. It did not only talk about the sufferings of ordinary people to get access to health care but it also touched on issues about how our health care system could better help our ailing citizens if only our government and elected officials give enough support with the funds that they have in hand.
Having the experience of staying at a hospital under charity for a week to watch over my dad, I resonated with how true and raw the stories are in this book. It made me realize how dire the public health system truly is in the Philippines.
I hope a lot more people, especially Filipinos, get to read this book and make the people in charge hold accountable to take actions.
This isn't only for those who dream of becoming doctors, this is for everyone who dreams and perseveres to achieve that dream.
To Doc @ronibatsmd, thank you for sharing these stories with us.
May books like these not only be left imprinted on our minds but also be a passageway for a call to action.
August 9, 2022
after 2 long years, i finally found the time to read this book. truthfully, i enjoyed reading the essays that doc ronnie shared. they were all good light reads albeit having heavy topics. i read his frustration and fatigue over the poor healthcare system of the Philippines.
i can't really say his sentiments are shared by the whole healthcare worker community, and i understand where he's coming from. but at some point, it got quite repetitive and tiring to read the same themes over again: about how being born poor and Filipino is the worst combo ever. the only variety, i found, was in the circumstances of his patients.
i totally get it, though! the problem really is the healthcare system of the Philippines. what else is there to write about if not the state of our public hospitals and healthcare workers?
additionally: i would read doc ronnie's email newsletters if he had a mailing list :D
i can't really say his sentiments are shared by the whole healthcare worker community, and i understand where he's coming from. but at some point, it got quite repetitive and tiring to read the same themes over again: about how being born poor and Filipino is the worst combo ever. the only variety, i found, was in the circumstances of his patients.
i totally get it, though! the problem really is the healthcare system of the Philippines. what else is there to write about if not the state of our public hospitals and healthcare workers?
additionally: i would read doc ronnie's email newsletters if he had a mailing list :D
December 8, 2022
4.5
I already expected to feel sad (the title gave it away) and irate (about the state of our country's healthcare system, something I am fully aware of) reading this book, but what I didn't expect is to feel hopeful. Though, one couldn't really help feeling that after reading Ronnie Baticulon's account of his journey from a brilliant student to an even more brilliant physician, something he dreamed and manifested so adamantly, all the while making sure that he remains a compassionate human being in spite of everything.
Baticulon, in Gideon Lasco's Foreword, said that he was not the protagonist in this book, he was just the storyteller, telling the lives of some of his patients, displaying the actual reality Filipino people lived in. And what a storyteller Baticulon is. He said that he was adept in Mathematics as a young student, but he didn't say that he also knows how to write. The anecdotes and essays in this book were so well-written it took me less than a day to finish, while still succeeding in affecting and even moving me to tears several times. But, as he continued in the Foreword, the real heroes of this collection are his patients. What happened to them was harrowing and to a lesser scribe, it would feel too undignified to read. But not here. Baticulon may have shared their stories to relieve himself of the stress and the grief, but perhaps unconsciously, or not—I'd like to believe that it's the latter—he may have also opened the readers' eyes to the tragedy of our healthcare system—both for those who give and receive its medical aids.
In one of the memorable essays in the book, “The Cost of a Life”, Baticulon writes: “This is the society we live in, where the vile and callous prey upon the destitute, defenseless, and despairing. As doctors, we can only promise to do our best to heal our patients. Beyond the hospital, out on the streets, the struggle between life and death continues.” Multiple times Baticulon not only fought the diseases that tormented the patients, but also the inefficiency of the system and of the government. At one point, he even showed a side-by-side comparison of what a ten-year old patient with a brain tumor could expect when admitted in the Philippine state hospital, versus that of Melbourne's. It's maddening, to say the least.
Despite all these setbacks, Baticulon continues on being the best doctor he could be. He concludes the essay which bears the book's title with “Some days, you could not save them all, but my patients—with their promise of a good story—reminded me that I should never stop trying.” It gives me so much hope to know that someone like Baticulon has insisted on being a doctor and still continues on saving and trying to save lives, all while being aware of the reality outside of the surgical room. Some people you're glad that they shared their life stories for public consumption and Baticulon was one of them. This is a book that I could see myself rereading. It felt inspiring, but not preachy; hopeful, but not saccharine, and; ambitious, but still grounded. A great read, definitely one of my favorites of the year.
I already expected to feel sad (the title gave it away) and irate (about the state of our country's healthcare system, something I am fully aware of) reading this book, but what I didn't expect is to feel hopeful. Though, one couldn't really help feeling that after reading Ronnie Baticulon's account of his journey from a brilliant student to an even more brilliant physician, something he dreamed and manifested so adamantly, all the while making sure that he remains a compassionate human being in spite of everything.
Baticulon, in Gideon Lasco's Foreword, said that he was not the protagonist in this book, he was just the storyteller, telling the lives of some of his patients, displaying the actual reality Filipino people lived in. And what a storyteller Baticulon is. He said that he was adept in Mathematics as a young student, but he didn't say that he also knows how to write. The anecdotes and essays in this book were so well-written it took me less than a day to finish, while still succeeding in affecting and even moving me to tears several times. But, as he continued in the Foreword, the real heroes of this collection are his patients. What happened to them was harrowing and to a lesser scribe, it would feel too undignified to read. But not here. Baticulon may have shared their stories to relieve himself of the stress and the grief, but perhaps unconsciously, or not—I'd like to believe that it's the latter—he may have also opened the readers' eyes to the tragedy of our healthcare system—both for those who give and receive its medical aids.
In one of the memorable essays in the book, “The Cost of a Life”, Baticulon writes: “This is the society we live in, where the vile and callous prey upon the destitute, defenseless, and despairing. As doctors, we can only promise to do our best to heal our patients. Beyond the hospital, out on the streets, the struggle between life and death continues.” Multiple times Baticulon not only fought the diseases that tormented the patients, but also the inefficiency of the system and of the government. At one point, he even showed a side-by-side comparison of what a ten-year old patient with a brain tumor could expect when admitted in the Philippine state hospital, versus that of Melbourne's. It's maddening, to say the least.
Despite all these setbacks, Baticulon continues on being the best doctor he could be. He concludes the essay which bears the book's title with “Some days, you could not save them all, but my patients—with their promise of a good story—reminded me that I should never stop trying.” It gives me so much hope to know that someone like Baticulon has insisted on being a doctor and still continues on saving and trying to save lives, all while being aware of the reality outside of the surgical room. Some people you're glad that they shared their life stories for public consumption and Baticulon was one of them. This is a book that I could see myself rereading. It felt inspiring, but not preachy; hopeful, but not saccharine, and; ambitious, but still grounded. A great read, definitely one of my favorites of the year.
March 25, 2020
In hindsight, it probably was a good idea to read this book–a retelling of the stories of a high school achiever that eventually culminate into getting into the UP College of Medicine, an account of the difficulties medical clerks and interns working in a public hospital have to endure on a daily basis, a fair warning for those looking into going into surgical residency at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), and a glimpse into what we can only hope to be a bright future–at a point in my life where I am at a complete standstill.
Having gone through what the author narrated–up until taking and passing the physician licensure examination–I laughed and shook my head at the appropriate times as I reminisced on my days as the neurosurgical service (NSS) intern-on-duty (“Sino pong NSS intern? May ipapa-line lang po sa Ward 6.“), sympathized with him when he was the resident-on-duty sleeping at the cramped area in the neurosurgical special care unit just behind the nurses’ station, imagining how difficult it must have been to get a shut-eye when all around, mechanical ventilators and cardiac monitors beeped to life every few seconds, and almost cried whenever he had a mortality or morbidity, for which he would inevitably blame himself first and, later on, the pitiful state of our country’s healthcare system.
The hospital has somewhat improved since the author’s stint as a neurosurgery resident, but most of the stories still ring true: residents having to shell out money to expedite a patient’s scans, having to delay surgery on a child with progressively worsening hydrocephalus until the parents secure enough funds for the ventriculoperitoneal shunt (by which time, the patient is rendered inoperable already), and having to endure Friday conferences, during which time the consultants don’t waste time mincing their words.
You’d think that stories from a public hospital such as PGH would only make for depressing tales, shared only during a round or two of inuman at the local Tambayan after a harrowing day at work, but somehow, Baticulon manages to deliver the metaphorical light at the end of a tunnel in a way that’s sweet but not overly saccharine, and interspersed between the most depressing of his tales to leave the readers just the right amount of hope (and drive to maybe, just maybe, pursue that residency in a public hospital next year.)
My favorite takeaway?
“Some days, you could not save them all, but my patients–with their promise of a good story–reminded me that I should never stop trying.”
Having gone through what the author narrated–up until taking and passing the physician licensure examination–I laughed and shook my head at the appropriate times as I reminisced on my days as the neurosurgical service (NSS) intern-on-duty (“Sino pong NSS intern? May ipapa-line lang po sa Ward 6.“), sympathized with him when he was the resident-on-duty sleeping at the cramped area in the neurosurgical special care unit just behind the nurses’ station, imagining how difficult it must have been to get a shut-eye when all around, mechanical ventilators and cardiac monitors beeped to life every few seconds, and almost cried whenever he had a mortality or morbidity, for which he would inevitably blame himself first and, later on, the pitiful state of our country’s healthcare system.
The hospital has somewhat improved since the author’s stint as a neurosurgery resident, but most of the stories still ring true: residents having to shell out money to expedite a patient’s scans, having to delay surgery on a child with progressively worsening hydrocephalus until the parents secure enough funds for the ventriculoperitoneal shunt (by which time, the patient is rendered inoperable already), and having to endure Friday conferences, during which time the consultants don’t waste time mincing their words.
You’d think that stories from a public hospital such as PGH would only make for depressing tales, shared only during a round or two of inuman at the local Tambayan after a harrowing day at work, but somehow, Baticulon manages to deliver the metaphorical light at the end of a tunnel in a way that’s sweet but not overly saccharine, and interspersed between the most depressing of his tales to leave the readers just the right amount of hope (and drive to maybe, just maybe, pursue that residency in a public hospital next year.)
My favorite takeaway?
“Some days, you could not save them all, but my patients–with their promise of a good story–reminded me that I should never stop trying.”
January 21, 2023
Left me inspired.
As Dr. Baticulon shared his real-life experiences through anecdotes, you would be in awe of how he paved the way to becoming the person he always wanted to be. If you have worked hard enough, all you have to do is believe in the impossible.
This is a perfect read for someone who needs clarity, inspiration, and encouragement to push through medicine. This is something I would definitely re-read again if I lost hope and passion in my chosen course. One of the best reads from these short stories was the one he wrote a letter to his students.
The stories he had with his patients will inspire you to always choose what is right and what is kind.
As Dr. Baticulon shared his real-life experiences through anecdotes, you would be in awe of how he paved the way to becoming the person he always wanted to be. If you have worked hard enough, all you have to do is believe in the impossible.
This is a perfect read for someone who needs clarity, inspiration, and encouragement to push through medicine. This is something I would definitely re-read again if I lost hope and passion in my chosen course. One of the best reads from these short stories was the one he wrote a letter to his students.
The stories he had with his patients will inspire you to always choose what is right and what is kind.
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December 15, 2021DNF - will not be rating
i closed this title after reading the essay It Takes Just One Person, and skimming the first few pages of the next essay called Lost and Found.
i had high hopes for this collection and high respect for Dok Baticulon. however, the content of some of the essays, particularly It Takes Just One Person, could have just been a rant to a friend. that’s what you do when you’re irate with clients, when you’re burned out, right? and not immortalize an essay which is basically a talking to to patients to do their part when they’re already stretched thin? i understand the frustration, i really do. i’m a medical professional too but i can’t align with this. on the field we can be infuriated, but we can never respond without empathy. i know Dok Bats was trying to express that doctors are human too, and they are. all i really wanted was a short paragraph (just a sentence even!) to vindicate patients. to remind readers that the patients and their families are never to blame for being unable to afford the money or the time to heal. but unlike Dok Bats’s remorse and shame, it never came.
the essays in this collection are very inward. Dok Baticulon writes in standard feature writing-essay writing competition prose. apart from patient anecdotes that i adored, i did not get much from this. i wanted to hold on till the end of this collection. figure out why it’s so well-loved. unfortunately, it also takes just one essay (and a couple of red flags) for me to decide that Dok Bats and i might not have the same vantage point.
i closed this title after reading the essay It Takes Just One Person, and skimming the first few pages of the next essay called Lost and Found.
i had high hopes for this collection and high respect for Dok Baticulon. however, the content of some of the essays, particularly It Takes Just One Person, could have just been a rant to a friend. that’s what you do when you’re irate with clients, when you’re burned out, right? and not immortalize an essay which is basically a talking to to patients to do their part when they’re already stretched thin? i understand the frustration, i really do. i’m a medical professional too but i can’t align with this. on the field we can be infuriated, but we can never respond without empathy. i know Dok Bats was trying to express that doctors are human too, and they are. all i really wanted was a short paragraph (just a sentence even!) to vindicate patients. to remind readers that the patients and their families are never to blame for being unable to afford the money or the time to heal. but unlike Dok Bats’s remorse and shame, it never came.
the essays in this collection are very inward. Dok Baticulon writes in standard feature writing-essay writing competition prose. apart from patient anecdotes that i adored, i did not get much from this. i wanted to hold on till the end of this collection. figure out why it’s so well-loved. unfortunately, it also takes just one essay (and a couple of red flags) for me to decide that Dok Bats and i might not have the same vantage point.
April 20, 2022
"Some days, you could not save them all, but my patients - with their promise of a good story - reminded me that I should never stop trying."
This collection of essays is an insightful, inspiring, and incredible read about the thought processes, interactions, and dynamics of a public hospital surgeon in a third-world country with his countrymen who are either patients, patients' relatives, colleagues, acquaintances, or loved ones. What will stay with me for a while is how hope keeps doctors in practice despite the deep emotional and mental scars that they pay for every life they attempt to save. The stories also provide a sound preview of the realities of being in the healthcare profession so this is a must-read for students. For non-healthcare professional readers, this can make us see and appreciate our hospital workers even more for the dedication they cultivate to serve more of us.
This collection of essays is an insightful, inspiring, and incredible read about the thought processes, interactions, and dynamics of a public hospital surgeon in a third-world country with his countrymen who are either patients, patients' relatives, colleagues, acquaintances, or loved ones. What will stay with me for a while is how hope keeps doctors in practice despite the deep emotional and mental scars that they pay for every life they attempt to save. The stories also provide a sound preview of the realities of being in the healthcare profession so this is a must-read for students. For non-healthcare professional readers, this can make us see and appreciate our hospital workers even more for the dedication they cultivate to serve more of us.
July 25, 2021
ang ganda! ang saya nito basahin habang hinihintay ang susunod na episode ng hospital playlist. sana lang talaga balang araw maging maganda rin ang public healthcare rito sa pinas gaya ng nasa k-drama na 'yun. napatunayan ng librong 'to na the personal is political, and the political is personal. sinasalamin ng mga personal na sanaysay ni dr. baticulon ang karumal-dumal na kalagayan ng public healthcare dito sa pilipinas. sa totoo lang, nakaka-depress talagang basahin, lalo na noong sinabi ni awtor na ang daming namamatay dahil lang sa kakulangan ng pondo. magagamot naman sana, pero wala eh... ganito sa pilipinas. sana dumating 'yung araw na hindi na ganito ang sitwasyon natin sa bansa. filipinos deserve better.
August 13, 2021
This book is so far the closest I've gotten to seeing the world from the eyes of a doctor. I am grateful for the opportunity to have a closer look at the (shared) plights of doctors and patients from a third world government-owned hospital.
I jumped into this book after rereading When Breath Becomes Air which is also a book written by Paul Kalanithi, another neurosurgeon + writer. That book (understandably) focuses more on the doctor's perspective since it's his memoir. This book, in contrast, is a collection of tiny slivers of the lives lived and oftentimes shared by the doctor and his patients.
I jumped into this book after rereading When Breath Becomes Air which is also a book written by Paul Kalanithi, another neurosurgeon + writer. That book (understandably) focuses more on the doctor's perspective since it's his memoir. This book, in contrast, is a collection of tiny slivers of the lives lived and oftentimes shared by the doctor and his patients.
July 18, 2022
“The joy of neurosurgery is in allowing one’s patients to live longer, happier, and more meaningful lives, be it from the simplest or most complicated of operations ... On a lucky day you may even save them from dying.
At the other end of the spectrum, when a neurosurgeon fails, you are eternally saddled by self-hatred, frustration, and regret.”
An intimate journal of a surgeon whose words deftly cut through whatever preconceived notions I had about medicine and our own healthcare. I blame Grey’s (partly) and FDIII (mostly).
At the other end of the spectrum, when a neurosurgeon fails, you are eternally saddled by self-hatred, frustration, and regret.”
An intimate journal of a surgeon whose words deftly cut through whatever preconceived notions I had about medicine and our own healthcare. I blame Grey’s (partly) and FDIII (mostly).
March 16, 2020
I finished reading this book during the lockdown weekend and it simply went up on my list of most satisfying reads. Simply put, the book reminded me to be kind and be grateful, and, yes, to see silver linings in difficult situations (never give up!). It also inspired me to try and keep on writing good English even if I'm not from the College of Arts & Letters!
May 3, 2021
As you go deep in to reading, the book becomes an eye opener on the reality of the health care system we have today. Even though the chapters are short, it was enough to put so much empathy and motivation to inspire me.
July 15, 2022
For someone in the medical field as well, this was so relatable and well written and tugs at my heart.
June 24, 2021
For someone whose lives revolve outside the grim walls of a hospital, a doctor can easily be perceived as Gods who have the means to defy the dichotomy of life and death. With a white coat that finishes their god-like front, they roam the halls that have witnessed the perished lives of the patients who succumbed completely to the abyss of their disease. Since medical school, doctors were told not to get attached to their patients; "gazing" at them as bodies only. This medical perception, perhaps, is mostly known in Michel Foucalt’s The Birth of the Clinic where the “medical gaze” emerged.
Nevertheless, Dr. Ronnie Baticulon’s Some Days You Can’t Save Them All deconstructs these medical perceptions by exposing the vulnerabilities of a doctor in the Philippine’s most known public hospital. As a first generation doctor in a lower middle class family, he narrates not only his struggles of becoming a doctor but the difficulties of being a doctor in the Philippines.
At first glance, Some Days You Can’t Save Them All presents to be a book that encourages aspiring doctors to never give up on their medical pursuits. However, the book delves deeper on the flaws of the healthcare system that have affected (and still does) the underprivileged people needing medical care.
From several essays of the book, Dr. Baticulon argues that if diseases won’t kill the patients, the system will. After all, he comments on the fact that hospitals in the country care more about the economic standing of the patients rather than their needs.
Furthermore, he criticizes the leading problem of being a medical worker in the country: exploitation. It is, after all, justified and reasoned why a lot of medical workers are among the diasporic narrative of practicing abroad.
Despite all of the lamentations of the healthcare system in the Philippines, Dr. Baticulon still encourages his readers not only to become doctors but to be the hope of change as well.
When the utopian healthcare that is accessible for all is a fantasy in the country, Some Days You Can’t Save Them All suggests that if a neurosurgeon could defy the impossible in healing patients’ complicated diseases, it is also possible to mend the disordered Philippine healthcare system.
Nevertheless, Dr. Ronnie Baticulon’s Some Days You Can’t Save Them All deconstructs these medical perceptions by exposing the vulnerabilities of a doctor in the Philippine’s most known public hospital. As a first generation doctor in a lower middle class family, he narrates not only his struggles of becoming a doctor but the difficulties of being a doctor in the Philippines.
At first glance, Some Days You Can’t Save Them All presents to be a book that encourages aspiring doctors to never give up on their medical pursuits. However, the book delves deeper on the flaws of the healthcare system that have affected (and still does) the underprivileged people needing medical care.
From several essays of the book, Dr. Baticulon argues that if diseases won’t kill the patients, the system will. After all, he comments on the fact that hospitals in the country care more about the economic standing of the patients rather than their needs.
Furthermore, he criticizes the leading problem of being a medical worker in the country: exploitation. It is, after all, justified and reasoned why a lot of medical workers are among the diasporic narrative of practicing abroad.
Despite all of the lamentations of the healthcare system in the Philippines, Dr. Baticulon still encourages his readers not only to become doctors but to be the hope of change as well.
When the utopian healthcare that is accessible for all is a fantasy in the country, Some Days You Can’t Save Them All suggests that if a neurosurgeon could defy the impossible in healing patients’ complicated diseases, it is also possible to mend the disordered Philippine healthcare system.
November 21, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
“Some days, you could not save them all, but my patients - with their promise of a good story - reminded me that I should never stop trying.”
― Ronnie E. Baticulon, Some Days You Can’t Save Them All
This is one of my favorite quotes in this novel. I am happy to share with you that I was able to finish our book club's book of the month for November.
In the past, I have been aware of the magnificence of Sir Ronnie Baticulon's masterpiece. I am aware that this is based on his experience in his medical field of expertise. Little did I know that apart from that, this book would break my heart into pieces and let me shed a lot of tears.
Baticulon's work brings me to his world where he narrates flawlessly. He makes sure that the readers feel that he is just beside them while he is describing his incidents with his patients. I was able to imagine being with him accomplishing rounds with them. He makes sure that I am accustomed to the medical terms even if it is not something that I am not an expert on which some of the authors failed to do.
I can truly say that this book deserves a spotlight on the book community as it brings awareness to our society about what is currently happening in our hospitals. It acts as an outcry giving chance to have the world hear the loud distress of our doctors, nurses, and medical practitioners. With this, I was able to appreciate them more how they were able to sacrifice most of their time just to serve the people even if most of the time it trading their own leisures.
Having an in-depth view from the perspective of a neurosurgeon, I was able to contemplate how precious our lives can be and understand how every second counts. This book added more flavors to my life and set a direction to appreciate every breath that I take.
As mentioned above, this book guided me to reflect and acknowledge things in life. It taught me how to be compassionate to others. It made me bawl in tears witnessing the circumstances and stories that we have no authority over when death takes over. It is also an inspiration to endlessly pursue the things that you are passionate about.
It is true that in the medical field, you all want to extend the life of someone but it is also a human cycle and nature that there are days that we can't save them all. Thus, we may have something short, but we must value it and enjoy it to the fullest. Our world is already cruel, find something or do something that will make a change to have a better place not just for you but for humanity.
Overall, I am rating this as a 5-star read! I can say that this is one of the best reads that I have for this year and I am happy that it is a local book which makes me even more proud.
“Some days, you could not save them all, but my patients - with their promise of a good story - reminded me that I should never stop trying.”
― Ronnie E. Baticulon, Some Days You Can’t Save Them All
This is one of my favorite quotes in this novel. I am happy to share with you that I was able to finish our book club's book of the month for November.
In the past, I have been aware of the magnificence of Sir Ronnie Baticulon's masterpiece. I am aware that this is based on his experience in his medical field of expertise. Little did I know that apart from that, this book would break my heart into pieces and let me shed a lot of tears.
Baticulon's work brings me to his world where he narrates flawlessly. He makes sure that the readers feel that he is just beside them while he is describing his incidents with his patients. I was able to imagine being with him accomplishing rounds with them. He makes sure that I am accustomed to the medical terms even if it is not something that I am not an expert on which some of the authors failed to do.
I can truly say that this book deserves a spotlight on the book community as it brings awareness to our society about what is currently happening in our hospitals. It acts as an outcry giving chance to have the world hear the loud distress of our doctors, nurses, and medical practitioners. With this, I was able to appreciate them more how they were able to sacrifice most of their time just to serve the people even if most of the time it trading their own leisures.
Having an in-depth view from the perspective of a neurosurgeon, I was able to contemplate how precious our lives can be and understand how every second counts. This book added more flavors to my life and set a direction to appreciate every breath that I take.
As mentioned above, this book guided me to reflect and acknowledge things in life. It taught me how to be compassionate to others. It made me bawl in tears witnessing the circumstances and stories that we have no authority over when death takes over. It is also an inspiration to endlessly pursue the things that you are passionate about.
It is true that in the medical field, you all want to extend the life of someone but it is also a human cycle and nature that there are days that we can't save them all. Thus, we may have something short, but we must value it and enjoy it to the fullest. Our world is already cruel, find something or do something that will make a change to have a better place not just for you but for humanity.
Overall, I am rating this as a 5-star read! I can say that this is one of the best reads that I have for this year and I am happy that it is a local book which makes me even more proud.
August 12, 2020
"To be heard is a human need. To listen is where compassion begins.”
This is a must read during these hard times. It brings back the sense of compassion we are on the brink of losing because of mean-spirited comments that attack HCWs and being told na ”pagbutihin na lang daw namin ang trabaho.” In fact, I recommend this be reread whenever one loses hope and love for what he does.
Deeply moving and inspiring. It comforts me to think that I am not alone in shedding silent tears for people and situations I otherwise would not know outside the hospital setting. I do remember some of them, if not all. There will always be those memories that will never fade. Grabe naiiyak ako sa mga stories.
Reading Some Days You Can’t Save Them All and Becoming back to back, both written by authors teeming with self conviction, strength and positivity especially in trying times, I have come to realize how unmotivated I've become. Burnout is real. I do wish that, having taken an unintentional step back, I regain the enthusiasm and vigor I once had.
This is a must read during these hard times. It brings back the sense of compassion we are on the brink of losing because of mean-spirited comments that attack HCWs and being told na ”pagbutihin na lang daw namin ang trabaho.” In fact, I recommend this be reread whenever one loses hope and love for what he does.
Deeply moving and inspiring. It comforts me to think that I am not alone in shedding silent tears for people and situations I otherwise would not know outside the hospital setting. I do remember some of them, if not all. There will always be those memories that will never fade. Grabe naiiyak ako sa mga stories.
Reading Some Days You Can’t Save Them All and Becoming back to back, both written by authors teeming with self conviction, strength and positivity especially in trying times, I have come to realize how unmotivated I've become. Burnout is real. I do wish that, having taken an unintentional step back, I regain the enthusiasm and vigor I once had.
June 23, 2021
This hit harder than I thought it would.
What I expected to be nothing more than inspirational and hopeful essays from a consistent top achiever - who I, admittedly and shamefully, prematurely judged to never have gone through the plights of an average student - became a fistful of emotional strings that pulled hard at my medschool memories, along with the lasting feelings that came with it.
Although Dr. Baticulon’s experiences were from years before mine, I cannot help but note that our healthcare system is as dismal as ever. It is frustrating that years have passed, yet everything seems to have remained the same (for the most parts). And it is unacceptable that at the rate we are going, years may still come to pass, with hundreds of patients not getting the kind of care they deserve.
This is as much an outcry of a parent, sibling, and/or friend, who lost a loved one to a system that failed them, as it is an exclamation of the beauty of humanity despite it all. Truly a must-read, healthcare professional or not.
What I expected to be nothing more than inspirational and hopeful essays from a consistent top achiever - who I, admittedly and shamefully, prematurely judged to never have gone through the plights of an average student - became a fistful of emotional strings that pulled hard at my medschool memories, along with the lasting feelings that came with it.
Although Dr. Baticulon’s experiences were from years before mine, I cannot help but note that our healthcare system is as dismal as ever. It is frustrating that years have passed, yet everything seems to have remained the same (for the most parts). And it is unacceptable that at the rate we are going, years may still come to pass, with hundreds of patients not getting the kind of care they deserve.
This is as much an outcry of a parent, sibling, and/or friend, who lost a loved one to a system that failed them, as it is an exclamation of the beauty of humanity despite it all. Truly a must-read, healthcare professional or not.
November 9, 2022
I am glad this was the first book I got to finish this year due to my hectic schedule. As a physician myself, I felt the weight of each word Dr. Baticulon's pen has bled out on this book reminiscing the highlights of his career as a pediatric neuroseurgeon. It is an understatement to simply call his work as another piece of fine Filipino literature. Within its 175 pages you will find the interplay of both life and death; their victories and defeat over each other. And stuck in the middle are both the physicians and the patients, each having a role to play in the theater. Here you will see a doctor doing his best to balance his life between the cold confines of the operating room and the warmth given by the home he shares with his family. You are invited to see his joy and his sadness; his accomplishments and his regrets. All of these in constant revolution towards the central dogma of medicine--saving a patient's life. Dr. Baticulon shows us what it truly means and what it truly takes to express our humanity towards others. I am sure the stories will stay with you long after you shelved this book. My only regret is that I only got to read it at this point of my career.
December 2, 2019
Dr. Ronnie Baticulon chronicles almost two decades worth of learning, experiences and explorations into the world of medicine - the science, the ethics and the challenges. The stories themselves reflect the heart and motivations of an earnest scholar, who faced various crossroads in his life. Unlike a doctor who is trained to give out prescriptions, the author is unafraid to reflect on his thought process and expose himself to choices and situations that sometimes do not have a clear cut solution. "Some Days You Can't Save Them All" is an exciting, uplifting and ultimately inspiring collection of essays that takes an incisive look into what it means to heal.
August 8, 2022
To be honest, I put off reading this book for a while because I felt drained. Living in the Philippines, I know that the healthcare system is very weak, but when I was reading the book, the more I learned just how bad it is. With that comes the realization that if we-especially the government don’t do something then more and more Filipinos will die. A death that is needless and could have been prevented if only we have more resources and a strong healthcare system. In the past, here in the present, and in the many years to come, the greatest problem in the Philippines that we Filipinos have to find a solution for is the weak pillar of the healthcare system. Doctors, nurses, and everyone in the medical field can only do so much, but it will never suffice if the government wouldn’t make changes or reforms for the betterment of the healthcare system-the system that is literally the lifeline of all Filipinos.
June 23, 2021
The book has a personal appeal to me. Being a UP undergrad myself, I can largely relate to the hardships of studying in the university. It's interesting how the book made me realize the blessings and responsibility of being an "Iskolar ng Bayan." Much like a two-edged sword, this responsibility is not just inside the university but also ranging from actions that should contribute to national development. It's also interesting how the book discussed the deteriorating health care system and how it affects both the health care providers and the patients. Overall, I have shared laughter and tears while reading the book. It's very much relatable and an eye-opener.
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