June 9, 2021
By Michael John Lester Ruiz
MILK AND TRANSCRIPTS. Jade Calang prepares for her quizzes while her nine-month-old baby sleeps. (Photo by Jade Calang/ Caption by Michael John Lester Ruiz)
The COVID-19 pandemic brought a lot of changes to the country’s education system. More than a year now since the government shut down all learning institutions, including medical schools, to respond to the surging infections in the country.
But for Jade R. Calang, 27, aside from the pandemic, her unplanned pregnancy also changed her life as a medical student. Now she has to juggle and manage her time between her baby and her studies.
As Calang watches her daughter supervised by the babysitter they hired, Calang recounted the shock and fear she felt when she saw the two pink lines in her pregnancy test.
“Nashock ako at the same time natakot talaga kasi hindi ako ready at that time. Tapos first year pa ako [sa medical school],” she said in an interview via Zoom.
(I was shocked and frightened at the same time because I was not ready at that time. I was only in my first year [in medical school], then.)
Calang is a second-year medical student currently enrolled at the University of Northern Philippines (UNP) in Ilocos Sur under the remote learning curriculum.
She gave birth in July last year to a beautiful daughter, Kinsley Praise, who is nine-month-old now. She lives with her family in Población, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte.
Divided attention
“Hindi na talaga yung aral mo na focus na aral talaga. Ngayon, mag-aral ako at kapag may five minutes break, pupuntahan mo naman sya titignan mo kung okay; ano ginagawa niya,” she explained while recalling how she can read a bulk of reading materials until dawn when she was not a mother yet.
(It is no longer the same way of learning. Right now, I study, then if there is a five-minute break I go and check on her if she is okay; what is she doing.)
“Hindi ko na kaya hanggang umaga, hanggang 12 lang minsan. Hindi ko na kasi kaya magpuyat.”
(I cannot review until morning, sometimes until 12 midnight. I can no longer stay up all night.)
Though she finds a remote learning advantage because she gets to enjoy her time with her baby, she feels that her learning is being short-changed.
Despite hiring a babysitter for her daughter, Calang said she still struggles a lot especially when her baby has trouble sleeping at night.
“Minsan naiiyak na lang talaga ako. Naiinis din kapag hindi sya nakakatulog sinasabi ko minsan: ‘May rereview in pa ako.”
(I cry, sometimes. Sometimes, I am annoyed especially when my baby has trouble sleeping, I sometimes say: ‘I still have notes to review.’)
Moreover, Calang made her own “techniques” in studying while being a hands-on mom.
“Nagpriprint ako, nilalagay ko sa mga wall para di ko makalimutan.”
(I print and I attach it to our wall to help me remember it.)
“Nagsusulat din ako sa notebook ko. ‘Yong mga feel ko na high-yield na lumalabas palagi sa mga quiz may isang notebook ako sinulat ko doon kasi para madali na lang na i-scan.”
(I also write in my notebook. I have a notebook where I can put all high-yield terms that usually come out of our quizzes so that I can easily scan them.)
But when her baby is asleep, she lies down beside her daughter, reading and reviewing her notes while she pats her baby’s back.
A long-time dream
A Dean’s lister before the pandemic, Calang had thought of dropping from medical school to focus on the baby and help in their daily expenses, which his husband, a police officer, did not approve of.
The first three months of being a hands-on mother and a full-time student were very challenging according to her. So, to ease the stress, they decided to hire a babysitter.
“Naisip ko na din mag-drop muna sana.”
(I also thought of dropping in the meantime.)
“Kaso sinabihan ako ng husband ko na i-fix ko yung utak ko dahil matagal ko na itong gusto ngayon lang ibinigay sa akin.”
(But my husband told me to fix my mind because it is my long-time dream and I have waited for it.)
“Ayun naliwanagan ako ba kaya ayaw ko mag-stop. Matagal ko na pala itong hinintay na makapag-aral.”
(I was enlightened, that's why I no longer want to stop. I have waited a long time for me to study.)
After passing the Medical Technologist Licensure Examination, she worked for five years in a hospital in their municipality. She said that she was only given a chance to study in a medical school after five years due to financial problems.
Determined to study, she sought a scholarship, which she eventually got through the Department of Health (DOH) Medical Scholarship. UNP is DOH’s partner school in Region 1, according to the government’s website.
“Iilan lang yung ganitong pagkakataon na makakapag-aral ka sa medical school ng libre.”
(It is a rare opportunity to be able to study in medical school for free.)
She recalled that she continued to review even hours before and after her delivery to pass a course in order not to lose the scholarship.
“After ng delivery ko, di na ako makatulog, nag-aral ako. Tulog na tulog na ‘yong husband ko.”
(After my delivery, I wasn’t able to sleep, so I studied. My husband was sleeping tight.)
“Matulog ka, mabuang ka jan sabi ng ate ko,” she recalled while laughing.
(My sister told me: You should sleep, you will become crazy.)
Blended learning
After a year of remote learning, the medical student mom looked back to the year before the pandemic hit the country. Calang said that although the normal set-up is expensive, at least she can be confident in her learning.
“Gusto ko na talaga mag blended learning.”
(I really want to have blended learning.)
“Iba kasi pag face to face mas nasheshare ng tutors namin yung expertise nila. Another thing is, iba ang focus ‘pag wala ka sa comfort zone mo.”
(It is different in the face to face, our tutors can share their expertise. Another thing is that I can focus if I am not in my comfort zone.)
However, her school did not meet the qualifications set by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to implement limited face-to-face classes beginning the second semester of the Academic Year 2020-2021.
“Sana bumalik na sa dati kasi nakakatakot na maging doctor ako pero hilaw.”
(I hope it will go back to normal soon because I am afraid to be a doctor but have not learned enough.)
Though the struggle is real for Calang, she is no longer studying for herself but for her daughter.
“Nahihirapan na ako kaso kapag gusto mo ipu-pursue mo talaga. Para sa kanya (her baby) na din kasi pangarap ko.”
(I am really struggling but if you love what you’re doing, you will pursue it. My dream is not my dream alone, it is also for her.) SYNC IN
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