Betwixt and between: Exploring the liminal space of the 'first generation' Filipino physician through the lens of the rites of passage

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Introduction:</strong> The 'first generation' physician gathers a lot of strength to venture into a world unknown to him. Unlike a physician born to a family of physicians who has a family to guide him, the 'first generation' physician only has himself to survive this endeavor. Through the life worlds of a select group of 'first generation' physician-in-training, this study seeks to answer the following central question: How do 'first generation' Filipino physicians collectively characterize their liminal spaces in transition from medical school to clinical practice?</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methodology:</strong> Anchored on the Theory of the Rites of Passage, this phenomenological inquiry, intends to surface the lebenswelt or essence of the experience of being the only physician in the family. Respondents comprised a purposive sample of physicians-in-training (residents and fellows), who are the only physicians in the family. Data were gathered using semi-structured interviews. Triangulation and member checking procedures were done to ensure the data reliability. Data were then subjected to cool (categorization) and warm analysis (thematization) using the Colaizzi's method.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Findings and Discussion:</strong> With all the transcribed experiences summarized and those with the same meaning analyzed, the following categories and themes were generated: The Intending Facet / Purpose: From Uncertainty towards Redefinition; The Thinking Facet / Process: From Perplexity towards Self-efficacy; The Relating Facet / People: From Isolation towards Integration; and The Transforming Facet / Power: From Vulnerability towards Empowerment. It was shown that a 'first generation' physician in this liminal space undergoes challenges and struggles during his training in medicine. This served as his Rite of Passage to transition him to someone dreaming only to become a physician, to become redefined with conviction, supported and integrated into the health system, empowered and transformed to the physician he is meant to be.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Recommendations:</strong> Physicians undergo a lot of challenges and mental stress and it means a lot for trainers to enter into the trainees' life-world, especially that of a 'first generation' physician, so that they can build socio-emotional learning and mentoring programs and counselling services that address different facets of liminal space that the trainees go through.</p>

Burden of care of Filipino children with epilepsy and its impact on quality of life, anxiety and depressive symptoms among caregivers

Background @#Caregiver burden and its impact on the quality of life is as important as determining the quality of life of children with epilepsy as these factors inl uence each other as well as the outcome of these children.@*Objectives @#The primary objective of the study was to determine the association between caregiver burden and quality of life as well as anxiety and depressive symptoms among caregivers of Filipino children with epilepsy. Also, the study aimed to determine the prevalence rate of caregiver burden, impaired quality of life, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in an ambulatory care setting.@*Methodology @#In this cross-sectional survey, adult caregivers accompanying their pediatric patients with epilepsy at a single tertiary center were recruited. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected. The participants completed questionnaires for caregiver burden, quality of life, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.@*Results @#Fifty-three caregivers participated with a mean age of 38 years. Most of them were females, married, unemployed, and at least college level. The mean age of their patients was 9.4 years and 71.7% of patients were on a single anti-epileptic drug. Lower educational level was less likely associated with caregiver burden. Although impaired quality of life and depressive symptoms were more likely associated with caregiver burden, this association did not reach statistical signii cance.@*Conclusion@#The prevalence rate of caregiver burden, impaired quality of life, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were 24.5%, 22.6%, 28.3%, and 9.4% respectively, among caregivers of Filipino children with epilepsy at a single tertiary center. Lower educational level was the only characteristic signii cantly associated with lesser odds of having caregiver burden