Desperate Housewives Lambasts Philippine Medical Schools

bleudsky · Oct 3, 2007

Pinoys seek apology from 'Desperate Housewives'
10/02/2007 | 06:10 PM

A racial slur made against Philippine medical schools shown in the hit
American television series Desperate Housewives" prompted several
Filipinos
to demand an apology from the show's creators.

The issue stemmed from a remark made by character Susan Mayer being
played
by actress Teri Hatcher when she visited the office of Dr Adam Mayfair,

played by Nathan Fillion, on the shows 4th season premier.

In the scene that was shown in the US on Sept 30, Dr. Mayfair told a
visibly
terrified Mayer that the word menopause" seems to open a Pandoras
Box for
the age-conscious middle-aged woman.

They hear ageing, brittle bones, loss of sexual drive" said the
doctor who
was cut midway from his explanation by an agitated Mayer.

Before we go any further, can I check those diplomas? 'Coz, I just
want to
make sure theyre not from some med school in the Philippines," she
said
while searching for the doctors records. He apparently graduated
from
Harvard Medical School. (For the clip click
http://mindy-tv.blogspot.com/2007/10/second-class-citizens.html)

GMANews.TV received e-mails from concerned viewers who found the remark

insulting to many Filipinos. Some blogs have also discussed the
negative
remark made about the Philippines.

I have communicated with fellow members of the health care
profession, both
Filipinos and other nationalities alike. We have all come to the
conclusion
that this kind of racial slur is a very irresponsible act [which]
should
NEVER be tolerated in any society, whether in a first world or a third
world
country," said Filipino Dr Siegfried Perez from Gold Coast, Queensland,

Australia in an e-mail to GMANews.TV.

We, the members of the health care profession, demand the immediate
public
apology by the producers, writers and actors of this show," Perez
added.

US-based Filipino literary intellectual Sonny San Juan also sent a blog

thread condemning what could have been intended as a joke.

Based on the Federation of State Medical Boards website, there are
about 32
Philippine medical schools listed in the International Medical
Education
Directory (IMED), 30 of which are operating and two of which are
closed."

It also added that three medical schools that are currently in
operation
have been hailed by the Commission on Higher Education as Centers of

Excellence," while another one was declared as a "Center of
Development."
CHED based this on the track record, performance in the licensure
examination and excellent faculty of the said schools.

Meanwhile, several bloggers had begun exchanging disgust over the
insult"
made to the Philippine medical industry.

If not for Filipino medical practitioners, a lot of hospitals all
over the
world will have to contend with rude health workers," said Mindy on her

blogsite.

So, do hope your medical attendant is a graduate from the
Philippines," she
added.

I cant understand why a show like Desperate Housewives would
stoop so low
as to offhandedly throw an insult just like that," asked Shari Cruz on
her
website.

While most of those reacting to the episode lash out on the shows
scriptwriters, others blame the actor.

The actress, Teri Hatcher, should insist not to deliver such dialogs
as she
just became the face of this insult to a country that was once a
territory
of the US," posted by an online user from the blogsite, Coffee With
Aimee.

Desperate Housewives is a multi-award winning comedy series which
premiered
in October 2003 and is aired weekly in the US by ABC Network. It is
locally
shown on Studio 23.

It follows the story of five sexually desperate" sub-urban
housewives
living along Wisteria Lane in the fictional American town of Fairview.
Aside
from Hatcher, the show stars Felicity Huffman (as Lynette Scavo),Marcia

Cross (Bree Van De Kamp),Nicollette Sheridan(Edie Britt) and Eva
Longoria
(Gabrielle Solis).

The shows first season premier reportedly drew in a total of 21.3
million
American viewers and eventually attracting a loyal audience. - Mark J.
Ubalde, GMANews.TV
-----

i never watch this show. now, i have more reason not to.

avemar01 · Oct 3, 2007

Oh well... What's new? Let's kill them with our kindness! :laugh:

ldyxswtnes · Oct 3, 2007

Definitely.. it was an unnecessary and unacceptable remark made by ignorant writers. It was really distasteful and an insult to all practicing Filipino doctors/healthcare workers here in the U.S. (whether trained here or abroad). This is NOT okay, and it is unfair for those who already worked, are currently working, or will be working their butts off to prove their credibility and expertise in this country. ABC really disappointed me here - I would expect higher standards from such a prominent media network.

An article:

Malacañang to 'Desperate Housewives': Apologize for slur

The furor over a slur uttered against Philippine medical schools on the premier episode of the fourth season of the American TV show "Desperate Housewives" has prompted a response from Malacañang Palace.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the TV show belittled the abilities of Filipino doctors and sent a message that Philippine medical schools produced "substandard, inferior" medical practitioners.

The offending remark was made by one of the show's desperate housewives, Susan Mayer (played by American actress Teri Hatcher). In one scene Mayer asks for the credentials of the gynecologist who examined her and told her that she was approaching menopause.

Mayer said, "Can I check those diplomas 'coz I just want to make sure that they're not from some med school in the Philippines." The premiere episode, which has been posted on YouTube.com, drew criticisms from the Filipino community on the Internet.

Senator Rodolfo Biazon meanwhile has proposed a ban on the popular TV series. Biazon, who chairs the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, said he doesn't watch the show himself but pointed out that a ban on the show or a boycott by Filipino viewers are possible responses.

Earlier, Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the slur will tarnish the good image of Filipino doctors in the international community. He added that the slur was both irresponsible and without basis.

The Philippine Consulate in New York has said it will send a letter of protest to ABC Network and ask for an apology for the slur. The move came after the consulate office received complaints from the Filipino community, particularly health workers, in the US about the show.

Angry doctors

"It's not good for us. They shouldn't have said those [insulting] words, because we all know that there are good doctors who graduated in the Philippines. That's uncalled for," PMA president Dr. Jose Sabili told ABS-CBN's morning show "Umagang Kay Ganda" on Monday.

Earlier, the president of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) said he will urge his counterpart in the US to demand an apology from the people behind the TV series.

Sabili, who was attending the World Medical Associations General Assembly in Copenhagen, Denmark, said he will seek an audience with the president of the American Medical Association to compel the TV producers to issue an apology for the insulting remark.

The doctor said the slur might even create a rift in the relationship of the two medical associations.

"I will meet with the president of the American Medical Association to air our feelings and ask them to tell [the producers of the TV show] that they should not insult doctors in the country," Sabili said.

Sabili said the PMA will study the possible cause of negative perceptions of medical schools in the Philippines. He said "diploma mills" and negative writeups of medical schools in local newspapers could have contributed to the negative perception.

"I have to verify this. We will definitely act on this because this will destroy the reputation of Filipino doctors," he said.

Online petition

Filipino Americans have expressed their outrage over the remark and have launched an online petition demanding an apology from ABC Network.

The petition also demands that the episode be edited to remove the "ignorant and racist" remark. As of 4:16 pm (Manila time) some 15,533 people have signed the petition.

The petition also points out the major contribution that Filipinos and Filipino Americans make in healthcare in the United States:

"[A] statement that devalues Filipinos in healthcare is extremely unfounded, considering the overwhelming presence of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the medical field. Filipinos are the second largest immigrant population in the United States, with many entering the U.S. (and successfully passing their U.S. licensing boards!) as doctors, nurses, and medical technicians.

"In fact, the Philippines produces more U.S. nurses than any other country in the world. So, to belittle the education, experience, or value of Filipino Americans in health care is extremely disrespectful and plain and simply ignorant. Many of the hospitals in major metropolitan areas of the U.S. (and the world) would not be able to operate without its Filipino and Filipino American staff members."

Jay Ngo, a Filipino health professional from Riverside, California in the United States ABS-CBN News that the episode was an outrage, saying, "the healthcare industry, including the best hospitals, is full of Filipino medical professionals."

Forum reactions

The message board of the "Desperate Housewives" website is being peppered with threads regarding the issue.

One poster, using the alias "hunnybee07" wrote:

"America has been very fortunate to have been served by many [Filipino] nurses and physicians. It is quite ungrateful of Americans to make such remarks. Even if it were meant to be a joke, it apparently hurt an entire nation. The Filipinos deserve an apology. One day, when you are old, it could just be a Flipino nurse by your bedside and then you would know why you should have taken back any insults against Filipinos, especially Filipino medical practicioners."

Another poster, "MommyDO12", who claims to be a doctor in the US said:

"As a Filipino-American who is both a doctor and trained here, I get that your comment is quite ignorant. True, many Americans go overseas for medical school because they could not get in to schools here. However, there are a GREAT number of Americans and Europeans who go to so called "third world" countries because the education there is cutting edge AND affordable. I'm up to my eyeballs in student loans.

"Why do you think Americans are now rushing to the Philippines and India for surgeries unavailabe here in America? There are hip surgery techniques that have been developed there that result in less recovery time and have less mortality.

"Please, get educated before jumping onto the obvious bandwagon of "get over it" because you can't possibly understand being berated. Even my husband, who is caucasian, took great offense to the comment and is the one urging me to stop watching the show in protest."

One poster, who used the alias "berikyut", was long on passion but fell short on English skills.

"What the hell...Talking but about the philippines in your premier... "Let me see your degree making sure is now from somewhere in the philippines"? For you information if you go to hospitals most nurses/doctors there is from philippines & is hard worker & very good...So I suggest you think about your comment before you say it or if it's a joke It should be funny ( that is why it's a joke) DUH!!! I usually like you in the show specially watching you in superman before...NOW forget it....that's why you never win an emmy!!"

This prompted a reply from "Dr.Java02" asking, "Do the nurses/doctors learn grammar and spelling over there?"

With that development, do Filipinos now need to prove that they can master English grammar as well as Western medicine?

voltron77 · Oct 3, 2007

ldyxswtnes said:
Definitely.. it was an unnecessary and unacceptable remark made by ignorant writers. It was really distasteful and an insult to all practicing Filipino doctors/healthcare workers here in the U.S. (whether trained here or abroad). This is NOT okay, and it is unfair for those who already worked, are currently working, or will be working their butts off to prove their credibility and expertise in this country. ABC really disappointed me here - I would expect higher standards from such a prominent media network.

An article:

Malacañang to 'Desperate Housewives': Apologize for slur

The furor over a slur uttered against Philippine medical schools on the premier episode of the fourth season of the American TV show "Desperate Housewives" has prompted a response from Malacañang Palace.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the TV show belittled the abilities of Filipino doctors and sent a message that Philippine medical schools produced "substandard, inferior" medical practitioners.

The offending remark was made by one of the show's desperate housewives, Susan Mayer (played by American actress Teri Hatcher). In one scene Mayer asks for the credentials of the gynecologist who examined her and told her that she was approaching menopause.

Mayer said, "Can I check those diplomas 'coz I just want to make sure that they're not from some med school in the Philippines." The premiere episode, which has been posted on YouTube.com, drew criticisms from the Filipino community on the Internet.

Senator Rodolfo Biazon meanwhile has proposed a ban on the popular TV series. Biazon, who chairs the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, said he doesn't watch the show himself but pointed out that a ban on the show or a boycott by Filipino viewers are possible responses.

Earlier, Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the slur will tarnish the good image of Filipino doctors in the international community. He added that the slur was both irresponsible and without basis.

The Philippine Consulate in New York has said it will send a letter of protest to ABC Network and ask for an apology for the slur. The move came after the consulate office received complaints from the Filipino community, particularly health workers, in the US about the show.

Angry doctors

"It's not good for us. They shouldn't have said those [insulting] words, because we all know that there are good doctors who graduated in the Philippines. That's uncalled for," PMA president Dr. Jose Sabili told ABS-CBN's morning show "Umagang Kay Ganda" on Monday.

Earlier, the president of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) said he will urge his counterpart in the US to demand an apology from the people behind the TV series.

Sabili, who was attending the World Medical Associations General Assembly in Copenhagen, Denmark, said he will seek an audience with the president of the American Medical Association to compel the TV producers to issue an apology for the insulting remark.

The doctor said the slur might even create a rift in the relationship of the two medical associations.

"I will meet with the president of the American Medical Association to air our feelings and ask them to tell [the producers of the TV show] that they should not insult doctors in the country," Sabili said.

Sabili said the PMA will study the possible cause of negative perceptions of medical schools in the Philippines. He said "diploma mills" and negative writeups of medical schools in local newspapers could have contributed to the negative perception.

"I have to verify this. We will definitely act on this because this will destroy the reputation of Filipino doctors," he said.

Online petition

Filipino Americans have expressed their outrage over the remark and have launched an online petition demanding an apology from ABC Network.

The petition also demands that the episode be edited to remove the "ignorant and racist" remark. As of 4:16 pm (Manila time) some 15,533 people have signed the petition.

The petition also points out the major contribution that Filipinos and Filipino Americans make in healthcare in the United States:

"[A] statement that devalues Filipinos in healthcare is extremely unfounded, considering the overwhelming presence of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the medical field. Filipinos are the second largest immigrant population in the United States, with many entering the U.S. (and successfully passing their U.S. licensing boards!) as doctors, nurses, and medical technicians.

"In fact, the Philippines produces more U.S. nurses than any other country in the world. So, to belittle the education, experience, or value of Filipino Americans in health care is extremely disrespectful and plain and simply ignorant. Many of the hospitals in major metropolitan areas of the U.S. (and the world) would not be able to operate without its Filipino and Filipino American staff members."

Jay Ngo, a Filipino health professional from Riverside, California in the United States ABS-CBN News that the episode was an outrage, saying, "the healthcare industry, including the best hospitals, is full of Filipino medical professionals."

Forum reactions

The message board of the "Desperate Housewives" website is being peppered with threads regarding the issue.

One poster, using the alias "hunnybee07" wrote:

"America has been very fortunate to have been served by many [Filipino] nurses and physicians. It is quite ungrateful of Americans to make such remarks. Even if it were meant to be a joke, it apparently hurt an entire nation. The Filipinos deserve an apology. One day, when you are old, it could just be a Flipino nurse by your bedside and then you would know why you should have taken back any insults against Filipinos, especially Filipino medical practicioners."

Another poster, "MommyDO12", who claims to be a doctor in the US said:

"As a Filipino-American who is both a doctor and trained here, I get that your comment is quite ignorant. True, many Americans go overseas for medical school because they could not get in to schools here. However, there are a GREAT number of Americans and Europeans who go to so called "third world" countries because the education there is cutting edge AND affordable. I'm up to my eyeballs in student loans.

"Why do you think Americans are now rushing to the Philippines and India for surgeries unavailabe here in America? There are hip surgery techniques that have been developed there that result in less recovery time and have less mortality.

"Please, get educated before jumping onto the obvious bandwagon of "get over it" because you can't possibly understand being berated. Even my husband, who is caucasian, took great offense to the comment and is the one urging me to stop watching the show in protest."

One poster, who used the alias "berikyut", was long on passion but fell short on English skills.

"What the hell...Talking but about the philippines in your premier... "Let me see your degree making sure is now from somewhere in the philippines"? For you information if you go to hospitals most nurses/doctors there is from philippines & is hard worker & very good...So I suggest you think about your comment before you say it or if it's a joke It should be funny ( that is why it's a joke) DUH!!! I usually like you in the show specially watching you in superman before...NOW forget it....that's why you never win an emmy!!"

This prompted a reply from "Dr.Java02" asking, "Do the nurses/doctors learn grammar and spelling over there?"

With that development, do Filipinos now need to prove that they can master English grammar as well as Western medicine?

What a coincidence. I was talking to the other 4th year Pilipino medical students here at UCLA about this, just today............I did not give it much thought because I knew that there were intelligent, competent physicians that come from the Philippines. A television show or someone else's comments would never change that for me. That was what I thought. I just chose to direct my energy into something more important like my patients and helping out other Pinoys in the community........ :idea:

jetskiters · Oct 4, 2007

another article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071004/ap_en_tv/tv_desperate_housewives

'Housewives' Filipino joke draws ire
By LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES - A scene in TV's "Desperate Housewives" that used Philippine medical education for a punchline prompted angry calls from viewers, an online petition demanding an apology and criticism from Philippine officials.

In the season premiere that aired Sunday on ABC, Teri Hatcher's character, Susan, goes in for a medical checkup and is shocked when the doctor suggests she may be going through menopause.

"Listen, Susan, I know for a lot of women the word `menopause'" has negative connotations. You hear `aging,' `brittle bones,' `loss of sexual desire,'" the gynecologist tells her.

"OK, before we go any further, can I check these diplomas? Just to make sure they aren't, like, from some med school in the Philippines?" Susan fires back.

Viewers called the network to complain but the number of callers wasn't available, an ABC spokesman said Wednesday. As of Wednesday evening, more than 30,000 names were attached to an online petition seeking a network apology.

"A statement that devalues Filipinos in healthcare is extremely unfounded, considering the overwhelming presence of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the medical field," the petition read in part.

ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Co., responded with a statement Wednesday. ABC said it was considering editing the episode.

"The producers of `Desperate Housewives' and ABC Studios offer our sincere apologies for any offense caused by the brief reference in the season premiere. There was no intent to disparage the integrity of any aspect of the medical community in the Philippines," the statement said.

"As leaders in broadcast diversity, we are committed to presenting sensitive and respectful images of all communities featured in our programs," it concluded.

The TV episode even became an international incident, with reports on it topping Philippine news shows and drawing newspaper headlines as officials there registered their displeasure. Filipinos could judge the scene for themselves when it was posted on YouTube.

In Manila, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said he was writing the producers of the show to seek an apology and note the country's "vehement protest." Senior cabinet member Eduardo Ermita told reporters that an apology should be sought "on behalf of our Filipino professionals."

Kevin Nadal, 29, a Filipino-American college lecturer who lives in New York, posted the online petition calling ABC to task for the scene.

"I had to rewind it over and over again to make sure I heard it right," Nadal said in an interview Wednesday. He watched the episode online after hearing about it from a friend.

"I was immediately offended and, really, just hurt. These days, people are supposed to be more sensitive or more aware of what's considered appropriate," he said, adding that he was hearing from people worldwide who were distressed by the scene. He appreciated ABC's apology, he said, but said he also wanted to see the dialogue removed from future airings and DVDs.

Nadal also suggested that the show's producers and ABC executives could make a more substantial gesture than an apology, through scholarships or donations for Filipino and Filipino-Americans and community groups.

Filipinos and other minorities also should be depicted on TV as "prominent, positive role models," Nadal said.

___

Associated Press writer Oliver Teves in Manila, Philippines contributed to this report.

jetskiters · Oct 4, 2007

if you'd like, sign the petition here:

http://www.petitiononline.com/FilABC/petition.html

sharmei17 · Oct 4, 2007

does youtube have this scene of desperate housewives?

i haven't watch the series yet..

chatu11 · Oct 4, 2007

hey, they actually drew attention to Philippine med schools. :hello:

hope the scenario would be:
this program does a really satisfactory public apology.
that gives graduates from this discriminated medschools a chance to prove that that notion is so wrong, and that script not really well-thought-of.

giving them the lesson, don't speak of what you really don't know of.
it's a very dismaying incident, but a good oppurtunity to prove them wrong.

the script writer might have heard of an isolated case wherein, probably a filipino, screwed-up, then the perception that Philippine-medschool graduates with substandard performance, very pressumptuous... [if this is the case why he came up with such script.tsk :bullcrap:

well for the cast who delivered that piece of the script, what does she know?
well if she knew that Philmed-grads are good too, probably she could have resisted saying that line.

chatu11 · Oct 4, 2007

hey, they actually drew attention to Philippine med schools. :hello:

hope the scenario would be:
this program does a really satisfactory public apology.
that gives graduates from this discriminated medschools a chance to prove that that notion is so wrong, and that script not really well-thought-of.

giving them the lesson, don't speak of what you really don't know of.
it's a very dismaying incident, but a good oppurtunity to prove them wrong.

the script writer might have heard of an isolated case wherein, probably a filipino, screwed-up, then the perception that Philippine-medschool graduates with substandard performance, very pressumptuous... [if this is the case why he came up with such script.tsk :bullcrap:

well for the cast who delivered that piece of the script, what does she know?
well if she knew that Philmed-grads are good too, probably she could have resisted saying that line.

chatu11 · Oct 4, 2007

well for the cast who delivered that piece of the script, what does she know?
maybe if she knew that Philmed-grads are good too[generally], probably she could have resisted saying that line, or if she really thought of it, that's one of the problems, some actors, being mechanical,they do the script verbatim + the emotion, but they don't think of the impact there may be upon the things they say on TV, my, it's SCRIPTED,not a slip-of-the-tongue.. well, anybody THERE thought that line is quite offensive? it was very specific, "Philippine Medical Schools", my they're award winning, but didn't anybody in the production have the realization that such words are debasing? or unless they really have the intention.

The recompense must be through the show[desp.house.wives], plus CNN,BBC,ETC,Newsweek,Time,Reader's Digest,Dicovery,National Geographic, and all the networks existing, and Disney Channel too.

bleudsky · Oct 4, 2007

the scriptwriters failed to do their research well (or was that line an adlib?). filipinos are the second largest doctor-professionals in the US. that just simply show that we could do well in the USMLE, get matched in the best training hospitals in the US, train w/ american doctors and have a good decent competent practice. in other words, we are good!

more so, they should not say something negative about our medical schools because simply, they don't have any clear idea about it. reacting to it was human nature. we want to stop an issue which could cast shadows of doubt regarding the competence of filipino doctors who are seeking to train & practice elsewhere, especially in the USA.

blackwidow · Oct 4, 2007

i have not really seen all the episodes of the show but reading the posted message made me interested all of the sudden...whoever wrote the script anyway????

jetskiters · Oct 4, 2007

sharmei17 said:
does youtube have this scene of desperate housewives?

i haven't watch the series yet..

here ya go

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LMA25i1jFs[/YOUTUBE]

chatu11 · Oct 5, 2007

bleudsky said:
reacting to it was human nature. we want to stop an issue which could cast shadows of doubt regarding the competence of filipino doctors who are seeking to train & practice elsewhere, especially in the USA.

it engendered outrage, we retort, but i think the affected should be the one to initiate diplomacy to abate the cause, and the possible causes of the issue, to act in contrary to the way they threw such statement[in the series]. I'm thinking, it's better not to do a direct stipulation for apology, but rather, making a solid refute of the idea and verifying them wrong of such notion might be most helpful [i mean to consider this as the primary move], and that i think would substantiate a good reason for them to make up for those offensive words, and an apology from there.

well my thoughts are mostly based on some profane comments i've read from the web in reaction to the incident, but i think some of these comments are from others not in the med-field.

blackwidow said:
i have not really seen all the episodes of the show but reading the posted message made me interested all of the sudden...whoever wrote the script anyway????

Scott Sanford Tobis?? what i know's there are several, but i don't know who's the main.

chatu11 · Oct 5, 2007

chatu11 said:
to abate the cause, and the possible causes of the issue, to act in contrary to the way they threw such statement[in the series]

i mean, what the issue may possibly cause, and what it ha s already cause.

Saipan · Oct 6, 2007

Wow...lots of chat and lots of outrage, both here and all the other media outlets.

The joke was biased offensive. And it's good the ABC/Disney was made to eat a little humble pie.

But it all misses the point.

This joke was about perceptions.

Rightly or wrongly there is a perception in America (and probably other countries) that medical schools in the Philippines are second rate. The insulting joke originated from this perception.

Demanding and getting an apology may satisfy our initial outrage, but it does nothing to change perceptions among non-FilAms in America...i.e., nearly 300 million people.

And why does this perception exist?

Maybe it's because of the growing number of diploma mills in the country. Philippine medical schools are not diploma mills, but many of the undergraduate colleges are, including some of new nursing schools. This is undeniable.

We all know stories of undergraduates in other schools who got through classes and degree courses by paying their way. And we are know of newly opened for-profit nursing schools that graduate students who will never pass any board exam.

Official looking college diplomas and transcripts are openly for sale on the streets of Manila. These fake papers are sold openly only meters from the gates of some of the most prominent schools.

The nursing exam cheating in June 2006 involved hundreds of people. The only thing more shocking was the inability of the government to investigate the wrong-doing. To date, nobody has been convicted of a crime in relation to that cheating.

Senator Richard Gordon blamed it on a "culture of cheating", and the administrator for POEA said that, "The credibility of the Filipino nurses has been tainted.

But other government officials couldn't even decide how to handle the situation, and got offended when after months of Filipino indecison the US Commission of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schols announced they wouldn't license nurses who passed the tainted exam.

Does anybody in this forum honestly believe that the rest of the world either doesn't know or has forgotten about these problems. What a naive thought.
We may have forgotten but the rest of the world hasn't.

That stupid and offensive joke on that stupor-inducing TV show was written by one person. But it reflects the perceptions of hundreds of millions of people.

Our inaction to correct these blatant problems, has consequences.

Internationally we are not judged by talented medical professionals who practice overseas or at home. Instead we are judged by the cheating criminals who surround us and trash our reputations by proximity.

People on this forum want to contribute to society and make a "difference". If this is truly the case, then save the outrage, and keep your eye on the real problems.

The diploma mills, the cheating, the bribery, the ineffectual politicians, and the fraudulent college transcripts exist, and we allow them to exist. So, please don't get too out-raged if other countries think Filipino medical schools are second-rate.

Instead let's clean up our problems and change perceptions world-wide.

GrumpyAlyson06 · Oct 6, 2007

sharmei17 said:
does youtube have this scene of desperate housewives?

i haven't watch the series yet..

If you go to the AOL homepage, i think it's somewhere on there- I watched it a day or so ago.

kittycrinkles · Oct 6, 2007

others may think it's OA to be very mad about stuff like these. but, the line was such a huuuge insult to the MEDICAL schools in our country. and note that the doctor-character wasn't even Asian for Teri Hatcher's character to think he studied in a Philippine med school.

i cannot fault our government for feeling the way it does. nobody really likes being a punchline. not even in Desperate Housewives.

Saipan · Oct 6, 2007

kittycrinkles said:
others may think it's OA to be very mad about stuff like these. but, the line was such a huuuge insult to the MEDICAL schools in our country. and note that the doctor-character wasn't even Asian for Teri Hatcher's character to think he studied in a Philippine med school.

i cannot fault our government for feeling the way it does. nobody really likes being a punchline. not even in Desperate Housewives.

Sure. But doctors are supposed to be problem solvers and I'm surprised that so few people here see the real problem.

Are we here to really contribute, or are we just trike drivers sitting on the corner dreaming of a one-way ticket overseas.

The TV joke came from the perceptions that people have about us overseas. Only we can change those perceptions.

eflash03 · Oct 7, 2007

check this one out. read what americans had to say on this issue:
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1905887/posts
it made me sick to my stomach. and felt really sad coz it shows that racial discrimination is still at large in the states..

mad:

[RACISM is a refuge for the IGNORANT]

voltron77 · Oct 7, 2007

eflash03 said:
check this one out. read what americans had to say on this issue:
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1905887/posts
it made me sick to my stomach. and felt really sad coz it shows that racial discrimination is still at large in the states.. mad:

[RACISM is a refuge for the IGNORANT]

It is VERY IGNORANT but that's life. That's unfortunate for people to have those opinions but I know that doctors trained in the Philippines are very intelligent, hard working and kind clinicians......

kittycrinkles · Oct 8, 2007

Saipan said:
Sure. But doctors are supposed to be problem solvers and I'm surprised that so few people here see the real problem.

Are we here to really contribute, or are we just trike drivers sitting on the corner dreaming of a one-way ticket overseas.

The TV joke came from the perceptions that people have about us overseas. Only we can change those perceptions.

It makes me wonder. Does America and other countries think of graduates of Philippine medical schools that way? That we're half-baked doctors?

ALL Filipino physicians who get to practice in other countries PASSED ALL their requirements... so I still believe that joke was unfounded.

bleudsky · Oct 8, 2007

plus.. those diplomas are certified true copies or at least authenticed by their universities. meaning, they did complete the requirements to earn the degree "Doctor of Medicine".

anyways, let's do better in our studies and practice. let's prove to them that we're 1 of the best doctors here on earth. hehe!

kittycrinkles · Oct 8, 2007

bleudsky said:
plus.. those diplomas are certified true copies or at least authenticed by their universities. meaning, they did complete the requirements to earn the degree "Doctor of Medicine".

anyways, let's do better in our studies and practice. let's prove to them that we're 1 of the best doctors here on earth. hehe!

I agree!

Filipino doctors are one of the most caring physicians anyone can have. I mean, Harvard doesn't even stand a chance...

Check out this article: link, where it states that it's only recently that Harvard came up with a program to make their doctors more caring. UP, UST, La Salle, etc. have been doing that program for YEARS!

Okay. I'll stop with the bashing. Smile na lang.

Saipan · Oct 11, 2007

kittycrinkles said:
It makes me wonder. Does America and other countries think of graduates of Philippine medical schools that way? That we're half-baked doctors?

ALL Filipino physicians who get to practice in other countries PASSED ALL their requirements... so I still believe that joke was unfounded.

Why wouldn't they think that?

What do they know about Philippine schools except what they read about the cheating on the nursing boards, the diploma mill schools, and fraudulent paperwork openly for sale on the streets. It doesn't matter that we have good schools and graduates. It's the bad ones that make the news in other countries.

Read Boo Chanco's article in the the business of section of Wednesday's Philippine Star (Oct 10)

kittycrinkles · Oct 19, 2007

Saipan said:
Why wouldn't they think that?

What do they know about Philippine schools except what they read about the cheating on the nursing boards, the diploma mill schools, and fraudulent paperwork openly for sale on the streets. It doesn't matter that we have good schools and graduates. It's the bad ones that make the news in other countries.

Read Boo Chanco's article in the the business of section of Wednesday's Philippine Star (Oct 10)

They better get their facts straight.

Nobody with a fake diploma can possibly get a US medical license. Trust me. It's THAT hard to get to work as an FMG doctor.

And, I wasn't able to read that article you are citing. Could you post a link or even give the gist of it? Is Boo Chanco even a medical professional?

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