Were you ever given the task of delivering a bad news? Were you able to pull it off gracefully? Did your voice trail off, not wanting to continue anymore? Or did you deliver it like a commandant would give out orders: precise, to the point, not even blinking an eye?
Scenario 1: August 15, 2007. 2200H. The most awaited news online was just posted, the results of the medical boards! And praise God, I passed!!! My heart racing, I quickly printed out a copy of the names of the other new physicians, highlighted it out with my handy green Stabilo, cross-referencing with a list of other friends who had taken the exam. One friend specifically asked me earlier to relay the news to her, whether good or bad, via text, since she went to the Prayer Mountain in Rizal, and has no means of getting the news via the Internet. Scanning the list, I found out that she didn't make it, along with several friends and schoolmates. My heart was pounding with excitement, but still, I can't rejoice too much. How am I supposed to deliver a bad news? Studying 5 full years in medical school, and taking the exam, and not passing it, that would really crush your spirit! I wouldn't know how it would have felt, and no matter how we console them, still, the sadness and bitterness creeps into the soul of even the most faithful child. It took me about an hour to gather my spirits, and text my friend. I was contemplating on calling her, but I wouldn't know what to say, how to comfort her. And by the way, my prepaid load was almost spent, that I "reasoned out" to myself that it would be understandable if I would just text. Thinking back now, I should have just called. The voice of a caring friend on the other end of the line still provides comfort beyond description. And so, I texted her, around 2315H, "Ate ******, I'm sorry, among the list of people you asked me to check out in mb.com.ph, the only people who I saw on the list were ********, and *********.......
And so I trailed off. How improper. I really should have just called.
Scenario 2: To make things worse, another friend who didn't pass the boards texted me at around 0100H August 16. He was asking me if the board results were already out, and he was worried that nobody was texting him anything. I tell you, I am of the worst kind. I didn't have the guts to tell him right then and there that he didn't pass, and still I texted him, " *******, yes, the results are out already, what was your surname again?", well in fact, I really knew his surname. And so he texted back, asking if he did passed. And so, making the same mistake again, I replied, "I'm sorry, *******, the only person with the same surname as yours is Maria ***** ********.... He promptly, texted back, "Thank you Shawie...
And again, I thought, how silly of me, to do the same mistake twice. Or lack of courage. I really don't want to deliver bad news, I know, I suck at it. I told you, I'm the worst.
If you were in my position, how would you have done it? Would you have called them? Would you have comforted them by calling or texting them Scripture passages? Or would you have just kept your silence and prayed? Would you have justified the circumstance as justifiable, that you should be rejoicing and dancing in your own parade because you have passed the boards? Or would you be melancholic and half-hearted the whole time? And what about the other people who didn't have the guts to tell my friend the bad news, am I worse off than they are by being too impersonal?
What a nice way of jump-starting my medical career by typifying the most sarcastic doctor to hit television. Dr Gregory House.
However brilliant he is, I just hope and pray that I don't become as impersonal as him.
