Dra. Bustamante: So, okayVenom Carnage, this was from 2010 from Ian.

SoumLittle things like a

handshake, a hug, when theyre [sic]um... when theyre faces light up when you give them[sic]
Pam: Stickers
Dra. Bustamante: stickers alright. [sic]
Pam: You gave my brother one card.
Dra. Bustamante: Yeah, he asked for it.
(Dra. Bustamante searches cabinet)
Dra. Bustamante: or lollipopsand faces light up. [sic] Those are one of my best moments. So there
*sic+
Pam: Soum *sic+
Dra. Bustamante: To [sic] make it enjoyable like you were saying.
Pam: Thats how you make your work fun?
Dra. Bustamante: Yeah!
Pam: The giving of treats for [sic]umso that the patients will light up [sic]?
Dra. Bustamante: Umyes treats and I also give some toyslittle toys on December on my birthday as
tokens, but of course some parents are very, very [sic]um
Pam: Picky?
Dra. Bustamante: No, not thatTheyreIs that maybe China? or Is there lead in the toy? [sic]
Theyre very detailed aboutum where the particular toys were manufactured and what the content
would be in those particular toys. So, I just stick to the safe ones.
(Both Dra. Bustamante and Pam laugh)
Pam: Stickers.
Dra. Bustamante: Stickers.
Pam: My brother has like a whole book full of your stickers.
Dra. Bustamante: I know! And [sic] he is what 10?
Pam: Nine.
Dra. Bustamante: NineAnd he got another oneok I thought that was the last of itI meanfrom the
last time I saw him [sic], I thought that was the last time that he was gonna ask for the stickers and he
still asked for more.
Andie: I wanna ask for a sticker.
Dra. Bustamante: Ah okayYoure gonna get your stickers when you look for your souvenirs.
Pam: UhsoDo you have any other businessesbesidesor *sic+
(Ruffling sound)
Dra. Bustamante: Uhnotnot[sic]not on medical businessesumapart from myprivate practice
here as a pediatrician in Cardinal Santos, Im also a medical specialist working in a government hospital
in Mandaluyong City Medical Center and Im also a school physician in Reedley International School.
Filjosh: I remember
Dra. Bustamante: Youre?
Filjosh: Josh Cocueco
Dra. Bustamante: Oh my goodness! Josh! Oh hi! I used to give him a check. No wonderyeah *sic+ no
wonder your face looks familiar. See, and Pam I used to alsowell of coursebecause I was in Povelo for
nine years before I moved ontouhReedley and now is my tenth year in Reedleyokay.
Filjosh: I live in QC nowso *sic+
Doctor: Have you gone back to Reedley? Have you gone back?
Filjosh: No, not yet.
Dra. Bustamante: Okay, when you become a doctor I thinkAnd you wantlike [sic]see your
[sic]likeyour name posted on the [sic]Congratulations Josh for becoming the first or so doctor [sic].

Jayson: So besides long grueling hours in medicine, what are the other difficulties that you have
encountered?
Dra. Bustamante: Umwellyou knowum the hardest I think would be the exams as with
anyyeah [sic] as with any course and its not only like a regular exam, you have to pass the medical
boards and the specialty board exams and especially board exams would [sic] require two parts: one is
theoretical and the other is practicalYeah
Pam: What was the hardest exam?
Dra. Bustamante: The hardest examthe specialtyspecialty [sic], you all pass your medical
boards[sic]okaybut for your special courses, you still will pass your specialty courses, you just have to
put in a lot more effortumprobably.
Filjosh: What is the passing rate for those exams, like the passing grade?
Dra. Bustamante: Passing rate? Um80 maybe80 or probably thats the *sic+
Pam: 80?
Dra. Bustamante: 80, is that high? I dont know80 maybe [sic]80 percent? I maybe wrong
thoughYou know sometimes it changes when you knowum[sic]for example, for this particular
population of examinees andum [sic] you know the passing rate can be pulled down if theres not a
lot of them who passed you know MPL, Minimum Passing Level [sic]they can do that.
Lincoln: So Maam, why did you start in Cardinal Santos? Why not Makati Med or maybe St. Lukes?
Dra. Bustamante: Well, for one thing, this is where I had my residence training. So its almost
likeumwhen you graduate from a training program in a particular hospital, you likeabsorb [sic]
and you become part of the department and its almost like family when you become part of the
department like in pediatrics where I train, and then you get to choose the other hospitals that you are
affiliated with. So its not just confined to one hospital, you can be, like going toumMakati Med,
St.Lukes and the likes.
Lincoln: So youre saying that Cardinal Santos is the best hospital in the Philippines?
Dra. Bustamante: I would like to think that Cardinal Santos is one of the best. Umit may not be one
[sic] it may not boast of brand new rooms like you know the one there in Global City (Laughing sounds)
We have refurbished roomsumbut people come here because of the consultants, so we have a roster
of very, very good specialistsokayand thatsumand its only kept to the minimum as to [sic]
umyou know theconsultants that pass through a veryumrigorous accreditation process because
wellthere are hospitals that accept consultants who just signify their intention to be part of the
hospital staff but here we have to go through an accreditation process.
Andie: Isnt it tiring poI mean [sic]to be here, sitting here and consulting patient after patient?
Dra. Bustamante: It could beit could be tiring depending on the load of patients that you have, so
sometimes, there are lean days, but there are heavy days and when the days are heavy, believe me, you
knowby the time you get home, of course you just [sic]uhbeing a family woman, I just mingle with
the kids for a while but you just want to hit the bed and you knowumretire all in the day and dream
good dreams.
Andie: If so, then how do you manage between your family and your work po?
Dra. Bustamante: Oh, thats easy!
(Laughing sounds)
Dra. Bustamante: Yeah, thats easy. Well, for one thingumWhen you yourselves will have a family
during the time that you are, lets say, training orumfor specialty like [sic] umI was [sic] I
graduated from my senior course in residency when I got married. So that meant I was still doing duties
and all for as long as your spouse and your children know the very nature of your um [sic] of your
work, your profession, your vocation, theres already likeuman acceptance from their end that
mommys not gonna be [sic], sometimes not gonna be with them on Saturdays because of emergency
cases. It happened to meit happened to me [sic]umwe tried this very nice new theater in VGC.
Pam: Ah.4D
Dra. Bustamante: First time alright, and it was for that Tom Cruise movie.
Andie: Edge of Tomorrow.
Dra. Bustamante: Yeah Edge of Tomorrow, I couldntum, for the life of meep, remember because I
wasnt there. I was only there for 10 minutes. I wasyou knowumenjoying, relaxing, being comfy and
I wanted to try the reclining position and all, then I got a call and it was a premature baby that was
supposed to be delivered andumthe obstetrician called for me to personally attend to the delivery.
So I justyou knowup and went and had to leave. Good-bye to Tom Cruise and then I asked my
children what the plot was all about and that was it. You know that kind of thingbut to balance
ityeaumI set asideumtime for out-of-town trips, for one-on-one with my kids, you know theres
one [sic]still I have 15, 19, 21, and 22-year-olds but I still have mommys and Chubsys day, mommys
and Markys day, mommys and Naomis day, and that kind of thing. I make it appoint [sic]and this
isuma mutual agreement with my husband to take the kids out, not necessarily out of the country, it
could be anywhere in the Philippinesyou knowan out-of-town trip because it is both learning and its
the time for intimate family bonding and for us parentsyou knowthats the time we have our children
as captive audiencecaptive, they dont have anywhere to go, especially if its a cruise you know, were
all stuck with each otheryou knowthey just have to put up with us, their parents, but they do enjoy
it. So, yeah, you can [sic]theres no such thing as imbalance. Theres equilibrium, okaysocial life,
family life, and professional life.
Pam: Thats good to know.
Dra. Bustamante: Its good to know.
Pam: Its good to know.
(Laughing sounds)
Pam: So, how do you relieve your stress because obviously [sic]
Dra. Bustamante: My stress? Ohokaytheres a lot, I do scuba diving with my husband initially because
back in my UP days, I was already a member of the UP divers club with my husband. My husband was
myokay, this is going into intimate details, my husband was my boyfriend back in college, so we
werewe were part of the UP divers club, and now a lot more: Orchid, Racing, and [sic]
Pam: Orchid?
Dra. Bustamante: Yes, beforebut now I am into photography.
All: Oh
Dra. Bustamante: Yeah.
Pam: So you can teach him.
Dra. Bustamante: Oh, are youare you [sic]
Filjosh: I dont know how, Im just taking pictures
Dra. Bustamante: Okay, so what mode are you using?
Filjosh: I dont knowI dont know
Dra. Bustamante: What?
Filjosh: I dont [sic]
Pam: Its my camera.
Dra. Bustamante: AhautoAuto?
Filjosh: No its onuh [sic]
Dra. Bustamante: Manual?
Pam: I think its the one with no flash.
Filjosh: This is the one with the [sic]
Pam: no flash.
Dra. Bustamante: Yeah, but is ityeah *sic+but you have aperture priority, you have time-value...
Filjosh: It has an arrowit has an arrow like a lightning arrow
Dra. Bustamante: Yeah, but is it in auto? Automatic, right?
Filjosh and Pam: Yeah.
Dra. Bustamante: Automatic, so you dont have to tinker with the settings?
Filjosh: No.
Dra. Bustamante: Okayso, want me to teach you? [sic]
(Laughing sounds)
Dra. Bustamante: That would require another session. Its so [sic] Its a thing that you can passionately
pursue and give you back as muchfun and enjoy.
Filjosh: Do you ever wanna practice medicine, like, abroad?
Dra. Bustamante: UmI once thought of it but since I was married to somebody who didnt think about
it, yeah, because hes a lawyer and he wouldnt want to practice in the US, and hesyou knowhes
really much into beingnationalistic, patriotic Filipinos [sic], so thats it. But, no problem at all because I
have a good thing here back home. [sic]
Jayson: So maam, in your opinion, do you thinkumfamily comes first before work?
Dra. Bustamante: Without batting an eyelash, of course family comes first. Family is first. It takes
precedence over anything next to God.
Pam: So, what are your thoughts on success?
Dra. Bustamante: On success? Success is a state of both being and becoming. You know its almost
like Im talking to my children because I once gave this sort of lecture to them. Umbeing in a state of
achieving what you have envisioned yourself to be and actualizing it and becoming what God has
purposed you to be and maximizing the talents and potentials that He has offered you, and when you
have a merry blend of this being and becoming, I think you would have honestly tell yourself that
you have *sic+
Pam: Achieved?
Dra. Bustamante: achieved success.
Pam: So you consider yourself as a successful person?
Dra. Bustamante: Id like to think so.
Pam: Yeah.
Dra. Bustamante: Yeah, Id like to think so.
Pam: Do you have tips for us to become successful?
Dra. Bustamante: They always say theres no formula to success because it really is a personal thing.
First is the bar that you have set for yourself. Of course, society itself is there to set up norms but these
are merely standards. We can get out of the grid and even do better than what society dictates, right?
Butumessentials I would say [sic] First is Aspiration. It all starts from aspiring to be and to become
because if you dont have an ambition at all, I mean, you dont go from base one to base two because
what would drive you [sic], and everything else falls into aspiration when you have already set that for
yourself you know, hardwork [sic], the determination, the work ethic, everything comes around and
molded into this big A Aspiration. The next is Astuteness.
All: Astuteness
Doctor: Astuteness, anyone?
(Murmuring sounds)
Dra. Bustamante: You know Im a writer by heart and by persuasions so forget about the big words but
Im just reallyuhI love words and I love putting it into AAA, so theres Aspiration.
Pam: Astuteness
Dra. Bustamante: Astuteness is being keen, clever, and cunning, because you can have the aspiration
but if you dont have the cleverness to go around what you have aspired for, then maybe you can just be
one among the many. Like I said, you can be out of the grid, a cut above the rest and by being astute,
that would [sic]umthat would set you apart from the rest. The third essential would be [sic]...this one
is very important to me, Altruism. Youre state of beingconsiderate of other peoples welfare, because
you cannot be successful without that. Others may seem successful but without the Altruism, they
probably may be successful to themselves alone or by their own standards, but without you
givingum or paying forward or however you call it, your success is without a letter S, uccess only.
The biggest part of them all, because I couldnt think of another A, is Alpha and Omega. God has to be
the center of all this. So with aspiration, astuteness, altruism, and with Alpha and Omega, I thinkits
not even a formula butit will probably help get to where you wanna goand enjoy the journey.
Pam: So, what are your thoughts on happiness?
Dra. Bustamante: HappinessThey say that happiness is circumstantial, its different from joy because
joy is from the heart. Happiness is from a situation but Id like to think that happiness is congruent to
contentment. OkayAnother big word but youll take this up in medicine, Sine qua non. You know what
that means?
All: No
Dra. Bustamante: Sine qua non, youll take that up in medicine because there are certain diseases that
are sine qua non to a certain condition, meaning to say without it, it cannot be. So, without
contentment, you cannot be happy; without happiness, you cannot be content. So its almost
likeumone or the other, and being happy is being able to be and to become what I told you earlier
because when you have achieved that, youre not just successful, but youre happy.
Pam: So youd say that youre also a happy woman?
Dra. Bustamante: This time I would say that I dont [sic]My initial answer to you about the success
thing was I would like to think that I am
Pam: Yeah.
Dra. Bustamante: but with happiness, I am.
(Laughing Sounds)
Pam: So, tips for us to achieve that happiness that you show in your smile.
Dra. Bustamante: Alright, so first if your certainty of what youre gonna do [sic], are you in for it, are you
in for medicine? Because your in [sic]if your [sic]you sure about that?
All: Yeahuh huh
Dra. Bustamante: First thingCertainty, certainty? Alright, be sure about [sic]be sure about that you
[sic]umwhat youre gonna do. If you want to be [sic], okayIf you want to be the person wearing a
white gown with a stethoscope around his or her neck, then be certain that you want to be that person.