'FIRST THING WE DO...'

Last July, I was asked to write a blurb for a book being prepared by Ronnie E. Baticulon, who turned out to be a writer, editor, teacher, and a pediatric neurosurgeon from Philippine General Hospital.

- ALFRED A. YUSON

Last July, I was asked to write a blurb for a book being prepared by Ronnie E. Baticulon, who turned out to be a writer, editor, teacher, and a pediatric neurosurgeon from Philippine General Hospital. That writer-friend Marjorie Evasco would be helping him out with Vital Signs, an anthology of short fiction, made the request undeniable.

Additional information on Dr. Baticulon and the anthology sweetened the pot, so that I submitted a long-ish blurb despite yet being unaware of its publisher and date of issue.

An older book authored by Dr. Baticulon, Some Days You Can't Save Them All, a personal anthology of brief essays, turned out to be a bestseller since it was published by UP Press in 2019 and had its fifth reprinting last year. He has accomplished many other milestones since.

A recent bionote updates us:

"2024 marks a decade of being a neurosurgeon for me. This year, I'm also taking on bigger responsibilities: as Communications Chair of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery and as Education Chair of the Asian Australasian Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery.

"I'm excited and scared because I have big shoes to fill, and my hands still get cold whenever I have to go up on stage to moderate a plenary session or deliver a platform lecture, but I'm thankful for the trust and support from the officers of both organizations. ...This is a masterclass on leadership and advocacy, and I will always remember what we're here for. For the kids. Always for the kids."

As we've cited previously, the number of doctors who've become notable writers appears to be increasing almost exponentially. Among those known to us are poets and writers Alice Sun Cua, Joti Tabula, and Noel Pingoy.