A READER, Joy Franje, forwarded an e-mail that has been circulating in cyberspace.
The e-mail, with the subject line, “Desperate Housewives — Insulting Remark on Philippine Medical Schools,” came with an attached MP3 clip of the dialogue. Click here for the MP3 clip.
The e-mail also came with a transcription of the dialogue (read below) from the popular TV series. As we write this, we are trying to get a statement from the folks behind “Desperate Housewives.”
From the e-mail:
Susan Mayer Delfino, played by Teri Hatcher, was talking with her OB/Gyn in the scene. Her doctor told her that she might be hitting menopause (with her saying that she’s too young for that).
Here’s what she said: “Okay, before we go any further, can I check those diplomas? Coz I would just like to make sure they are not from some med school in the Philippines.”
October 8th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
A lot of the reaction has been mostly emotional than rational. However, I found an interesting perspective on the subject from another Filipino blog here:
http://asbb-foreignexchange.blogspot.com/2007/10/i-was-going-to-conclude-ten-letters.html
Some food for thought to digest, certainly.
October 6th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
I found a dispassionate and objective perspective on the controversial issue here, from another Filipino blog here:
http://asbb-foreignexchange.blogspot.com/
Interesting food for thought?
October 6th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
If you look at the scene closely, Susan was actually insulting the WHITE physician by asking if he got his medical degree from the Philippines. She was not insulting Filipino doctors but the AQmerican doctors who failed to get into US med schools and had to go abroad to earn their degrees. Although it IS a slur on our med schools, whose fault is that? There DOES need to be a drastic change in our educational system. Filipinos who graduate from local med schools may be as good as or better than the US medical graduates but just can’t get into the US schools because of visa and/or financial constraints. However, it is the American FMGs (foreign medical graduates) who should feel insulted because the joke (done in poor taste, by the way) implies that just because they graduated from a foreign school, they are not competent. I know many Americans who went to the same med school as I did who had no choice because they simply could not afford the tuition in US med schools. Most of them are doing very well in their practices. One is even the head of continuing medical education in a prominent University Hospital in New York City. He has been very helpful in facilitating specialty training for Filipino medical graduates not only from his alma mater but from other Filipino schools because he believes in them. If anything, it should be this good doctor who should be filing a complaint with ABC. Filipino medical graduates, American graduates of Philippine schools and graduates of US medical schools have to pass EXACTLY the same examinations in order to practice medicine in the US. No exceptions.
October 6th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Damage control starts at home. I sincerely believe in responsible democracy. And irresponsible democracy is the abuse of free speech: hyping up alleged local scandals. The culprits? Local media. Another irresponsible use of democracy is automatically pointing a finger on the government. Sheesh. We are the government. We make the country how we want it to appear abroad.
October 6th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
I don’t even watch the show. I only found out about it coz it’s on the radio, the newspaper and TV. Then officemates picked up the news from those sensationalized sources. It’s weird coz the same local media who seemed to have brought to the world’s attention the board exam scandal are the same entities who are so furious about the American TV script… Phonies!