After passing the licensure examination for physicians in the Philippines, Jay Edwarde Hontanosas came to Dubai in 2015 to secure a medical license in the US. At that time, she had already finished the first step and was gearing for the second.
Jay was already burnt out mentally and financially, and the idea of coming to a new place like Dubai–to practice and earn enough to finance the long and arduous journey towards the US made sense.
Her plan was simple: work while preparing for the subsequent examination.
“But you know, in life, circumstances change,” she said. Jay secured the UK-General Medical Council registration/license instead.
She joined an orthopedic and rehab clinic in the emirate, where she had worked for two years. It was where she acclimatized with the healthcare system in place, adjusted to a highly diverse society, worked with different nationalities, and treated patients with other languages and cultures.
When she had the opportunity to work in a polyclinic, she had the opportunity to treat her fellow Filipinos. There, she started to learn and understand the common challenges, hardships, and struggles of many OFWs in the country.
Her heart for helping Filipinos started in the Philippines, where she moonlighted in various hospitals and clinics in Manila, from being a hotel physician to an ER physician. Jay also worked on Boracay island for several months, where some of her most memorable and ‘intense’ experiences in her practice happened.
“I love the island, its energy and the level of adrenaline the practice required,” she said.
Currently, Jay works with Klinika Kabayan, Aster-Clinic, Al Muteena Branch as its general practitioner or primate care physician. One thing she enjoys about her job is that she gets to address a wide array of health concerns as she provides care at the first point of contact. She continues to manage the patient’s health concerns over time, and with that, she develops strong relationships with patients and even their families.
“I get to witness humanity at its very best and very worst. I see it as a privilege. I learn a lot of very important life lessons from my patients. As a doctor, our simple joy is to see our patients respond well to their treatments and fully recover,” she added.
Jay finds the work-life balance better overseas. As a wife, mother, and working woman, balancing these three things is challenging. However, the environment where she works makes it easier for her.
Like many OFWs, she, too, had her fair share of struggles and challenges, including lots of judgment along the way.
“Sometimes, I learned it the hard way. There are workplaces with unpleasant cultures and unethical practices. I’d been to those places, and it was tough. You will face many challenges if you stand up for what is right. But you have to do it anyway. Good wins in the end. It always does,” she added.
Jay hopes to specialize in family medicine.
“I’m in a profession which requires lifelong learning to stay current, to deepen my knowledge and improve my patient care,” she said.
Should there be a circumstance that would require her family to return to the Philippines, Jay said she would continue her practice there, mostly likely in Mindanao or somewhere very rural where she can touch more lives.
