Habi Hour S3 Episode 11: The Doctor is IN

Overview

13 April 2022 | 34 min and 40s

Missed us? A new Habi Hour episode is out! In this episode, Dr. Erin Tababa of The Nerdy Derma shares her stories of building a more informed community against ‘MiSKINceptions.” Let’s join her as she discovers the parallels of medical practice and designing learning experiences.

Can you say “dermatopathologist” quickly 5 times?

Transcript

Introduction

Gerson: Ili-lead ko d’un sa horror story. [laughs] Nag-iisip kasi ako ng… Wait lang… Nag-iisip ako ng ano…

Erin: [laughs] Oo puwede nating… Naku, ’yung horror story ko, oh my god. Pero ay, you were…

Gerson: O sige. Diretso na lang muna tayo sa horror story, wala muna akong transition

Erin: Horror story?

Gerson: O sige.

Erin: O sige, sa horror story?

Gerson: Puwede kang mag-kuwento ng horror story for a teleconsult.

MUSIC: Habi Hour Intro

Jovi (voice over): In this episode of Habi Hour, we will learn how learning experiences through the lens of medical professionals happen, and how perspectives on learning design from the medical field can help the educators as well as  learners. Tara kuwentuhan tayo!

In this episode, we’ll be joined by Gerson Abesamis of Habi Education Lab and Dr. Erin Tababa-Santos of The Nerdy Derma.

UNPACKING THE TERMS/INTRODUCTION

Gerson: Erin so welcome to Habi Hour. So like we said, we wanted to feature you because we wanted to learn a little bit more about your work as a doctor, but also on your work in helping more Filipinos gain more confidence in themselves and their inner beauty, and with understanding how to take care of their skin, and how to combat this misconception. So, start muna tayo with Intros. In your Instagram profile it says that you’re a dermatopathologist. Maybe you can start by unpacking this term. What is a dermatopathologist, and why does a dermatopathologist have 23,000 followers on Instagram, paano ’yun nangyari?

Erin: Thank you so much for having me here, Gerson. Congratulations. Hindi lahat nakukuha ang dermatopathologist on the first try. [laughs] So hindi alam ng patients or actually ng lay, na maraming “species” ang derma. Oftentimes akala lang nila is it’s just cosmetic, or ’yung pampaganda lang. But there are several kinds. So ako, I am a dermatopathologist. What I do is, you know sa skin maraming rashes na magkakamukha. They can look red and nakaangat and flaky, and they can have a different diagnosis. So puwedeng totally different yung A from B. So when that happens, dermas, they get samples of skin. So ’yung process na iyon and it’s called yung pag-biopsy, and then they send it to a dermpath like me, and then I’ll take a look at it under the microscope to find out what exactly is going on. So para kaming doctors ng doctors. We help dermas, or kahit nga any surgical field na kailangan ng help with skin, hair, or nail condition. Kumbaga kami kami ang mag-a-analyze or mag-study ng skin on a microscopic level so ayon ang dermpath.

Gerson: Parang CSI, Oh parang investigator in a way. You do a lot of problem-solving, you do a lot of curiosity. Why this field? I am sure some people have asked you already kasi ‘di ba doctors pick specialties and sub-specialties.

Erin: Derm Path. Bakit nga ba? So number usually bakit nagde-derma It’s a very visual specialty. It’s a very visual specialty that we look at things tas may diagnosis na kami and during training, darating kasi talaga ang point na, “Ano ito? Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyayari.” Then we send it for dermpath na opinion and doon ko narealize na, “Oh my gosh. If you don’t know what’s going on, and you take a biopsy, makikita mo ’yung clues at kung ano ang sakit, and ’yung parang fact finding mission na ‘yon.” Super exciting and rewarding ’yun for me, so that’s why I chose ’yung dermatopathology and to share.

Gerson: Is that why ’yung name ng Instagram page or name ng platform mo ay Nerdy Derma?

Erin: Ayun different story naman ‘yon. Ang nangyari d’on, nag-start yun, I was in dermpath training tapos nagshe-share ako ng mga photos ng slides. Siyempre ’yung mga friends kong derma or Med students they can relate. Tapos one of my friends, nagpost siya na, “Ang nerdy mo naman!” Tapos ako, parang, “Oo. Nerdy.” Usually kasi di ba ina-associate siya as negative. Na nerdy, hindi siya cool. Eh parang you spin it na, “Ah nerdy, puwede rin naman siya na fun thing. Masaya mag-learn kahit scientific siya o parang boring for others it can still be fun.” And doon siya nag-srart ayon ang One Piece ng name. Nerdy, Nerdy side. Tapos nag-iisip ako ng catchy. Naisip kong isa The Nerdy Dermy. Tapos may iba pa eh. 

Gerson: Ang ganda. And now, well at recording, at least a few minutes before, 23 thousand followers on Instagram. So I wonder, how did the growth start? And like you said, nag-start ka with sharing slides or sharing some, you know, microscopic plate or photo of skin or cells ganyan. How did the content shift from what you are sharing now on your platform?

SHIFTING OF CONTENT SHARING 

Erin: Ah mahaba ang story ah pero share ko na rin yung story ng TND. 

Naaalala ko yung day the ’yun eh nagbabasa ako ng slides sa training one of my friends nag-send siya sa aking article, and it was a very controversial article sa sa skin world about moisturizers. Narinig mo na ba ’yun? 

Gerson: Hindi pa, hindi pa. Tell us about it.

Erin: Parang na hindi raw maganda mag-moisturize kasi when you moisturize, the skin cells get stuck on your face or your your skin becomes sleazy and it doesn’t produce moisture. It’s wrong on so many levels, na there and then gumawa ako ng point by point rebuttable explaining why these things are incorrect. Tapos dermpath pa ako. Hanggang sa ikabuturan ng little skin cells naiintindihan ko how it works. Tapos for someone to tell me, “Ay ’yung skin cell mo hindi gumagawa ng water.” “In the first place, it doesn’t make water! And the skin is not sleazy! It’s very smart!” And para sabihin ’yun. It goes against the grain of my being a derma and a dermpath. And right there and then, sabi ko, “No, no, no, no, no, no, ito siya! Moisturization it’s good for the skin!” Ano pa ’yun, Facebook ’yun, ’yung unang-unang post. Tapos when I posted, it was because I just want to correct ’yung misinformation regarding that very very popular article. And then in-ignore ko na siya kasi, ano ’yun, parang alas sais na nang gabi ’yun, kailangan ko nang umuwi, pero “Hindi! Kailangan kong tapusin ’yung article na ’yun.” Sobra akong nanggigil kapag naalala ko siya. And then a few days later para siyang nag-snowball. Ang daming likes. And daming comments that people were saying, “Oh my gosh gan’on pala yun? I didn’t know that” Tapos sobrang daming shares. Tapos naprealize ko, “Oh my goodness, walang source ng reliable information about skin online!” Tapos nag-snap s’ya, parang, “Oh my goodness, andaming maling information. Walang nagsasabi ng correct.” So as a derma, I felt it was my role to help provide correct information na unbiased, walang monetary motivation. Tapos ’yun s’ya nagstart, sa Facebook na ’yun, ’yung idea.

Gerson: I think it is really important because sometimes we tend to forget the origin stories of some content that we have now or some channels or platform we have now. Ang interesting nga ng nakuha ko from you, Erin, is it started from something that you are passionate about. And also you saw a gap or a problem that, you saw at that time that no one was correcting, or no one was trying to fill that gap. 

Erin: Exactly. Oo.

ADAPTIVE AND RESPONSIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

[light guitar strums]

Gerson: So ngayon, as you continue your advocacy, can you share a bit of your thinking process. How do you pick what misconceptions to correct today? Or what type of ideas or concepts to share this week? Is it something more structured like that, or it us something more I guess adaptive and responsive like the one you shared na, “Uy may nakita akong post from na kumakalat tapos gusto ko itong i-correct?”

Erin: I like that no yung adaptive and responsive and unstructured pa ring kapag pakinggan. Often times, Gerson, patients, you know, they’re very insightful and they ask the hardest things. So usually, ’yung mga questions naman nila kadalasan applicable to a lot of people. So ’yung mga nakukuhang kong idea na kailangan i-correct o misconceptions kailangan na i-breakdown, usually sa clinics ko na s’ya nakukuha. And then I have my phone and write it down, ’yung mga topics na potential na i-discuss. ’Yung sa twitter, I do ’yung “Ask Me Anything.” Tapos sobrang daming tanong, tapos nakakatuwa kasi they engaged talaga tapos very practical ang mga questions nila. For example, “How many times should you apply sunscreen sa isang araw?” Books will tell you, “apply every two hours,” pero, di ba, sa practical setting gagawin mo ba ’yun? And then ’yung good pa d’un kapag tinanong nila tapos hindi ko alam, opportunity for me ’yun to learn like, “Oo nga ’no? Kailangan ko ba mag-apply?” Tapos I read on it. Tapos hindi ko na siya malilimutan kasi I do the research, tapos you get to answer the question. Tapos more often than not tatanungin pa ’yun ng iba pang patients. Super ano siya, happy cycle.

Jovi (voice over): Learning experiences are a two way process. Tulad nga ng sabi nila, pagdating sa relationship, it takes two to tango and it is also applicable to learning experiences. It can be a give and take process. 

People are naturally curious and we ask questions because there is a gap in knowledge or there is something interesting that we need information that would satisfy our curiosity.

Gerson: Why do you think they ask a lot of questions? ’Yung patients or ’yung followers mo?

Erin: Mayroon talagang parang paucity ng information both sa social media and I guess sa clinics din. Kasi, for example, ako, people think just because you are a derm you know everything there is about the skin. That’s not true. As a derma, ang alam namin of course we know the anatomy, the physiology how the skin works. But things like toners, serums, ’yung mga ’yun, I learned it because I studied it after ko na magderma kasi gusto kong matuto about skin care. So  nag-research ako on it pero they don’t teach it in school, in derm school. Before I was The Nerdy Derma, ang reseta ko sa patients, “Okay, use retinoid, bensol peroxide. Wash your face.” That’s it. So n’ung 2018, I think ganoon ang scenario. Tapos nag-boom ang skin care. Pansin mo, everywhere you have skincare influencers, you have vloggers.

Gerson: The routines, ’yan.

Erin: Oo, ’yung routines. Ngayon mas informed na ang patients. Pero before, maraming tanong. “Anong facial wash ang gagamitin ko? Anong toner ang gagamitin ko? Kailangan ko ba mag-moisturize?”

Gerson: Ang ganda ng point mo kanina. Una muna, I really love that you as a doctor, are humble enough to share that you are still learning, and there are some questions that you don’t know. Kasi oftentimes nga like, let’s say, for non-doctors like myself, we always have this high regard for doctors and physicians, and we think that they know a lot, and I’m sure that doctors really know a lot, pero that they don’t know everything. I think that is something na magandang point. And I think that something also interesting with the medical profession  that, just like with other profession that you are constantly training or constantly learning.

Erin: Yes.

Gerson: Ang ganda.

LEARNING IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS

Jovi (voice over):  Learning is a continuous process and learning can happen anytime, anywhere. It satisfies our curiosity,  and motivates us to pursue some interesting things and try new stuff. Bahagi ito ng pag-improve at pag-grow natin bilang indibidwal. Curiosity is the heart of knowledge, and the deeper our curiosity, the more we can learn and gain as knowledge.

[light guitar strums]

PROS and CONS OF NON FACE TO FACE CONSULTATION

Gerson: O sige. Diretso na lang muna tayo sa horror story, wala muna akong transition

Erin: Horror story?

Gerson: O sige.

Erin: O sige, sa horror story?

Gerson: Puwede kang mag-kuwento ng horror story for a teleconsult.

Erin: ’Yung tipong pinapawisan ako ng malamig. Gan’on siyang level, and I considered filing a case. So what happened, there was this patient, this patient was a kid, less than 18 years old. My consultation works like this: You have an appointment time, and before that appointment time you have to send your photos, your proof of payment. So smooth na lahat. Pagtawag ko, nandoon na lahat ng details diretso na tayo sa consult proper. Kasi if halimbawa, late ka mag-send, everyone sa dulo ng line will get pushed back, so kawawa ’yung patients. Kumbaga everyone will be late kapag gan’un. So the appointment was in the morning schedule, sabihin nating 10 AM. Around 10 AM walang photos, walang anything. And then I said, “Please send your photos kasi mag-coconsult na.” Tapos sabi nitong person, meron s’yang emergency. So sabi ko, “Sige, just send your photos. I will take a look it, but if may questions ka, hindi na kita matatawagan kasi tapos na ang appointment, but I will answer what ever question you have.” So ang context, follow up na ito so alam na niya ’yung things to do kapag may appointment. And first follow up n’ya ‘to, and in my clinic, kapag follow up, minor tweaks lang ’yun sa meds, unless sobrang irritated or kailangan talagang palitan. So ako naman, “Sige, send photos.” Tapos nag-send din ako ng reseta. Sabi ko sa kanya, “Kung may question ka, just let me know.” And then the following day, habang in between patients ako, nagbo-browse ako ng Twitter. Tapos biglang mamaya minumura na ako.

Gerson: [Gasps]

Erin: Tapos, sunod-sunod. Siguro more than 5 ’yun na, “Scammer! Scammer! Scammer!” Parang, “Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Huwag kayong magpapa-check dito!” Things like that. Tapos ako parang, “What the *toot* did I do?” So ’yun ’yung iniisip ko. So ewan ko ba naman. Dinisclose n’ya yung name n’ya. So sabi ko, “Anong nangyari? How can I help?” Tapos sinabi n’ya na kinuha ko raw ’yung pera. Tapos inulit ko lang daw yung reseta. Tapos sabi n’ya na may emergency, bakit hindi raw ako nag-respond. 

Ang sa akin lang is, Number 1) Akala yata ng mga tao ay magnanakaw kami. So no. Most doctors ay not after your money. Believe us when we say na, “Gusto namin kayong alagaan.” So bakit gan’un agad ’yung accusation? Number 2) Hindi ako ’yung nagkulang sa reminders. So kumbaga, I was not in the wrong. Number 3) ‘Yung sabihan ka ng P.I. sa timeline mo, di ba parang medyo over ’yun? So baka nand’un yung concept ng constant availability kasi online s’ya, so people assume na just because they can message you puwede silang humingi ng answer ng 24/7. We also do other things. Kumakain din kami. Nagpapahinga rin kami. [May] office hours. Eh, na-blur  ’yung line na ’yun because of telemed. In any case, the Twitter people were kind enough to not believe ’yung accusations towards me. So for me, super thankful ako d’un. And hindi naman ako scammer. It goes without saying, pero hindi naman ako scammer.

So ’yun. After that natutunan ko na, “Oh my gosh, this can happen.” So after that, inayos ko ’yung guidelines ko to protect me, and also protect the patients, kung ano ’yung expectations nila. So ’yung most horrible horrible story of all time. Pero [laughs] ‘Yun.

Gerson: Wow. Pero I think it’s an interesting story kasi bahagi siya ng, I guess, the pains of doing telemed or the pains of working from home, all these non face-to-face interactions. Wow.

Erin: Well, learning din naman siya na parang what can I get from it. So parang, be strict in terms of guidelines. Naka-note na d’un “No show, kapag ganito late ka.” So kumbaga, ang lagi kong hinihingi is mutual respect. I’ll respect you as my patient, you respect also, kuwari, office hours. kahit ’yun lang ang minimum ba. Di ba?

[light guitar strums]

Erin: Alam mo maganda sa teleconsult narerecord ko ’yung photos, so  ’yung changes sa skin mabagal s’ya. So kunwari, tinitingnan mo na ’yung sarili mo tapos wala kang pictures, it may seem like there are no changes. Pero if you have documentation, “Oh this is how you breakouts looked like a month ago versus today na 2 months of treatment,” kitang kita talaga ng patients na, “Oh my gosh, pay change pala talaga!” Eh n’ung face-to-face, I do take photos, pero usually for more ’yung for more scary or more unusual skin conditions. So ’yun ’yung isang benefit. Ang isa pa is, prepared na sila when they come in. May questions na sila. Tapos streamlined ’yung discussion. So those are all the good things about teleconsult, plus less risks for COVID.

Gerson: Gusto ko lang banggitin ngayon Erin, all of your stories even though all is in the context of being a doctor, ang dami niyang parallel with being a teacher. Hindi ko alam kung napansin mo. 

Erin: Oh. Sige nga!

Gerson: Like you said, ’yung nabanggit mo ngayon lang na, with seeing progress kasi skin changes are quite hard to notice everyday. I think it’s the same with teaching because sometimes if you are a teacher, or let’s say you are a student, you don’t really pay attention, or you don’t record how you change or what you know, or your growth in a particular scale. It’s hard to say, “Uy nagbago ako. Uy nag-improve ako.”

And I think that’s one interesting na nakuha ko from you. Another thing na nabanggit mo kanina ay ’yung idea of mutual respect. Kasi almost the same like there are some students who also hate on teachers because of particular misunderstanding or particular disrespectful ano. I am sure marami na ring teachers na namura at nagkaroon ng bashers online dahil nagkaroon ng misunderstanding. Hindi lang naintindihan.

Gusto kong itanong, based on what you know about, ngayon, being a doctor, also from your experience in TND and early derma, and creating content to educate people, mayroon ka bang nakikita I guess, tips that you think would be useful also for teachers and educators who might not be in the medical profession for example?

Erin: Dumating kasi yung point na feeling ko wala na akong macocontribute, na everything that can be said has already been said, skin care-wise. Kasi di ba nagkaroon ng boom? Tapos sobrang dami nang skin care accounts. So I told my husband, sabi ko, “Feeling ko parang wala nang point ’yung TND.” Tapos sabi n’ya, Bakit ka ba gumawa ng platform in the first place? Para saan ba sa TND?” Tapos napaisip ako. Sabi ko, “Oo nga ano. Gumawa ba ako ng TND for the likes and shares?” Tapos na-realize ko kaya ko s’ya ginawa kasi may mga informatio na kailangang i-correct. Na may gaps in skin, hair, and nail health. So sabi ko, “’Yun ang reason kung bakit ko s’ya stinart.” And until now, maraming maraming  maraming maraming thins pa rin na ganu’n. So never s’yang mawawalan ng kumbaga  contribution sa gap na ’yun about sa skin, hair, and nail health. So ’yung question mo is ano ’yung tips. Kasi kung papasok ka, nakaka-overwhelm. Sobrang daming niche na ngayon e. Kahit anong topic. Kahit gaano ka random ’yan, meron na ’yang influencer for sure. So d’un sa mga magsi-start pa lang, isipin mo, ano ’yung  1) something na passionate ka about, na kahit ngayon ka mag-speech andamin mong masasabi about it. So ’yun  ang una. And then iisip ka, ano ’yung lighthouse mo. Bakit mo s’ya gustong gawin. Ano ’yung motivation mo for doing somethings. Kasi kapag dadating ’yung point na hirap ka na, wala nang mapiga sa’yo, dadating kasi talaga ’yung point na ‘yun e. So kung meron ka n’ung lighthouse mo, kung meron ka n’ung mission vision mo, ’yun ang magbi-bring back sa ‘yo d’un sa pagtuturo, kung ano mang gusto mong ituro. Then Number 3) always keep your notepad beside you. Kasi ’yung amazing content, amazing ideas, they will pop out of nowhere. So ako minsan kapag nagda-drive ako tapos may maiisip ako, “Oh my god, ito ’yung sobrang gandang topic na madiscuss,” pagka-park ko, isusulat ko ‘sya agad para hindi ko s’ya malimjutan. Tapos engage with your readers. Tapos ask them, kasi ask them kung ano ’yung kailangan nila. So, I guess ’yun ’yung tips ko, Gerson.

Gerson: Ang ganda ng engage with readers eh. Kasi, well obviously, I do follow The Nerdy Derma and there are some stories where… What I really find it so interesting, hindi ko alam kung napapansin mo ito, Erin, but you do put some quizzes. Parang ang ganda ng learning design in some way. You would share a slide of a skin and you would ask, “Alin ang mas red dito? A, B or C?” Those things, that essentially a quiz, like teaching in a way and I think not a lot, I think educators can learn about that idea of engagement of seeing how to use these technologies like social media to not just deliver content but to also engage. I guess ayon ang question ko: How does it feel for you as you engage with your audiences and followers?

Erin: Super ano siya exciting kasi they ask the hardest questions, I tell you. For example, ang tanong sa akin, “Kung ang retinoids, they speed up the skin turn over, won’t the skin age faster if you do that?” O di ba? Parang, “oo nga ano?” Nasagot ’yun, ang isa sa mga super gandang explanation is, her name is dermomtologoy on instagram. Ang ganda ng explanation. So basically, ’yung skin natin, ’yung  cells ‘dun, continuously it has to divide. Isipin mo kung ’yung set lang, 1,000 skin cells lang in your lifetime. Hala, So paano kung 50 years old ka na. So ang nipis na ng balat mo. So matututunan mo lang ’yun kapag mag-ask ’yung patient. ’Yung engagement, exciting and scary at the same time. Kasi minsan hindi ko talaga masagot kasi wala pang nakasasgot n’ung sagot nila. So dapat ready ka talaga to say na, “As of know, I really don’t know. But based on available information, ito ‘yung sagot.” I think they appreciate that, na upfront you say na, “Hindi ko pa alam.” [laughs]

Gerson: Yeah. The honesty and transparency is important.

Erin: Oo, gan’un talaga.

Gerson: Last question Erin, baka nag-o-overtime na tayo. I wanted to ask lang about, Kasi, you demonstrated this in our conversations parang effortlessly you can simplify or breakdown really complex technical information into something more understandable. And I think that’s also the magic of why you have a lot of followers or why you have a lot of people engaged in your platform. I wonder, how do you do it? How do you breakdown? Can you share a bit about your thinking process kung paano ‘yon?

Erin: Thank you so much Gerson! Hahaha Kinikilig ako [laughs]. Me as a learner, when I want to understand something, kunwari I need to understand Concept E. Before I understand Concept E, ano ‘yung concept D. Aaralin ko muna ’yung Concept D. Pero hindi ko pa pala naiintindihan kasi kaialgnan kong aralan si [Concept] C. So I do it backwards. Kailangan naiintindihan ko lahat. Hindi ako pumapayag na, “Eh bakit gan’un? “Eh hindi ko alam.” Unless hindi ko talaga alam. So kapag nagtuturo naman, hindi ko ibibigay ’yung Concept E agad. Kumbaga start sa tayo sa A. Kapag ganito na ’yung A, ganito ’yung mangyayari sa B, and then C, then D, then E. So gets n’yo na? So ‘yun ‘yon. Gan’un ko s’ya pinepresent.

Gerson: Ganda. Alam mo kung ano ’yung tawag d’un, Erin, in terms of education speak? Ewan ko kung narinig mo na ’yung term. It’s called scaffolding.

Erin: Ooh. I learned something new today. Scaffolding.

Gerson: Parang s’yang you scaffold the knowledge instead of… Parang ’yung pag-unravel ng… And it’s not an easy thing to do, ha? It’s really hard. And many teachers still struggle with it, kasi sometimes, they would just bombard their learner, for content, diretso na sa F or sa E, like you said. But scaffolding is more of an artful way of telling a story. A little bit, a little bit, a little bit. Ok alam mo na ’yung prior concept. Ok’ I’ll build on top of what you know. Ok’ I’ll build on top of what you know.Para s’yang scaffold. Para kang may building na itinatayo. You put scaffold first around it first before you focus on the finer things.

Erin: Huh, may tawag pala d’un? [laughs] Ang galing! Atsaka ako rin, mahina akong umintindi kapag isasabay-sabay. So paano ko s’ya ie-explain sa sarili ko, gan’un ko rin s’ya ita-try. And I’m glad it comes across like that. Awwww…. [laughs]

Gerson: Atsaka ano, di ba? I think that’s also the beauty of the channel, of social media as a platform, kasi you really are forced to make it concise. You can’t write an essay. Some do, but you can’t always write an essay on Instagram stories, for example

Erin: True!

Gerson: I think ito na ‘yung last ano natin, Erin, siguro last question na lang. How can other people, educators, parents, teachers, schools, trainers, anyone, like the public, how can they join you in your purpose and advocacy to fight miskinceptions?

Erin: This is so nice. Siguro, ang always kong ina-ask is, if someone reads something na, “Oh my gosh, hindi ko alam na gan’un ’yun.” I always request of them na, “Uy, can you share kapag someone tells you otherwise, just tell them, ‘Actuall, ganito ’yan’” And whenever patients or readers or Twitter mutuals tell me, “Doc, hindi na ako nagse-self medicate ng clindamycin kasi nabasa ko sa tweet mo na dapat ’yun nababantayan ng doctor. Tapos sinabi ko sa kapatid ko, o 2 na kami ngayon na hindi nagse-self medicate.” So little things, kahit sampu, tapos those 10 people they share it, nama-magnify ’yung knowledge. And ’yun ’yung gustong gusto kong mangyari: na hindi mabudol ang mga consumers, and they know how to take care of their skin, hair, and nails properly. So ’yun ’yun.

Gerson: Ganda. Ganda ng ripple effect. That is Dr. Erin Tabobo-Santos of The Nerdy Derma. Thank you for being our guest on Habi Hour. We learned a lot. I learned a lot.

Erin: Thank you, Gerson!

Closing and Synthesis

Jovi (voice over): Learning is indeed constant. It can happen to anyone of us anytime and while we’re embracing the different ways of how  learning experiences can happen, fact-checking of information is still important to fight the spread of misinformation due to misconceptions.

MUSIC: Habi Hour Intro

Jovi (voice over): Sharing of information today can be very rapid, especially on social media. People tend to believe what they see on these platforms until someone corrects them. This episode of Habi hour emphasizes the importance of filling the gap of misinformation.

Dr. Erin shared some tips from her context of medicine that could help educators to design a better learning experience for their learners in the online setting.

1. What are you passionate about? What do you love to do? What energizes you?
2. What is your why? You might experience an overwhelming emotion and if the time comes that you do not see your contribution and the value anymore, you can go back to your purpose and mission and reconnect with why you are doing what are you are doing. 
3. Write down your creative ideas! You might forget sudden creative juices that would pop out anywhere and anytime. It is good that you have a written copy of those ideas!
4. Engage! Talking and Learning from the community is one of the best ways to LEARN something new! 

I hope you got something from this episode that would help you in your learning journey whether you are an educator, medical professional, student, or a person who is curious about everything.

Gerson (voice over): This episode was written, edited, and produced by Habi Education Lab. Original theme music by Howard Luistro. For more Habi Hour episodes, follow us on Spotify, Anchor, Google Podcasts, or visit https://habieducationlab.org/habihour. Salamat sa pakikinig. Thanks for listening.