Introducing Dr. Jet: BJU's New Pediatrician
Looking for a pediatrician who can treat your child with care and teach you about their condition with patience and understanding? Beijing United Family Hospital’s (BJU’s) new Pediatrician Dr. Christian Caligagan (or Dr. Jet, as his patients, family, and friends call him) can do just that. Read more to get to know Dr. Jet a little better!
Tell us a bit about your background in medicine.
I finished my medical course in the Philippines in 1996. My pre-med degree was in Medical Technology. Then, I took up the four-year Medicine proper degree in one of the top five university hospitals in Manila (Philippines). After finishing Medicine, I went straight to pediatric training. After passing my board exams in the Philippines, I took up pediatrics in the same university hospital where I had my training in General Pediatrics and then I became the chief resident of that department. After that, I was absorbed by the university. So, after finishing my training, I went straight to clinical practice as well as being a university professor in Pediatrics. I’ve been teaching Pediatrics for a good 16 years.
Do you have a specialty within the field of pediatrics?
No, just general pediatrics. But, my area of interest is mostly in preventive care – so dealing with how to take good care of pediatric patients from the newborn period up to adolescence and just before adulthood. I have a special interest in vaccinations because that’s part of preventive care. I have been the national co-chair of preventive healthcare of the Philippine Pediatric Society and have made some publications for preventive care in the Philippines.
My approach is very holistic. Instead of focusing on the chest as a pulmonologist or a cardiologist, my job as a general pediatrician is to see the patient as a whole. So, I do preventive care and also a lot of management of sick patients as well. I can handle practically all cases. Some need to be referred, so I refer them to the subspecialist but, for cases that I know how to handle, I handle them by myself. I also rotate in the sick clinic and also in the Pediatric ER.
What kinds of patients do you hope to see at BJU?
All pediatric patients from preterm, term, infant, child, to adolescent patients. I’m very excited to see pediatric patients of all age groups. Whether they’re coming in for preventive checkups or coming in for sick consultations, it’s okay with me! Of course, I know my limits. For patients who need to be referred to a subspecialist, I definitely would refer them.
Is there anything you wish more parents knew when it comes to the health of their kids?
I think that parents – basically, everywhere I practice – I want them to be more educated and I want them to realize that not all sick patients need antibiotics or drugs, or laboratory examinations to be done to their kids. Often, it’s much more important to see the clinical manifestations rather than do tests. Sometimes, you just need some supportive management. I want them to realize that it’s not all about giving medicine. It’s all about observation and giving supportive care. A lot of diseases in children are viral in origin and don’t really need antibiotics or medicine.
Tell us a bit about your work in disaster preparedness.
Around seven years ago, I was asked by the Philippine Pediatric Society to undergo training for pediatrics in disaster preparedness. I underwent a one-week training with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). We were taught how to deal with disasters and how pediatricians can help during disasters. For example, we learned how to prepare the trainers after earthquakes, toxic contaminations, floods, and all these things. In the Philippines, I’m one of the people who trains other doctors so that it can trickle down to the patient level. In the Philippines, we have so many disasters – floods, typhoons, we’ve been visited by so many earthquakes – so, it’s really an important thing to train doctors how to deal with disasters.
Is there anything else about your practice that you would want people to know?
I would like people to know that I’m a very caring pediatrician. Of course, it’s difficult because I don’t speak Chinese but, hopefully soon, I will be able to learn the language and I’ll be able to educate them more. I would like them to know that I’m a doctor who educates patients really well because, first and foremost, back in the Philippines, I’m a professor. I really love to teach. If you properly educate patients and parents that not all illnesses require medicine, then I’m all for that. So, I would like them to know that I’m a good educator and also a very caring pediatrician.
Dr. Jet speaks English. To make an appointment with him, please call the BJU Service Center at 4008-919191.
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