Dr. Janys Joy O. Lim completed her Clinical Fellowship training in Developmental Pediatrics at the McMaster University in Ontario, Canada under the TYKFI-ABI Scholarship Program.
Formerly with the Developmental and Behavioural Pediatrics Section of the UP-Philippine General Hospital, she also received additional training in Genetics and Metabolics, which are two important facets of Developmental Pediatrics.
Throughout her training in McMaster University, Dr. Lim found that her exposure to a diverse set of socio-cultural background in Canada helped sharpen her patient management skills as she aimed to treat each patient in an individualized manner taking into account the needed understanding of one’s unique family and social backgrounds.
The experience also helped her become more independent, understand her own value as a clinician, and find her own unique voice and set of gifts that she brings to the team. Dr. Lim said, “Being able to work in a new professional environment and finding respect and trust validated my value as a person and as a clinician.”
Dr. Lim found her training in Canada as game changing because it exposed her to more diverse cases and more comprehensive workups giving her a deeper appreciation of the different conditions in Developmental Pediatrics. It also gave her a better idea of how to handle cases in the Philippines that may not necessarily afford such comprehensive workups.
Dr. Janys Lim always knew she wanted to be there for children with special needs and exceptionalities. She decided to become a clinician to be of help to the children and their families. She once experienced a cousin’s child being diagnosed with autism, and the family had to travel to the US just to understand what her nephew has. She always wanted to help parents like her cousin to get the support they need without having to travel abroad. “I also wanted to understand children who had their own set of gifts that no one else seemed to understand, and help them to find their gifts,” shared Dr. Lim.
As she traveled to different areas with diverse challenges during her training, she was able to be a part of finding solutions for the different communities. The experience now allows her to see which of these systems might work in the Philippines thinking, “What can we implement (here)? How do we solve the problems where they exist?”
Believing that education is one of the most effective ways of improving health care, she wants to teach both in Manila and areas where the spectrum of care is more vulnerable. She also wants to be involved in providing allied services in the management of children with special needs and networking with international practitioners who can help provide special training in the country.
Dr. Lim would like to thank her parents for the way they raised her to have faith in her dreams. She also thanks the Lord, the Foundation, as well as her mentors, teachers, staff, and all the families that she met at the Clinic. She sees that there is a huge room for growth in the Philippine health care setting.
Asked about her training experience, she said: “It was eye-opening, enriching, and meaningful. The challenge of being far away from my family was well worth the sacrifice.” n
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