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Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer
Blunt, hilarious, and heartbreaking, Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer is a candid and hysterical account of the realities of life in and out of the Philippine General Hospital.
Will Liangco's collection of essays on his years of training as a medical intern and oncology fellow is everything you need to know about the making of a doctor: sleepless nights, late stipends, and life-and-death decisions in the context of the imperfect Philippine healthcare system.
Read, laugh (and laugh again) at Liangco's misadventures and how he overcomes the never-ending trials on the human spirit.
Will Liangco's collection of essays on his years of training as a medical intern and oncology fellow is everything you need to know about the making of a doctor: sleepless nights, late stipends, and life-and-death decisions in the context of the imperfect Philippine healthcare system.
Read, laugh (and laugh again) at Liangco's misadventures and how he overcomes the never-ending trials on the human spirit.
283 pages, Paperback
Published September 15, 2022
44 people are currently reading
501 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
January 13, 2023
Maganda!🤭🤣
July 16, 2023
The reader doesn't have to have interest in the medical field to find affinity in the compact anecdotes here. Whatever one's field is, this is reminiscent of hectic university years as a student, the internship, all leading up to the eventual profession (or not). Dr. Will certainly knows how to find levity in life and death situations. That titular entry had me cracking up among others. But an afflicting theme and that renders a health issue more cumbersome than it already is, as apparently enmeshed in each patient's story, is the blasted healthcare system in this country.
Side note: Not hoping to but if I had a notable encounter with the author that would merit it being included in his vignettes I wonder what alias would he give me. For context, he named some of his characters Smoketh, Alanis Cornucopia, Varicella Zosterina.
Side note: Not hoping to but if I had a notable encounter with the author that would merit it being included in his vignettes I wonder what alias would he give me. For context, he named some of his characters Smoketh, Alanis Cornucopia, Varicella Zosterina.
October 22, 2022
FUNNY AS SHIT
July 7, 2025
Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer is one of those books that has always been in my radar. It got closer to me when Mt. Cloud Bookshop and Milflores Publishing hosted an event that featured Filipino doctor-writers Marjorie Evasco, Will Liangco and Joey Tabula. They talked about writing as a doctor and doctoring as a writer among other things. I chose Dr. Will’s book to take home after.
Even Ducks is a collection of creative nonfiction short stories that have originated from Friendster blog entries. They revolve around Dr. Will Liangco’s journey from being a student in UP College of Medicine until his practice as a licensed oncologist (doctor for cancer patients). The 49 stories are categorized in four parts: “Coming of Age, but Stunted” where we get a look at life in UP College of Medicine and his residency training; “Hellowship”, mostly about his fellowship at the Cancer Institute of Philippine General Hospital or PGH – the country's largest public tertiary hospital; “The Butterflies We Should Have Murdered”, a continuation of the latter parts of his fellowship before the licensure exam; and “Time to Work”, Dr. Will as a doctor until the pandemic.
Dr. Will has a specific style of writing where stories can go in any direction. A story might start out being about daily commuting and end up on insect gunk. Light-hearted scenes transition to sad stories of patients then back to a funny moment. And so on. It got me confused at first, having been used to collections where the short stories are thematic with a curated sequence. But the way the stories flow in Even Ducks is similar to how most people jump from topic to topic in a casual conversation, making the experience refreshing and familiar.
To be honest, a book on being a doctor coming out fresh from the COVID-19 pandemic got me thinking it would be something akin to a pure exposé of the failures of the Philippine medical system. At first, I kept on looking for it between the lines. I also had worries about the writing not being serious enough for its subject matter. But when I got used to what the book actually is, I grew to really enjoy it. I realized my expectations just got ahead of me.
Even Ducks isn’t solely about the horrors of med school or practice. The stories don’t go out of their way to make a statement or a grand narrative. They're really just stories about everyday school and work that flow naturally, joys and horrors included.
The humor in the writing is one of the highlights. It's dark, self-deprecating, deadpan, geeky and often comes unexpectedly. Laughing in the face of death, as they say. Some stories that stood out to me for their comedy are “Afternoon Tea”, “Malate Noir”, and “The Mansion”
This isn’t to say Even Ducks ignores the truth of the medical system to focus on the comedic effect. It is evident between the lines that the stories actually operate under the circumstances set by these systemic issues. There are stories that show the expectations of being from a prestigious medical school then the not-so-glamorous salary offered after like in “Thymes and Lochia”. Toxic co-workers get a shout-out in “Pure Nanette” and “Punctuate it with a Slurp”. We get a bit about the struggles of work and life balance in “Alone/Alone”. Both the healthcare system’s failures and the health workers' empathy become obvious when the book shows the great lengths doctors personally go to treat patients, even ones whose identities aren't known, in “The Mysterious Mr. Q”, “Capsule Quest”, and “The 50th Degree”. I loved the moments when the book shows why healthcare students and workers stay in the field despite everything that makes them doubt continuing.
While most stories are set in the hospital, I also liked the ones that go out of this usual setting. There are slice-of-life bits that aren’t necessarily about medicine. Like when the author’s barkada gets together to talk about their lives such as in “Tales of Terror in Relief” or when Will describes his “Life in the Coffin”
In some stories, Dr. Will proves he can write more serious, straightforward stories full of emotion. Some of my favorites are “Yellow” and “That Blasted Room”. “Alleviations” is a hard read in which the author is at his most vulnerable as he shares about a loss too close to him. It’s a story that I believe makes the whole book worth the read.
Hospitals are already full of sadness, suffering and death and I don’t think Dr. Will has a shortage of material if he wanted to write about those. His talent lies in showing us the highs, lows, and in-betweens of being a doctor with the general randomness of our everyday lives while being funny, earnest and genuine about it. Even Ducks is a book that anyone, even beginners to reading, could just pick up anytime and feel how laughter does actually become, at the right time, the best medicine.
Even Ducks is a collection of creative nonfiction short stories that have originated from Friendster blog entries. They revolve around Dr. Will Liangco’s journey from being a student in UP College of Medicine until his practice as a licensed oncologist (doctor for cancer patients). The 49 stories are categorized in four parts: “Coming of Age, but Stunted” where we get a look at life in UP College of Medicine and his residency training; “Hellowship”, mostly about his fellowship at the Cancer Institute of Philippine General Hospital or PGH – the country's largest public tertiary hospital; “The Butterflies We Should Have Murdered”, a continuation of the latter parts of his fellowship before the licensure exam; and “Time to Work”, Dr. Will as a doctor until the pandemic.
Dr. Will has a specific style of writing where stories can go in any direction. A story might start out being about daily commuting and end up on insect gunk. Light-hearted scenes transition to sad stories of patients then back to a funny moment. And so on. It got me confused at first, having been used to collections where the short stories are thematic with a curated sequence. But the way the stories flow in Even Ducks is similar to how most people jump from topic to topic in a casual conversation, making the experience refreshing and familiar.
To be honest, a book on being a doctor coming out fresh from the COVID-19 pandemic got me thinking it would be something akin to a pure exposé of the failures of the Philippine medical system. At first, I kept on looking for it between the lines. I also had worries about the writing not being serious enough for its subject matter. But when I got used to what the book actually is, I grew to really enjoy it. I realized my expectations just got ahead of me.
Even Ducks isn’t solely about the horrors of med school or practice. The stories don’t go out of their way to make a statement or a grand narrative. They're really just stories about everyday school and work that flow naturally, joys and horrors included.
The humor in the writing is one of the highlights. It's dark, self-deprecating, deadpan, geeky and often comes unexpectedly. Laughing in the face of death, as they say. Some stories that stood out to me for their comedy are “Afternoon Tea”, “Malate Noir”, and “The Mansion”
This isn’t to say Even Ducks ignores the truth of the medical system to focus on the comedic effect. It is evident between the lines that the stories actually operate under the circumstances set by these systemic issues. There are stories that show the expectations of being from a prestigious medical school then the not-so-glamorous salary offered after like in “Thymes and Lochia”. Toxic co-workers get a shout-out in “Pure Nanette” and “Punctuate it with a Slurp”. We get a bit about the struggles of work and life balance in “Alone/Alone”. Both the healthcare system’s failures and the health workers' empathy become obvious when the book shows the great lengths doctors personally go to treat patients, even ones whose identities aren't known, in “The Mysterious Mr. Q”, “Capsule Quest”, and “The 50th Degree”. I loved the moments when the book shows why healthcare students and workers stay in the field despite everything that makes them doubt continuing.
While most stories are set in the hospital, I also liked the ones that go out of this usual setting. There are slice-of-life bits that aren’t necessarily about medicine. Like when the author’s barkada gets together to talk about their lives such as in “Tales of Terror in Relief” or when Will describes his “Life in the Coffin”
In some stories, Dr. Will proves he can write more serious, straightforward stories full of emotion. Some of my favorites are “Yellow” and “That Blasted Room”. “Alleviations” is a hard read in which the author is at his most vulnerable as he shares about a loss too close to him. It’s a story that I believe makes the whole book worth the read.
Hospitals are already full of sadness, suffering and death and I don’t think Dr. Will has a shortage of material if he wanted to write about those. His talent lies in showing us the highs, lows, and in-betweens of being a doctor with the general randomness of our everyday lives while being funny, earnest and genuine about it. Even Ducks is a book that anyone, even beginners to reading, could just pick up anytime and feel how laughter does actually become, at the right time, the best medicine.
October 13, 2022
Just finished this very funny (and at times emotional) essay collection written by an oncologist. This book narrates his experiences from med school in UP, internship/residency/fellowship in PGH, up to his private practice.
We are regaled into the stories of his classmates who must have memorized Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, the woes of being a physician, the sad state of patients who have to go through the maze of bureaucracy carrying copies of medical abstracts just to get a few thousands to support their treatment and management, the importance of bluffing with conviction, dealing with vicious chief residents and consultants, the sad accounts of his patients who wear a veneer of hope despite the odds against them, among others.
The stories are the right mix of hilarious and heartbreaking. Truly a perfect antidote to my stressful past few days and yes, at some point this book made me regret passing off the chance of going to med school years ago.
We are regaled into the stories of his classmates who must have memorized Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, the woes of being a physician, the sad state of patients who have to go through the maze of bureaucracy carrying copies of medical abstracts just to get a few thousands to support their treatment and management, the importance of bluffing with conviction, dealing with vicious chief residents and consultants, the sad accounts of his patients who wear a veneer of hope despite the odds against them, among others.
The stories are the right mix of hilarious and heartbreaking. Truly a perfect antidote to my stressful past few days and yes, at some point this book made me regret passing off the chance of going to med school years ago.
October 25, 2022
Easily one of the most beautiful, heart-wrenching, unflinchingly funny books I have ever had the pleasure of reading! Loved Sir Will Liangco‘s writing style served in a tender cocktail of dry humor, witticism and hysteria. Favorite anecdotes are “All Because of That Damn Chalupa” “Private Practice Marketing Primer” “Alleviations” and “Get Out”.
I can only imagine how it must be for an oncologist to look at the face of death. Thank you for providing this very unique outlook on dissolution we so rarely read about, but that I think we should all work to better understand. Your father Eddie must be so proud of all the “fixes and repairs” you pay forward to your patients, family and friends. Again, thank you very much for this, sir! What a privilege.
I can only imagine how it must be for an oncologist to look at the face of death. Thank you for providing this very unique outlook on dissolution we so rarely read about, but that I think we should all work to better understand. Your father Eddie must be so proud of all the “fixes and repairs” you pay forward to your patients, family and friends. Again, thank you very much for this, sir! What a privilege.
March 1, 2023
So I went into the book with expectations of guffawing over some of the most morbid and mundane (hospital kind of mundane) things…and I wasn’t let down.
More of my thoughts on Bookbed.
More of my thoughts on Bookbed.
July 14, 2025
4.5 stars
I knew from the title alone that this one was going to tug at my curiosity. Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer—how could you not pause at that? And true enough, this book by Dr. Wilfredo Liangco is exactly what it promises: stories that are at once ridiculous, heartbreaking, and so painfully human that they sit with you long after you've closed the last page.
This isn't just a "doctor memoir." It's a collection of essays—little glimpses into the world of PGH wards, overworked residents, dying patients, and the people left behind. Liangco's writing feels like sitting beside a friend who happens to be a doctor, one who tells you about the medical field with equal parts candor and humor, but who doesn't shy away from letting you feel the weight of it all too.
What I love most is how he strikes that delicate balance: one page you're laughing at the absurdity of certain hospital moments and the next, you're gutted by the starkness of losing a patient or, more devastatingly, his own father. Those sections about his dad undid me. You can tell how grief shaped him as a son and a doctor, and it's written with a tenderness that feels like an open wound you're allowed to peer into.
There's also this very Filipino-ness that pulses through the book. You feel it in the way patients accept their fate, in the quiet resilience of families scraping together money for chemo, in the doctor's own resigned humor about the flaws of our healthcare system. I found myself nodding along to those bits—the frustrating truths we all know too well, softened a little by Liangco's dry wit.
Highly recommend if you want a memoir that will remind you that humor and heartbreak are not opposites—sometimes they exist in the same breath.
I knew from the title alone that this one was going to tug at my curiosity. Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer—how could you not pause at that? And true enough, this book by Dr. Wilfredo Liangco is exactly what it promises: stories that are at once ridiculous, heartbreaking, and so painfully human that they sit with you long after you've closed the last page.
This isn't just a "doctor memoir." It's a collection of essays—little glimpses into the world of PGH wards, overworked residents, dying patients, and the people left behind. Liangco's writing feels like sitting beside a friend who happens to be a doctor, one who tells you about the medical field with equal parts candor and humor, but who doesn't shy away from letting you feel the weight of it all too.
What I love most is how he strikes that delicate balance: one page you're laughing at the absurdity of certain hospital moments and the next, you're gutted by the starkness of losing a patient or, more devastatingly, his own father. Those sections about his dad undid me. You can tell how grief shaped him as a son and a doctor, and it's written with a tenderness that feels like an open wound you're allowed to peer into.
There's also this very Filipino-ness that pulses through the book. You feel it in the way patients accept their fate, in the quiet resilience of families scraping together money for chemo, in the doctor's own resigned humor about the flaws of our healthcare system. I found myself nodding along to those bits—the frustrating truths we all know too well, softened a little by Liangco's dry wit.
Highly recommend if you want a memoir that will remind you that humor and heartbreak are not opposites—sometimes they exist in the same breath.
May 19, 2023
"It was during those low, embarrassing moments of nibbling on the Kit-Kat bar impaled on the chocolate-frosted donut while watching Gwyneth tossing her hair and laughing—laughing! —that I would wonder if I had taken the right career path."
--
𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝔻𝕦𝕔𝕜𝕤 𝔾𝕖𝕥 𝕃𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕞𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕤 is a local book written by Dr. Wilfredo Liangco, a Licensed Physician in the Philippines, wherein he compiled the essays he wrote discussing his encounters as a medical intern and oncology fellow and the realities in the lives of Doctors inside and outside of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
At first glance, I thought it would just be about how imperfect and poor our healthcare system is and generally the 'other side' of medicine. I was wrong. It was also filled with lessons and joy in every triumph as Doctors took risks and sacrifices — sleepless nights, life-and-death decisions, and late stipends — just to become one.
I would say that those pre-med (and non-pre-med) student planning to attend med school after undergrad should read this book. The author made the book manageable to read, not intimidating. There was also no manipulation to manipulate our decision. Instead, Liangco showed the two sides of medicine — its pros and cons.
Indeed, it takes a village to raise a Doctor. The expenses are wild, from med school until becoming a Licensed Doctor; it just never stops. If there's one thing this book enlightened me about, it would be to pursue medicine because of passion, commitment, and will to serve people, not because of the desire to become rich and famous because clearly, there's no big money in medicine.
His wit & humor kept my attention span intact and hooked. And if there's one local book I would recommend that's worth the time and reading, it would be this.
--
𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝔻𝕦𝕔𝕜𝕤 𝔾𝕖𝕥 𝕃𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕞𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕤 is a local book written by Dr. Wilfredo Liangco, a Licensed Physician in the Philippines, wherein he compiled the essays he wrote discussing his encounters as a medical intern and oncology fellow and the realities in the lives of Doctors inside and outside of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
At first glance, I thought it would just be about how imperfect and poor our healthcare system is and generally the 'other side' of medicine. I was wrong. It was also filled with lessons and joy in every triumph as Doctors took risks and sacrifices — sleepless nights, life-and-death decisions, and late stipends — just to become one.
I would say that those pre-med (and non-pre-med) student planning to attend med school after undergrad should read this book. The author made the book manageable to read, not intimidating. There was also no manipulation to manipulate our decision. Instead, Liangco showed the two sides of medicine — its pros and cons.
Indeed, it takes a village to raise a Doctor. The expenses are wild, from med school until becoming a Licensed Doctor; it just never stops. If there's one thing this book enlightened me about, it would be to pursue medicine because of passion, commitment, and will to serve people, not because of the desire to become rich and famous because clearly, there's no big money in medicine.
His wit & humor kept my attention span intact and hooked. And if there's one local book I would recommend that's worth the time and reading, it would be this.
September 2, 2025
I can't grasp how good of a writer Wilfredo Liangco is, one minute I'm laughing and the next I'm crying, it's honestly a technicolor!! AND SUCH AN EASY READDDD, I love all the people in doc life and it's just AMAZINGGGGG, HOPE TO READ MORE OF HIS BOOKK
October 30, 2022
I thought that this book would be about the struggles of a medical doctor in the Philippines written in the typical “this-is-how-bad-healthcare-is-in-our-country” that you would end up reading one chapter to another needing long breaks in between. I was wrong. I found myself breezing through it from chapter to chapter taking the lessons that come with each. If there’s one word I’d use to describe this book, it would be witty. Dr. Liangco did a good job using humor and wit to make this all the more interesting to keep you hooked and end up wanting for more. My favorites are Alleviations and Collapse. Definitely a must read!
March 17, 2025
even ducks get liver cancer is a collection of essays that give you an insider scoop of the experiences of PH medical professionals. it’s not sensationalised as medical TV dramas, but it’s a more ‘approachable’ way to get in on how hospitals work.
having a profession in medicine is such a tough job you’d eventually have to find humor in the things you do to keep going.
reading through the pages, you’ll find yourself rooting for doctors again and again. those who exemplify compassion and grit to help those who are ill despite all hurdles and hardship.
having a profession in medicine is such a tough job you’d eventually have to find humor in the things you do to keep going.
reading through the pages, you’ll find yourself rooting for doctors again and again. those who exemplify compassion and grit to help those who are ill despite all hurdles and hardship.
January 6, 2025
What I found special about this book is the tendency of the characters—including the author himself who is a doctor—to overreact. And when they did overreact, my wormy brain would shout, “hala si OA!”
I wasn’t prepared for “Alleviations” though. I found myself swimming in my own tears before I ventured to the next chapter.
Psyduck—who can also get liver cancer—approves this book! 🐥
I wasn’t prepared for “Alleviations” though. I found myself swimming in my own tears before I ventured to the next chapter.
Psyduck—who can also get liver cancer—approves this book! 🐥
December 4, 2022
In the same vein as Adam Kay's This Is Going to Hurt, Will Liangco brought his years as a medical intern and oncology fellow into the pages of his debut book, Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer. The tales he generously shared in this collection varied from explicit and gory to moving and personal, but always with wit, hilarity, and heart.
In one of the essays in the book, we are introduced to the Shrine Motherf*ck*r Café where Liangco would meet up with his friends to whine and rant and, implicitly, out-woe the other people in their table of misery. Reading this collection felt very much like being part of that table: you are subjected to Liangco's continuous rants, but also you'd feel like an old part of the friendship and of his life as his confidante. This is much more apparent when he became much more intimate during the entries that talked about his father. Those have been my favorites in this one, especially the unusually lengthy (but really worth the pages) “Alleviations”. However, his stories that were simply hilarious—not a moral to be learned or a life lesson to be picked up, just a really funny story you tell your friends—were as amusing because he is definitely funny and knows how to recapture it in text format.
In her fabulous introduction for the book, Jessica Zafra said, “The subject of literature is the human condition, and doctors are up to their elbows in it.” And so was the case in Liangco's stories in Even Ducks... Although sometimes hidden within the jokes and the laughs, the grim reality of the Filipino people under our country's awful healthcare system is clearly depicted in the book. When I began the deeply harrowing “Capsule Quest”, I expected it to be another funny tale—the title was quite the giveaway—but the ending honestly broke my heart, I had to close the book and breathe. Because this kind of situation isn't simply a tale a doctor-writer tells in a book—it's a reality for most of the people living in this country. And it is during this when one realizes the importance to have books like this, written by those who see it firsthand, to show what is actually happening.
Although I think that the book is a bit too long and could be edited tighter, there are still lots and lots of things to love in Liangco's debut. It is endlessly funny and done with so much heart. I really enjoyed this one.
In one of the essays in the book, we are introduced to the Shrine Motherf*ck*r Café where Liangco would meet up with his friends to whine and rant and, implicitly, out-woe the other people in their table of misery. Reading this collection felt very much like being part of that table: you are subjected to Liangco's continuous rants, but also you'd feel like an old part of the friendship and of his life as his confidante. This is much more apparent when he became much more intimate during the entries that talked about his father. Those have been my favorites in this one, especially the unusually lengthy (but really worth the pages) “Alleviations”. However, his stories that were simply hilarious—not a moral to be learned or a life lesson to be picked up, just a really funny story you tell your friends—were as amusing because he is definitely funny and knows how to recapture it in text format.
In her fabulous introduction for the book, Jessica Zafra said, “The subject of literature is the human condition, and doctors are up to their elbows in it.” And so was the case in Liangco's stories in Even Ducks... Although sometimes hidden within the jokes and the laughs, the grim reality of the Filipino people under our country's awful healthcare system is clearly depicted in the book. When I began the deeply harrowing “Capsule Quest”, I expected it to be another funny tale—the title was quite the giveaway—but the ending honestly broke my heart, I had to close the book and breathe. Because this kind of situation isn't simply a tale a doctor-writer tells in a book—it's a reality for most of the people living in this country. And it is during this when one realizes the importance to have books like this, written by those who see it firsthand, to show what is actually happening.
Although I think that the book is a bit too long and could be edited tighter, there are still lots and lots of things to love in Liangco's debut. It is endlessly funny and done with so much heart. I really enjoyed this one.
July 6, 2025
Relating to “Even Ducks get liver Cancer and other medical misadventures” by Wilfredo Liangco as a Nurse
Although my journey has its own set of medical misadventures as a nurse, I am surprised as to how much in this book I can actually relate to (definitely, not the “Nurse Trixie” part, the hail pure Nanette Inventor).
📚The Start of the Medical Journey
I realized despite being clueless of which College course to take, it can soon become the very reason that leads us to where we are supposed to be—for personal growth and discovering one’s purpose.
Dr. Wil initially chose a course that allows for diverse career options if ever he changed his mind but ended up conforming to what 90% of his blockmates plan to pursue, medicine.
It slowly developed his clinical eye, giving him a unique perspective on his family’s health and allowing him to observe things others might miss.
🐥That Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer
That even having an extensive medical knowledge and expertise, these are not enough to be immune to the disease nor a guarantee that their loved ones will be spared from a diagnosis.
What Dr. Will did, he went into internal medicine residency and eventually medical oncology fellowship for access. Access to the facilities, to the right people, to clinical trials and the convenience of being able to manage everything from the ground.
☕️Let’s not forget the “medical misadventures”
While the path to becoming a doctor is certainly challenging, it’s often the connections with peers and the moments of humor and joy that help see individuals through.
How they found “The Shrine Motherfucker” for their late night engagement meetings and discussions to cope with their legitimate struggles of being in hellowship training.
How their weekend off during IM residency turned horribly by Typhoon Ondoy and their dating lives paused amd affected by COVID
🩺Whether you’re in the medical field or not, this book will not disappoint. It is simply Dr. Wil’s misadventures and overcoming the never-ending trials on the human spirit. As an added bonus, you get to witness the making of a doctor: sleepless nights, late stipends, and life-and-death decisions in the context of the imperfect Philippine healthcare system.
Although my journey has its own set of medical misadventures as a nurse, I am surprised as to how much in this book I can actually relate to (definitely, not the “Nurse Trixie” part, the hail pure Nanette Inventor).
📚The Start of the Medical Journey
I realized despite being clueless of which College course to take, it can soon become the very reason that leads us to where we are supposed to be—for personal growth and discovering one’s purpose.
Dr. Wil initially chose a course that allows for diverse career options if ever he changed his mind but ended up conforming to what 90% of his blockmates plan to pursue, medicine.
It slowly developed his clinical eye, giving him a unique perspective on his family’s health and allowing him to observe things others might miss.
🐥That Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer
That even having an extensive medical knowledge and expertise, these are not enough to be immune to the disease nor a guarantee that their loved ones will be spared from a diagnosis.
What Dr. Will did, he went into internal medicine residency and eventually medical oncology fellowship for access. Access to the facilities, to the right people, to clinical trials and the convenience of being able to manage everything from the ground.
☕️Let’s not forget the “medical misadventures”
While the path to becoming a doctor is certainly challenging, it’s often the connections with peers and the moments of humor and joy that help see individuals through.
How they found “The Shrine Motherfucker” for their late night engagement meetings and discussions to cope with their legitimate struggles of being in hellowship training.
How their weekend off during IM residency turned horribly by Typhoon Ondoy and their dating lives paused amd affected by COVID
🩺Whether you’re in the medical field or not, this book will not disappoint. It is simply Dr. Wil’s misadventures and overcoming the never-ending trials on the human spirit. As an added bonus, you get to witness the making of a doctor: sleepless nights, late stipends, and life-and-death decisions in the context of the imperfect Philippine healthcare system.
July 9, 2025
Where was I when this book came out? Why didn’t anyone shove this into my hands and demand I read it? I’m very late to the party. Now that I’m here, join me and let’s keep it going.
Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer by Dr. Wilfredo Liangco, published by Milflores, won the 2023 National Book Award for Nonfiction. This collection of essays is hilarious, real, and so well-written. There are 49 of them - not chronological in timeline but coherent and easy to follow. They cover his life as an intern, a moonlighter, an oncology fellow, a doctor and the in-betweens of those pursuits. Especially those in-betweens. Easy five stars, and one of my top reads this year.
His humor is sharp and self-deprecating, and the writing is both smart and accessible. I underlined so much. The witty chapter titles, the playful code names for patients and colleagues, and the way he slips medical terms and hospital lingo into each entry make the book even more endearing and not intimidating at all.
Then there are his charming friends. They appear throughout the book with such consistency and personality, you feel like you know them.
This book made me feel seen. I recognize the behaviors, and the underlying motives or feelings behind them. Each person he mentions feels like someone I know, and each situation feels familiar in one way or another. At one time or another, we have been down that road- clean and messy, driven and indecisive, full of energy and exhausted, yielding and stubborn, resigned and hopeful, very accomplished or just trying to get by. Whether the story is about a medical emergency, a coffee break, or a personal failure, there’s always an undertone of vulnerability and truth. Yes, they are funny. AND they are real. That is the compelling undertone of this book. Whether the lines are funny or instrospective, they are all rooted in what it means to be human.
Dr. Wilfredo Liangco is an oncologist. The tension between hope and heartbreak is something he lives with every day. And while much of the book is lighthearted, it does not shy away from the heavy stuff. Especially in the last third. The emotional weight lands hard, and there go my tears. We get stories of cancer, loss, resilience, and the delicate balance between work and life.
Dr. Liangco, in all his funniness, starkly reminds us to keep going no matter the circumstances. We always always carry on.
Literally, fight for your life. Figuratively, live your life.
This book is exactly my kind of read. It’s for anyone who needs perspective, healing, or simply a good laugh. In case no one has shoved this upon you yet then consider this me doing exactly that.
Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer by Dr. Wilfredo Liangco, published by Milflores, won the 2023 National Book Award for Nonfiction. This collection of essays is hilarious, real, and so well-written. There are 49 of them - not chronological in timeline but coherent and easy to follow. They cover his life as an intern, a moonlighter, an oncology fellow, a doctor and the in-betweens of those pursuits. Especially those in-betweens. Easy five stars, and one of my top reads this year.
His humor is sharp and self-deprecating, and the writing is both smart and accessible. I underlined so much. The witty chapter titles, the playful code names for patients and colleagues, and the way he slips medical terms and hospital lingo into each entry make the book even more endearing and not intimidating at all.
Then there are his charming friends. They appear throughout the book with such consistency and personality, you feel like you know them.
This book made me feel seen. I recognize the behaviors, and the underlying motives or feelings behind them. Each person he mentions feels like someone I know, and each situation feels familiar in one way or another. At one time or another, we have been down that road- clean and messy, driven and indecisive, full of energy and exhausted, yielding and stubborn, resigned and hopeful, very accomplished or just trying to get by. Whether the story is about a medical emergency, a coffee break, or a personal failure, there’s always an undertone of vulnerability and truth. Yes, they are funny. AND they are real. That is the compelling undertone of this book. Whether the lines are funny or instrospective, they are all rooted in what it means to be human.
Dr. Wilfredo Liangco is an oncologist. The tension between hope and heartbreak is something he lives with every day. And while much of the book is lighthearted, it does not shy away from the heavy stuff. Especially in the last third. The emotional weight lands hard, and there go my tears. We get stories of cancer, loss, resilience, and the delicate balance between work and life.
Dr. Liangco, in all his funniness, starkly reminds us to keep going no matter the circumstances. We always always carry on.
Literally, fight for your life. Figuratively, live your life.
This book is exactly my kind of read. It’s for anyone who needs perspective, healing, or simply a good laugh. In case no one has shoved this upon you yet then consider this me doing exactly that.
December 16, 2022
Before I bought the book, I asked around if I can relate to it as a non medical person. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to relate to the stories more than expected. I laughed so hard with the whole Taft Avenue experience. I cried as I recall moments with loved ones who passed away from Cancer and Covid. Will read it again and highlight my favorite lines. Ang daming quotable quotes. Doc Will is a good story teller. I like the drama, may kurot pero hindi tipong emotional damage. More like feeling marites na emotionally invested. Ginoogle ko talaga yung mga medical terms and unfamiliar words. Lol may pagkadark humor, ang lakas ng tawa ko as in. Napaisip tuloy ako, feeling ko same generation kami ni Doc kaya I get it or enjoy talaga kasi ang twisted sense kapag tema ng life and death. Balance rin kasi may kwentong alta, may kwentong jologs. Hindi ako deep/wide reader and not really a book collector, pero I'm happy to say that I'm keeping this book :)
July 10, 2025
Even Ducks Get Liver Cancer by @willliangco
If you think being in the medical field is always a chaos and serious? Don’t worry we take our jobs seriously because we save lives but we also have hilarious experiences with our colleagues and patients.
The title of the book may sound morbid because of the word “Cancer” — it can be associated to the word death. Most of the essays made me laugh at 12 midnight to think I have a 5 am shift the next day. Thank you Doc Wil for sharing your journey from med school until you become a full pledged Oncologist. Your misadventures and bloopers taught us to enjoy learning during the toughest times. It takes a lot of passion and dedication to be a doctor. Let’s not be Nanette Inventors 🤣
Dealing with cancer patients is difficult because it requires intensive treatments depending on its severity. Sometimes you’ll witness how your patients deteriorate and a part of you breaks because death is inevitable. As a dialysis nurse who deals with chronic kidney disease patients — I am not immune to deaths and it takes a log emotional control when your patient dies on your shift or just hearing the news they passed away from the relatives.
On the lighter side, let me share to you one of my misadventures as a dialysis nurse:
• When I was still a dialysis nurse in training, the senior nurse reminded me to avoid wearing white scrub suits or else I will be painting it red. It’s the only scrubs that I have and every time I leave the dialysis unit — my white scrubs always have blood. Either spilled from the unclamped bloodlines or the fistula being a scammer spurted blood on it after a wound dressing or pressure dressing.
Thank you so much to @thefilipinoshelf and @milfloresbooks for the opportunity to be part of the blog tour! #TFSEvenDucksTour #TheFilipinoShelf #MilfloresBooks #EvenDucksGetLiverCancer
If you think being in the medical field is always a chaos and serious? Don’t worry we take our jobs seriously because we save lives but we also have hilarious experiences with our colleagues and patients.
The title of the book may sound morbid because of the word “Cancer” — it can be associated to the word death. Most of the essays made me laugh at 12 midnight to think I have a 5 am shift the next day. Thank you Doc Wil for sharing your journey from med school until you become a full pledged Oncologist. Your misadventures and bloopers taught us to enjoy learning during the toughest times. It takes a lot of passion and dedication to be a doctor. Let’s not be Nanette Inventors 🤣
Dealing with cancer patients is difficult because it requires intensive treatments depending on its severity. Sometimes you’ll witness how your patients deteriorate and a part of you breaks because death is inevitable. As a dialysis nurse who deals with chronic kidney disease patients — I am not immune to deaths and it takes a log emotional control when your patient dies on your shift or just hearing the news they passed away from the relatives.
On the lighter side, let me share to you one of my misadventures as a dialysis nurse:
• When I was still a dialysis nurse in training, the senior nurse reminded me to avoid wearing white scrub suits or else I will be painting it red. It’s the only scrubs that I have and every time I leave the dialysis unit — my white scrubs always have blood. Either spilled from the unclamped bloodlines or the fistula being a scammer spurted blood on it after a wound dressing or pressure dressing.
Thank you so much to @thefilipinoshelf and @milfloresbooks for the opportunity to be part of the blog tour! #TFSEvenDucksTour #TheFilipinoShelf #MilfloresBooks #EvenDucksGetLiverCancer
September 22, 2024
Often humorous, Dr. Liangco's essays showcase his wit. However, these glimpses into life at PGH reveal the underlying gloom of the country's public medical system, despite the comedic veneer he applies to these vignettes.
October 4, 2025
I might be biased when I say I LOVE LOVE LOVE when the hard sciences meet writing. In that sense, the author reminds me so much of Paul Kalanithi (except he didn’t die or have a wife to finish the book). It’s beautiful to see two seemingly opposing fields intertwine so seamlessly!
Dr. Will writes with such rawness and imagination—it feels like listening to a newfound friend who can’t help but overshare his entire life in one sitting. He’s also super funny! There are multiple highlights in my copy marked with “> • <” or “HAHA!”, and that almost never happens. This book was such a breath of fresh air (hehe, Paul K. joke).
PLEASE WRITE MORE BOOKS!
Dr. Will writes with such rawness and imagination—it feels like listening to a newfound friend who can’t help but overshare his entire life in one sitting. He’s also super funny! There are multiple highlights in my copy marked with “> • <” or “HAHA!”, and that almost never happens. This book was such a breath of fresh air (hehe, Paul K. joke).
PLEASE WRITE MORE BOOKS!
January 13, 2023
GOD TIER OH MY GOD I NEED MORE OF UR STORIES DOC WILL
January 27, 2023
Ridiculously funny! I almost feel bad for finishing this quickly because I want more of Dr. Will and his friends' hilarious medical misadventures.
This book will make you howl will laughter but also warm your heart and tear you up. Overall a very great read! Will Liangco's blog earned another reader here.
This book will make you howl will laughter but also warm your heart and tear you up. Overall a very great read! Will Liangco's blog earned another reader here.
January 27, 2023
Finally some good fucking good !!
March 13, 2025
Heartwarming and hilarious! This book delivers a perfect mix of 'aww' and 'haha,' with clever comedic twists you won't see coming, especially with how Dr. Will turned his friends' stories into caricatures. :)
January 4, 2023
Glad this was the book I read during the holidays. I really needed the laugh. Truly if you just look closely, there is humor behind the everyday normal, frustrations, stress, and heartbreaks. Life is stressful enough to take it too seriously. So, if you want to just laugh while getting other layers you seek for good essays, I suggest you read this! Thank you Doc Will for your curiosity as we get to benefit from it through your writing, and genuine care for your patients!
January 12, 2025
5 STARS KA SA 'KIN, DOC!
January 10, 2025
made me laugh out loud
March 20, 2024
'funny' books aren't my thing but this doesn't mean this is bad
January 5, 2025
Hilariously relatable! 😅 Laughing out loud during the wee hours reading this book😂 I discovered this through booktok📚
August 18, 2023
A pocket full of imagery, medical jargon, hospital-induced dark humor and over exaggeration. It was fun reading the various real-life scenarios of a fellow doctor and knowing firsthand that even when we're higher up on the medical ladder, we are still very much human with not-so-saintly thoughts.
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