Since it debuted in January 2004, Dr. Emer’s “Parallel Universes” at http://emeritus.blogspot.com has stood out among a field of commonplace blogs for its knowledgeable take on a variety of medical subjects and issues – from food poisoning to weight loss to diabetes to Terri Schiavo. Although he hastens to point out that his site does not replace open, face-to-face consultation with the doctor, Dr. Emer’s topical weblog is being patronized by a growing community of online readers, both locally and abroad, for its engaging style and the ability to translate drab medical gobbledygook into a language that is easily understood by all.

Of course,it helps that Dr.Emer can be serious one moment and be jolly the next,without losing his expert’s touch. He can talk about  how  “a traumatic break-up or the death of a loved one” can literally break someone’s heart by unleashing “a flood of stress hormones” that can stun the heart.But he can also answer such inane questions as “Doktor, bakit po dalawa ang itlog ng mga lalaki?” He replies: “ Dalawa kasi umaayon lang tayo sa batas ng kalikasan at ng lumikha sa atin. There’s such a thing as a law of symmetry. Dalawa rin ang itlog ng mga babae, yun nga lang nasa loob ng katawan nila at di nakalawit.” Sometimes, the good doctor also veers away from heavy topics to talk about love and relationships  ,concerts, books,movies and other subjects close to his heart.

For his efforts, Dr.Emer’s “Parallel Universes” has been cited as Best Asian Newcomer in the 2004 Asia Blog Awards. It has also been recognized by online directories such as Medlogs ( Best New Medical Weblog 2004) and deepblog.com as one of the best online science blogs. For someone whose knowledge about website development has been close to nil, Dr. Emer has come a long way –proving to one and all that you don’t have to be technically capable in order to blog, just substantive. And as Dr. Emer  learns the in’s and out’s of this blogosphere, his readers learn along with him.

Here are excerpts of Blog-O-Rama’s interview with the good doctor:

Q. When did you start blogging?

A. I wanted to put up my own website as early as 1997 or 1998 but I did not know how. When I came back to the Philippines from the US, a patient of mine help me put up a web page…it was Geocities I think. Then, when I took up my masteral studies, I had a classmate who was good with computers and he has been helping me ever since. He is also my troubleshooter.

My blog was officially online on January 29, 2004. Before this, I was at a loss as to what blogging service to use, do I need a domain, do I need a server, will there be a big cost to pay, etc. I was amazed by the number of bloggers in the US and I think I wanted to do that, too. I have lots to share. I had a focus and a subject. I did not know a single thing about HTML and CSS and Java,but I wanted to blog so I studied and asked around. Finally I came across blogspot (www.blogger.com) which offered easy publishing, free servers, and ready-to-use templates.

Q. Why the title”Parallel Universes?”

A. Parallel Universes means alternate realities. It is actually a physical concept
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2001/paralleluni.shtml). So I thought I can also use it figuratively as my title. I will present alternative medical/health opinions. Purely personal, of course. Not to be taken as replacement but good enough for any patient lost in decision-making to give an informed decision.

Q. Were you inspired by another blogging figure?

A. I was inspired by Dr Sydney Smith of the Medpundit fame
(http://www.medpundit.blogspot.com/) who is one of the earliest, if not the earliest doctor to go on blogging. I said I can do that too  and perhaps more. So here I am now.

Q. Can you tell us the basic details about your blog  such as who designed it,  number of hits in one day, biggest number of hits so far?

A. Blogspot hosts my posts, design is by 34-year old Martijn ten Napel of the Netherlands (http://blogtemplates.noipo.org/index.php?id=7) and some personal inputs by yours truly. I have a pending website design by an Indonesian web designer -- Jerm of  http://www.jermexpress.com/.
 When I started, I got fewer than 60 hits per day, but today after winning AsiaBlog Awards 2004 as Best Asian Newcomer,  among other citations,  I'm getting more exposure. I average 200-250 hits per day and my biggest hits so far was 1,600 unique visitors last Dec 15, 2004, when I hosted the first international Grand Rounds of medical bloggers.

Q. What are your blogging habits? How many times do you blog in a week?

A. I used to blog daily. Now with the gruelling schedule, I have gone down to about three posts weekly. I seek to improve that soon --- God-willing.

Q. What have been the highlights of your blogging life in the past year?

A. Having met  a lot of interesting people, being able to correspond with doctor-bloggers from around the world, and most importantly, having my personal opinion on med stuff published the way I think a common Juan or Joe should understand it. I  organized an email group among my fellow bloggers called BloggingBerks and now it has spun off into a full-blown community blog which could be found at www.blogkadahan.com. I also Met Bayi, a Malaysian executive who is a loyal reader and who I consider now a good friend.

Q. Has your blog helped you personally and professionally? In what ways?

A. Having a blog is therapeutic especially for a highly stressed person like me.  It is an outlet for my overwhelming thoughts on almost anything. It allows me to voice out my concerns without anyone saying "Hey, you can't do that." Of course, I have the standard disclaimer: What I say in my blog is a personal opinion. Nothing can replace the medical advice of the reader's personal physician. Mine is just another way of looking at things. But I am not imposing my views to be adopted by any reader.

Q. Do you consider your blog as an extension of your medical profession?

A. In a way,yes. But just like Dr Smith of  MedPundit, I don't want any of my patients to see the blog as a replacement for clinic consultations. You simply cannot manage a patient clinically online. Nothing beats a thorough physical examination. The blog is just my opinion on medical stuff, as I've said.

Q. Is there anything you plan more for your blog?

A. Oh, I have done those "plans."  In my blog,  I have a 3rd opinion section which is supposed to be dedicated for medical queries (I get a lot; not less than 10 emails per day, worldwide)  but  I'm neglecting it due to lack of time. I have my other “extension” blogs such as the Reviews (http://emereviews.blogspot.com/) and my PhotoBlog (http://siteseer.blogspot.com/) which are easier to maintain. I can't think of anymore "extensions." As it is, lumalaki na ang backlog ko.

Q. What advice can you give to your fellow bloggers,both new and active ones?

A.  For newbies: choose a focus, develop it, and blog about it. Start with Blogspot. It's easy and free. For active bloggers: maintain high quality posts, proofread your entries before publishing, and always share something that you think can be useful to others.