Doctor, entrepreneur, and content creator while playing the roles of wife and mother are such challenging jobs, but board-certified dermatologist Dr. Irene Gaile Robredo-Vitas wants to keep everything simple. This simplicity has defined her life from childhood and has brought her happiness and contentment. And she never wants to change any of that.
“I did have humble beginnings. I grew up in the province until college. I always knew we weren’t well-off. Yet I grew up in an environment where getting rich was not really a goal. Having a limited allowance during college, I learned to earn extra by selling sandwiches and snacks in the dorms. I also used to sell Christmas packages to family friends and relatives,” shares the medical director of dermHQ Makati.
Studying to become a doctor was also not easy, as Dr. Gaile recalls, “Becoming a doctor and staying as one is a long and hard process. Usually, the parents have to endure the many extra years of support. It takes almost 10 years longer for us to start earning money compared to those who pick other professions.”
Following her training, she founded dermHQ, a wellness and beauty center that specializes in skin, hair and nail conditions and accepts only board-certified dermatologists of the Philippine Dermatological Society. Dr. Gaile is a clinical instructor in a dermatology training institution, an international speaker and trainer, as well as a writer and content creator.
She has intentionally surrounded herself with the best mentors she could find. And she was lucky to have good ones. She looks up to her family members, parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts. They all inspired her and are still inspiring her even now that she has reached this level of success.
“Having mentors helps you to avoid their mistakes and learn from their successes, too. You can learn on your own but it will take longer. Each of my mentors had a different way of molding me and making me who I am now,” she says. And she pays it forward by also sharing her knowledge with others. Dr. Gaile is not selfish in sharing what she knows, and she calls it a win-win for other dermatologists, patients, and suppliers.
Despite the many roles she plays, Dr. Gaile continues to live a simple life. She and her family are happy and content with the basics — living in a small condo, having food on the table, and eating together at home. She does not even have a driver and uses a 17-year-old second hand car.
