If you think about it, Doc Z is living the Hannah Montana life.
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It might seem like being a doctor and a gamer, livestreamer, and content creator are career paths that don’t intertwine. But the medical field and gaming world can collide and make for an unlikely yet fruitful pairing. Just ask Zie Barcelo, more popularly known online as Doc Z Gaming.
As her bio on her social media pages states, Doc Z is a dentist by day with her practice, but once that is done, she puts her gaming face on as a livestreamer and content creator. Despite how demanding both occupations can be, she’s made it work as she’s carved a growing space for herself in the gaming world as her more than 800,000 followers on Facebook show.
GAMER GIRL FROM THE START
INSTAGRAM/DOCZIEGAMING
Doc Z’s love for gaming began when she was a kid. As the only girl in her family, gaming proved to be the best way to bring her closer to her brothers. “Since I’m the only girl amongst my siblings, my brothers influenced me a lot in playing video games,” she says. “I remember we had SEGA and also PS1 back then. Maliban sa paglalaro namin sa labas ng bahay, this was also my way of bonding with my brothers.”
As Doc Z got older, her love for gaming stayed, even as she decided to pursue a career in dentistry. But even with how both fields seemed far apart from each other, she came to realize that she didn’t need to drop one over the other as they achieved a common goal. “I saw that I was starting to build a community in gaming and also when I realized that I have the same goal in being a dentist and a livestreamer – ‘to put a smile on people’s faces’ literally and figuratively,” she says on why she decided to pursue both passions at the same time.
THE DENTIST GAMER
So, how does the life of a dentist and gamer go? Surprisingly, quite simple, with Doc Z’s days split between her dentistry duties and content creator responsibilities. On most days, from 10 AM to 4 PM, she has her clinic hours. Then, when she gets home, her inner gamer takes over from 5 PM onwards. However, this lifestyle isn’t without its challenges.
“[H]ow I will manage my time wisely, paano ako magiging active sa pagiging dentista ko at sa pagiging video gaming creator ko equally,” she explains. To illustrate the point, she gives the example of how she had to attend a 3-day event as a gamer that conflicted with her office hours. So, she hired a reliever dentist to keep her dental operation going while still being able to attend the event.
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Still, being a licensed dentist and game streamer has its perks, with her dentistry bleeding into her work as a content creator. As she shares, “I feel like it helped me a lot sa pag-create ng rapport with my viewers kasi I do clinic in the morning. Kung ano yung mangyari or fun experiences ko during my clinic hours na sa tingin kong magiging interesting for them, yun yung magiging ‘story time’ ko during my livestream. Para hindi puro laro yung ginagawa ko. I always make sure to engage with them.”
And if you’re wondering, yes, Doc Z has had patients who recognized her from her livestreams, something she is actually grateful for. “Nakakatuwa rin na may nagpapa-appoint saking patients from Dubai, from Nueva Viscaya, minsan from Canada pag-uwi nila ng Philippines. Talagang dinadayo nila yung clinic ko para magpa-dentist and also to see me na rin. Nakaka-melt ng puso pag ganun.”
PUTTING A SMILE ON PEOPLE’S FACES
Like many content creators, Doc Z is sadly no stranger to trolls on her platform. Luckily, she doesn’t let her bashers get to her and has a team of moderators who have her back. “I am so thankful kasi every streaming platform ay meron akong moderators, so thankful po ako sa kanila kasi nagtype palang yung bashers, banned na sila. Hahaha joke lang po,” she jests. Kidding aside, what matters more to Doc Z is that her platform and streams are as harassment-free as possible, not just for herself, but also for her followers and fans.
“Ang totoo po ay bago ko pa makita yung rude comments, deleted na po agad ng moderators ko. Or kapag naman minsan nakikita ko, wala po akong pakealam talaga kasi alam ko naman sa sarili kung ano yung totoo kaya more on dinadaan ko sa joke. More on ang concern ko is yung mga viewers ko na mafeel nila na there is a safe space sa livestream ko.”
INSTAGRAM/DOCZIEGAMING
Doc Z is yet more living proof that a career in gaming is possible, and, more importantly, you can do it while pursuing other passions and careers. Medicine, as well as other white-collar professions, and gaming, aren’t mutually exclusive. It’s possible to do both at the same time, as long as you have a passion for it. “Gaming for me is passion and career,” she says matter-of-factly. Time and time again, creators like Doc Z are showing that gaming is not a waste of time or a hobby you do as a kid.
As she puts it, “Siguro ang masasabi ko na lang ay let us always be respectful sa isa’t-isa kasi maybe yun ang iniisip ng iba sa gamers na waste of time ito, not knowing na there is a career out of gaming, so a little respect for each other won’t hurt and much better if we support each other than drag people down ng dahil lang sa merong common misconception sa mga taong into gaming.”
At the end of the day, Doc Z is doing what she loves, and wouldn’t want to have it any other way. “What I love about being a dentist and a content creator is I do it because I love doing them and not because I need to. If you love what you do, it will love you back. Everything will just be easy. Di ko sinasabing walang challenges but you can overcome it whatever happens. I just have a simple goal, and that is to put a smile on people’s faces. Once I see them smile, the goal is achieved, and boom, the pressure is gone instantly.”
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