Reflections on Pediatrics I

I’m still super behind on my reflections on clinical rotations, so I actually finished this rotation up back in…early February. (I’m catching up, slowly but surely!)

I loved this rotation! The learning environment was super welcoming and laidback. My preceptor would ask me questions, but would never make me feel terrible about not knowing the answer–he just genuinely wanted me to learn. He’d also think out loud, which actually really helped me a lot in terms of knowing what to do, and what questions to ask.

Although I definitely wouldn’t have minded staying longer hours here, he didn’t keep me there when there was nothing to learn/do, I was super sad to have to leave this rotation. :[ But on the bright side, he said he’d be happy to write me a letter of rec! :D!

Reflections on Pediatrics I

reflectionsonpeds

 

  1. How much you like your preceptor makes a huge difference on how much you enjoy your rotation.
    This is probably a no-brainer, but I’m surprised at how much of a difference it makes. My preceptor for this rotation has definitely been one of my favorites (if not my absolute favorite) for the entire year! This was one of my favorite rotations, and it was largely because of how awesome my preceptor was.

    I’m probably honest to a fault, so he knew from the start that I’m fairly introverted and that I actually much prefer animals to children. He revealed to me that he’s actually very much an introvert/a major animal-lover as well, and that he has a different persona while working because that’s what the kids respond to better. (This is probably why we got along so well! :O )

  2. The care you want to provide often isn’t up to the kids–it’s up to the parent(s) or caretaker(s).
    This is the part that I find the most frustrating, and the #1 reason why I do not want to go into pediatrics–even if you want to help the kids, sometimes there’s nothing you can do because the parents see nothing wrong with how they’re bringing up their kids (e.g. anti-vaxxers, super-unhealthy living/dietary habits, etc.).

    If you recall, the area I live in is the most obese part of the entire country. I’m currently working with a county health program to recruit obese kids to the APPLE Program (Appalachian Partnership for Positive Living & Eating Program), which provides the kids (and their families) with activity and exercise programs, meal prep tips, nutritional counseling, etc.–all free of charge. This even covers things like free bikes, and taking them to the grocery store to show them how to save money while buying healthier foods. The kids would be excited about this, and would ask whether or not they could participate…and I’d shot down by their caretakers. (Why!?!)

  3. You need to be okay with being peed/pooped/puked on.
    We got puked on by a newborn on my first [and as it turns out, only] day at the hospital. I did actually manage to avoid getting peed or pooped on though! Twas a miracle of sorts!
  4. It’s pretty awesome that it’s socially acceptable to act like a kid again.
    I’m not gonna lie. It was great getting to play with kids and watch Tangled and/or Frozen all day long! :P The kids were a lot of fun, and the well-behaved ones were super sweet. I held and/or tickled a bunch of babies, looked for monsters in a whole lot of ears, and talked to the kids the way I talk to my foster kitty/the animals I take care of at the shelter. (When you consider the fact that my pets are basically my preferred choice of “children,” this actually works out really well.)
  5. You need to have a lot of patience.
    As my preceptor said, you cannot be “a man of little patience (patients–har har).” You need patience with the kids and for the parents (sometimes especially for the parents). When the same family brings in their kids for the 11th week in a row because the “kids are still coughing and should be better now,” and you ask them whether or not they’re still smoking in the house and they respond, “Yes,” it can be pretty difficult to not throw something at them.
Cutest nebulizers ever! <3

Cutest nebulizers ever! <3

Memorable Cases

  • Lots of super rare diseases/conditions that I’ll likely never see elsewhere (e.g. mosaic Trisomy 13, grade 5 vesiculoureteral reflux, Towns-Brock syndrome, severe tracheomalacia, Smith-Lenti-Opitz syndrome,  ketogenic hypoglycemia…)
  • A little girl who got a feather stuck in her ear(?!)
  • A little girl whose previous foster family dunked her in ice cold water because she had an accident :[
  • …there were two kids at his practice that I’m really hoping will never remember my face or my name, because we’re somewhat convinced that they will later grow up to be serial killers :[
  • Teenager who wanted to kill himself :[
la-a

Remember my discussion on unique baby names?

 

Notable Quotes/Conversations

  • I actually don’t have all that many quotes/conversations from here because…most of my patients couldn’t talk yet! For the most part, they just babbled at me, so instead, I’ll refer you to the really weird unique names parents have chosen to name their children.
  • “4-month-old’s are everyone’s friend. 9 month olds are nobody’s friend. They get stranger anxiety, and it peaks again at 18 months.”
  • “I feel like I’m abusing you or something. I should probably send you home! I’ve kept you here for too long!”

Resources

  • Pediatrics – A Competency-Based Companion, by Maureen C. McMahon & Glenn R. Stryjewski
  • Underground Clinical Vignettes Step 2: Pediatrics, by Sandra I. Kim MD PhD & Todd A. Swanson M.D. Ph. D
  • Pediatrics PreTest Self-Assessment & Review, by Robert Yetman
  • UpToDate

Read about my other rotations here!

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50 comments

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  1. I LOVE the APPLE program you have created <3

    Also, your rotation sounds a lot like my job. I can totatlly relate to so much. I am a special ed teacher and face the same issues you had

    I am ALSO an introvert. I find myself preferring kids (well, my students) to adults :)
    Diana recently posted…Ten for TuesdayMy Profile

    1. My friend came up with it and wrote a grant for it, but I’m so so happy to get to help out with it! :D!

      I think teachers and pediatricians probably have some of the highest patience/tolerance levels out there, out of necessity. :O Major props to you!!

      Introverts unite! <3

  2. PENGUIN NEBULIZERS?? I want one…
    Peds is a tough rotation because you really do learn that bumps in the medical system come from both sides–insurance on one, parents on the other. Also, kids do the darnedest things :D
    Susie @ SuzLyfe recently posted…The Skinny Confidential Book : A Swift, Sassy Kick (Giveaway)My Profile

    1. Aren’t they awesome!? I didn’t know they made such cute nebulizers! :O

      haha, very true! The things they’d say + the ideas they came up with were hilarious! :]

  3. I can totally relate to everything you’re saying! I work in peds and will agree that it really is a different world- but I love it! We have quite the obesity crisis down South, and it always amazes me how some parents are not willing to address the issue with their children. Very frustrating!
    Lauren @ Eating with a Purpose recently posted…What I Ate this Week: March 15-21My Profile

    1. I feel ya on the obesity crisis! :'( It’s so depressing to see all these little kids who are already obese and hypertensive. :[

  4. As a pediatric nurse practitioner, you know this is my favorite area! I’ve worked in peds my whole career, as a nurse and as an NP. I love the kids. Most of the time the parents are ok–but yes, they can be challenging. The non-vaxers have definitely made my job a challenge, but now I just tell them to see someone else. I don’t want to be known as “that provider”.

    Where do you go next?
    Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Recovery is a many splendored thing…My Profile

    1. Aww, that’s awesome! Before this rotation, the only other experience I really had was when I volunteered at a children’s hospital for 2.5-ish years. I loved hanging out with the kids, but yeah, the antivaxxers. ._.

      I asked my preceptor about how to deal with them and he just told me he tells them it’s a very big part of his care, so they can continue to see him, but he’ll likely be harping on them about it every time.

      I’m actually super behind on these reflections poss, so I was on Psychiatry for most of February, and on the tail end of my elective Family Medicine rotation right now! :]

  5. I know everyone has the right to raise their kids how they want to, but vaccines are the one thing that they shouldn’t be allowed to make a choice about. It’s one thing to have your opinions affect your family, but when you put the lives of tons of other people in danger too, that’s a different story!
    Channing recently posted…10 Lesser Known Travel DestinationsMy Profile

    1. Agreed! I have a friend who’s afraid to take her son out of the house right now because there was an outbreak somewhat close to where she lives, and her son’s too young to get his MMR vaccine. :[

  6. I always love to read about your training. I am sure it is very frustrating when you know the parents are not making the best choices and there is nothing you can really do about it. The whole vaccine issue is crazy these days!! How about kids throwing up on you?
    Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner recently posted…Welcome Runs, BRF’s & CoffeeMy Profile

    1. Thank you! :D I’m so glad to hear that!

      And yessss, seriously. The vaccine thing is one of my biggest soapbox issues. :[

      I was okay with the kiddy puke! I would’ve had more issues with being pooped on! :P

  7. I was a child/adolescent home based counselor for awhile and I LOVED my kids but was so unendingly frustrated by the parents! You do want to slap people all. the. time. Haha! Looks like it was a great learning experience for you!
    Kate @KateMovingForward recently posted…Learning from Slipups and Week 7 Weight WatchersMy Profile

    1. hahaha, you sound like me with the smoking parents! :'( I feel your pain!!

  8. I feel like I’m getting such a cool insight on the med school/internship journey! So cool. Thanks for writing these… and so glad you didn’t get peed or pooped on :-)
    Julie @ Running in a Skirt recently posted…5 Ways to Make Fitness Your Routine TODAY!My Profile

    1. hehehe, I’m glad you enjoy em’!

      I’m super glad I didn’t get pooped/peed on either! I’d arbitrarily warn the baby boys to please not shoot me when I was checking their diapers and stuff, haha. :P

  9. Working in paediatrics is definitely only for certain people I think. Everyone thinks it would be so fun but there are a lot of hard realities that come along with working with kids.
    Jen @ pretty little grub recently posted…My running-life-crisisMy Profile

    1. Agreed! It looks like it’s all fun and games, but it can be heartbreaking to see really sick kids, and insanely frustrating when working with parents who don’t take care of their kids. :[

  10. Working with some parents would be soooo frustrating. I work at a high school and know working with some parents in that situation sucks….I couldn’t imagine doing the same in healthcare. You rock!
    Maureen recently posted…My Whole30 PlanMy Profile

    1. Oh gosh, I can only imagine how bad it can be in schools too! Gotta have lottts of patience!!

  11. You have to be a special kind of person to work around children. It breaks my heart to even think about kids being sick in the hospital. I’m sure it was a great experience, though. +)
    Jaime recently posted…Bread Machine Dinner RollsMy Profile

    1. Definitely agreed! I loved this rotation, and working with the kids was great, for the most part, but I don’t think I’d be able to do this in the long-term, just because I’m not sure how well I’d be able to deal with parents who didn’t take care of their kids. :[

  12. I can definitely tell this was a super INTERESTING rotation!! Kids are totally unexpected (and parents too!) but above all I am glad you got on well with your preceptor and you had a great time being a kid again! :) Kudos on not getting peed or pooped! Ha! Seriously a feather in her ear!!?? :)
    Elsie @ Sharing Healthiness recently posted…Not Sweet Enough? Add SaltMy Profile

    1. It was a lot of fun! I missed it so much while I was on psych, I may or may not have texted my peds preceptor to tell him that I really missed working with him and his patients! ;_;

      But yes, a feather! :O Apparently they had chickens for pets and somehow, that happened. o_O

  13. How interesting. Yes, I can see that dealing with the parents/caregivers would be the most frustrating part!
    Elle recently posted…Runner’s Choice Review and GiveawayMy Profile

    1. It can definitely be hard, but seeing really awesome parents/kids helped to balance it out!!

  14. OH i can’t imagine dealing with the parents. Man on man – sounds like a learning experience! I’m so glad you loved your preceptor – that’s awesome!!
    Sam @ PancakeWarriors recently posted…Cauliflower TabboulehMy Profile

    1. It was a great learning experience, but yeah, some of the parents were really infuriating. We’d bite our tongues and go back to his office to vent. :[

  15. It’s so hard for a child to be trapped in a hospital. It’s up to people like you to make it bearable!
    And I WOULD NOT be okay with #3~
    Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Which Food Must Go?My Profile

    1. It really is! I did mostly outpatient work for this rotation, but next year has to be all inpatient peds, so I will have to steel myself for potential sadness. ;_;

      Good thing you’re not going into peds! :P!

  16. A feather in her ear? My brother had a lima bean stuck up his nose once. We had to go to the emergency room!!!
    Margo recently posted…Brooklyn Fit Chick Playlist: “The Dude’s Hotel California” 50-Minute #playlistMy Profile

    1. Yes indeed! I totally thought my preceptor was kidding when he told me to look! :O

      I hope your brother’s okay! I got a bead stuck up my nose once and it was not a fun ordeal. ._.

  17. I can imagine that being in meds would be pretty challenging considering that you have to deal with the parents as well. I know a parent’s opinion can definitely differ from what is being suggested by the dr ;) And the south is known for it’s obesity crisis for sure- hopefully that will change for the better in the future!
    AJ @ NutriFitMama recently posted…Healthy Eats, Drinks & Treats- Spotlight on ChattanoogaMy Profile

    1. haha, yes indeed! I’m definitely hoping that it’ll change for the better. Baby steps! :O

  18. I can relate to a lot of what you’ve shared, especially the part about working with parents. As a teacher, I know all too well how much a parental influence impacts how a students acts in the classroom.
    Kathryn @ Dancing to Running recently posted…2015 Shamrock Marathon Weekend ExpoMy Profile

    1. Ahh, you definitely would! It can be so frustrating trying to change their minds on some things! :[

  19. Kudos to you. I am not a kid person at all, but my heart breaks when one is ill or hurt. Their big eyes, I swear that’s what it is, and their pursed little bow lips. Adorable! It would be difficult to work with them sick all day, and all you want to do is make them feel better! I bow to you Farrah, great job.
    Nikki Frank-Hamilton recently posted…How To Build Your Blog Following.My Profile

    1. I’m not much of a kid person either, but the cute and well-behaved ones are nice! :P Thank you! :]

  20. Peds is definitely tough. I’ve been a Pediatric ICU nurse for 12 years now, it’s my love and it’s definitely not for everyone. My biggest gripe is definitely the parents which is funny since I’m a parent myself. You’d think I’d be more tolerant, but sometimes they can make it very difficult to provide good care. It’s a hard balance to be compassionate but yet firm with limits.
    Sue @ This Mama Runs for Cupcakes recently posted…Solidcore Review: THE hardest workout you will EVER do!My Profile

    1. That’s awesome! I definitely think you have to have a special sort of patience to work in pediatrics, since parents can make it so hard to provide good care to their kids. My mom works in the NICU, and hasn’t really griped to me about the parents as much, but she [understandably] gets really sad when she’s taking care of babies of moms who are addicted to drugs. :[

  21. Peds definitely seems like a challenging specialty to go into. I used to work in an outpatient, orthopedic PT clinic and remember how much of a pain some parents could be when we were treating their children.
    Jess @hellotofit recently posted…Freshen up with LUSH No Drought dry shampooMy Profile

    1. It’s definitely not a field for everyone! I liked my rotation, but I don’t think it’s something I could do every day for the rest of my life!

  22. With a program like APPLE, it really makes me want to hit someone for turning down services. At this point, you are truly being negligent as a parent. I will say that I love my daughter’s pediatrician and staff!
    Earl-Leigh recently posted…For My Busty Fit Friends {Sports Bra Alert}My Profile

    1. I KNOWWWW. :'( I was so devastated when that first grandmother shot me down! (The kid looked crestfallen. ;_; ) I’m glad that your daughter has a great pediatrician + staff!! It makes a huge difference!

  23. The feather in the ear made me laugh. My sister went to the ER around age 5 for a sequin up the nose. Gotta love kids ;)
    RFC recently posted…Adventures in Fayetteville, North CarolinaMy Profile

    1. hahaha, yes indeed! She’ll have a fun story + something to laugh about in the future! :P

  24. As a mom of a 1 year old, this is very interesting. I never expected the parents to be an issue but can totally see the frustration as a doctor. I think, we are doing ok, so far we always followed the doctor’s order :)
    Christine {dreamBIGrunner} recently posted…Courage Beyond #CharityoftheWeekMy Profile

    1. It can be frustrating with some of the parents, but others are absolutely wonderful! :] My preceptor told me he just tries to find the common ground of them both wanting what’s best for the kids. Doctors can definitely be wrong too though, so if you’re ever unsure of why something was ordered/done, do ask for an explanation!

  25. I could imagine that children are probably the most rewarding to work with. I am glad you enjoyed this rotation and best of luck to you on the rest of your journey!

    1. Thanks so much, Rachel! :D I’m glad I still get to see kids in family med!

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