3rd year med student considering pediatrics

[misterbubbles]

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Hello all,

I'm nearing the end of my 3rd year and need to start working on my application for the 2011 match. However, I'm still very undecided on what I want to do. It seems like I change my mind everyday. Lately I have been seriously considering pediatrics. Here are several reasons:

1. I enjoy working with children
2. I like to see my patients get better/improve
3. I like working with the entire family
4. You cannot resent your patients for being sick. As oppose to medicine, where it's common to see a COPDer readmitted several times because he cannot quit smoking.


I can't seem to make up my mind. Anyone have any thoughts they can share with me to help me make a more informed decision? Any regrets for choosing pediatrics? Any input is appreciated!

 

[misterbubbles]

wow the response is overwhelming 😛. any help is greatly appreciated tho. i am still undecided about medicine vs. pediatrics and i know there are others out there that are either in this situation or have been in this situation before.

so, all you residents out there...why should i choose pediatrics?

 

[Stitch]

I think you didn't get many responses because it wasn't really clear what your question was. It might help to know what other speciality (specialities) you are considering.

Why did most of us choose peds? Many of the points you listed above contribute.

For me, I just think children are funny and honest, and in general I had trouble finding much sympathy for adult disease processes. In my mind most people brought them on themselves, or at least the nice people who did everything 'right' in life had terrible untreatable diagnoses. I also liked the variety in pediatric specialities. I've never been one who saw myself in general pediatrics, but there are so many variations and oppertunities for different types of jobs out there.

 

[misterbubbles]

cool. thanks for your reply. basically i'm trying to decide between medicine and peds, and leaning more towards peds right now. do you ever feel like you are lacking something in that you cannot take a history in the same way you could with an adult patient? what are the cons to pediatrics that you don't really experience as a medical student?

 

[ForbiddenComma]

As someone about to start a peds internship, here are my pros and cons.

+ kids and babies (duh)
+ lots of fascinating congenital processes and disorders
+ definitely a great field if interested in genetics
+ wide variety in patients: from neonates to adolescents
+ no alzheimer's, no vascular dementia, no gomers
+ no VA!
+ much less sense of futility with your patients


- unfairly, not taken as "seriously" as IM by other doctors in terms of academic rigor, etc. General perception of peds rounds: "So we have a 6-month old male with a history of... of... OOOOH!!! Look at the BAAABBYYY!!!" 😛
- patient is often (usually) not a reliable historian
- parents. i mean yeah, i'd be as crazy as them if I had a kid in the hospital...
- losing a patient is going to be vastly more devastating. dealing with this is actually my greatest fear for my next 3 years.

 

[marcus8]

I agree with the response above with one change. Working with crazy parents only made me hate working with adults. They are still crazy on the adult side.

If you are truly undecided there is always the Med-Peds option.

 

[INTPThinker]

As someone about to start a peds internship, here are my pros and cons.

+ kids and babies (duh)
+ lots of fascinating congenital processes and disorders
+ definitely a great field if interested in genetics
+ wide variety in patients: from neonates to adolescents
+ no alzheimer's, no vascular dementia, no gomers
+ no VA!
+ much less sense of futility with your patients


- unfairly, not taken as "seriously" as IM by other doctors in terms of academic rigor, etc. General perception of peds rounds: "So we have a 6-month old male with a history of... of... OOOOH!!! Look at the BAAABBYYY!!!" 😛
- patient is often (usually) not a reliable historian
- parents. i mean yeah, i'd be as crazy as them if I had a kid in the hospital...
- losing a patient is going to be vastly more devastating. dealing with this is actually my greatest fear for my next 3 years.

This is why I am rethinking med school. Now, I need to shadow someone.

 

[BigRedBeta]

- unfairly, not taken as "seriously" as IM by other doctors in terms of academic rigor, etc. General perception of peds rounds: "So we have a 6-month old male with a history of... of... OOOOH!!! Look at the BAAABBYYY!!!" 😛

Just ask any of those who don't take peds seriously if they'd like to be taking care of the 700 gram (or less!) neonates in the NICU...that usually stops it. Even the anesthesiologists admit to being nervous with the micropremies, when for most peds residents that's the majority of their intubations.

 

[ForbiddenComma]

Just ask any of those who don't take peds seriously if they'd like to be taking care of the 700 gram (or less!) neonates in the NICU...that usually stops it. Even the anesthesiologists admit to being nervous with the micropremies, when for most peds residents that's the majority of their intubations.

Oh, I agree. Or bring up the vast difference in patient ranges peds deals with, from the micropremies with one of the gazillion innate errors in metabolism that IM people never have to bother to learn, to the obese 17 year olds with DM2, HTN and asthma that are IM patients in all but name.

But, it's IM that unfairly gets more respect as a serious intellectual pursuit. I wasn't immune to this myself, as I applied to IM as well as peds. 🙁