Exposure to medicine as a child?

[styphon]

During med school/residency I had taken my child with me to the Labor and Delivery Dept, the newborn nursery, the ER, the hospital floors, and multiple clinics. I did these out of necessity - babysitters quitting, an emergency coming up so my ex-wife couldn't watch him, but often the nurses would show him things and he would get experiences the average kid would not.

Which made me think, has anyone had a childhood experience thru a family member at a hospital/clinic that really sparked their interest in medicine?

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[deleted407021]

I had absence seizures as a child and I grew out of them at puberty. It has helped fuel an interest in neurology.

 

[baxt1412]

Undoubtedly, my mother working in the OR as a nurse until I was 17 and me being around (kind of like what you described, OP) has had an impact.

 

[styphon]

Its interesting in that my child has had these extensive experiences, yet what he talks about most is "being a doctor for animals".

 

[LizzyM]

Its interesting in that my child has had these extensive experiences, yet what he talks about most is "being a doctor for animals".

Is he under 13 years of age?

 

[styphon]

Is he under 13 years of age?

Yes he is.

 

[LizzyM]

Many doctors' kids will tell us that they first got their start going in to the hospital with Dad (or Mom) on weekends when they were little. Of course, we don't know the denominator: the proportion of kids who go to the hospital with a parent when they are young, choose to apply to medical school 10-20 years later.

It is still too soon to be thinking about what he'll study in college let alone what happens after that.

Just don't let him fall into the trap of taking college courses for credit while in HS. That dual enrollment stuff can hurt a GPA.

 

[Greasy Pete]

LOL. Honestly LizzyM I'm just going to assume you aren't being ironic at this point. The op was not asking your advice on how to get his kid into medical school or what "traps to avoid" for his literally preteen child. He just wanted to know if anyone sparked an interest in that as a kid.

To answer your question OP my dad was a mechanic and going to work with him made me value having a real tangible skill which ultimately finds me on the path I am today. Peace.

 

[hoihaie]

Never had any substantive medical exposure as a kid - I've never even had a primary family doctor. Interest in medicine entirely stems from college experiences