Pediatric Personality

[LIDO]

Hello,

Do pediatric residents/fellows/attendings typically have a certain personality?

I would love to specialize in a pediatric field (heme/onc, gastro, nicu), but I am nervous that my personality may not fit. I tend to be on the more serious side.

Did anyone encounter a difficult time when relating to your pediatric patients? What if your not naturally gifted with kids? Does it get easier?

I guess I am nervous about that aspect.

Thank for the advice!

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[Stitch]

I've found that few people are inherently 'gifted with children.' You get comfortable with children by being around them and liking them, and in pediatrics, you do well by liking the medicine and the patients, not necessarily by having an innate ability to make every child in the room smile when you walk in. I'm not certain I know what you mean by 'more serious,' but there are all types of personalities in peds (as there are in any other field). In general an ability to laugh at yourself helps, but I'd suggest that's a useful skill in any field.

 

[LIDO]

Another additional point / question:

What if you have a passion/can see your self being incredibly satisfied in a pediatric specialty (nothing crazy competitive to obtain....at this point in time).....but you are nervous about the 3 years of your pediatric residency.

I cannot envision myself being content/happy as a general pediatrician.......

Do people go through those 3 years, and succeed, who are not diehard "geneal pediatricians" at heart?

I hope that makes sense. 😳

Again, thank you.

 

[getunconcsious]

Hello,

Do pediatric residents/fellows/attendings typically have a certain personality?

I would love to specialize in a pediatric field (heme/onc, gastro, nicu), but I am nervous that my personality may not fit. I tend to be on the more serious side.

Did anyone encounter a difficult time when relating to your pediatric patients? What if your not naturally gifted with kids? Does it get easier?

I guess I am nervous about that aspect.

Thank for the advice!

Hi there! I'm a Peds/Psych intern (not like a Child psychiatrist, but more like med/peds in that my residency is in both fields). I've spent about 6 months with each group now, so I think that gives me a bit of perspective just cuz they are very different worlds.

While it is true that Peds and all specialties attract all kinds of people, Peds (and Psych, for that matter) has its own little "corporate culture" that tends to be overarching.

On the plus side, I've found pediatrics residents and attendings to generally be kind, understanding, and caring sorts. It is rare that you will meet an overtly malignant person who seeks to be intimidating. Pediatric folk do seem to be more interested in the psychosocial aspects of the patient and also in family dynamics (since all kids live in a family of some stripe or fasion). This could be good or bad for you, depending on where you interests lie.

On the down side, I do find that when peds people don't like the way you do something or disagree with your methods, they have a tendency to be passive-aggressive and gossip about it, rather than just letting you know. In addition, I take issue with their extremely regimented ideas about child-rearing issues. I was out of a car seat by age 4, was bottle-fed, and got chickenpox. And I did just fine. But you'd better believe in booster car seats for third graders, rotavirus vaccines (god forbid kids get diarrhea!), and that formula is the devil. If you don't really think these things are that crucial, you'd just better pretend and start goose-stepping like the rest of them. As a touchy-feely psych person, I'd rather let the family raise kids the way they see fit (within reason of course!) and work more on building a long-term therapeutic alliance than force-breastfeeding every infant. But such is the thought process in peds...do what we say, or you're not a good parent (We call this "anticipatory guidance").

For what it's worth, all specialties have their downsides, and I've found my time on psych to be rewarding but also punishing in all the opposite ways. In psychiatry, there are no right answers....anything goes. Peds is almost the opposite. I'm looking to hopefully work towards a happy medium years from now when I'm in my own Peds/Psych practice. I know I've rambled on, but I do think your concerns are valid, the whole "do i fit in to the culture and values of this specialty?" question is just as valid as whether or not you like the subject matter. Just my 2 cents. Best of luck 🙂

 

[surftheiop]

Hi there! I'm a Peds/Psych intern (not like a Child psychiatrist, but more like med/peds in that my residency is in both fields). I've spent about 6 months with each group now, so I think that gives me a bit of perspective just cuz they are very different worlds.

While it is true that Peds and all specialties attract all kinds of people, Peds (and Psych, for that matter) has its own little "corporate culture" that tends to be overarching.

On the plus side, I've found pediatrics residents and attendings to generally be kind, understanding, and caring sorts. It is rare that you will meet an overtly malignant person who seeks to be intimidating. Pediatric folk do seem to be more interested in the psychosocial aspects of the patient and also in family dynamics (since all kids live in a family of some stripe or fasion). This could be good or bad for you, depending on where you interests lie.

On the down side, I do find that when peds people don't like the way you do something or disagree with your methods, they have a tendency to be passive-aggressive and gossip about it, rather than just letting you know. In addition, I take issue with their extremely regimented ideas about child-rearing issues. I was out of a car seat by age 4, was bottle-fed, and got chickenpox. And I did just fine. But you'd better believe in booster car seats for third graders, rotavirus vaccines (god forbid kids get diarrhea!), and that formula is the devil. If you don't really think these things are that crucial, you'd just better pretend and start goose-stepping like the rest of them. As a touchy-feely psych person, I'd rather let the family raise kids the way they see fit (within reason of course!) and work more on building a long-term therapeutic alliance than force-breastfeeding every infant. But such is the thought process in peds...do what we say, or you're not a good parent (We call this "anticipatory guidance").

For what it's worth, all specialties have their downsides, and I've found my time on psych to be rewarding but also punishing in all the opposite ways. In psychiatry, there are no right answers....anything goes. Peds is almost the opposite. I'm looking to hopefully work towards a happy medium years from now when I'm in my own Peds/Psych practice. I know I've rambled on, but I do think your concerns are valid, the whole "do i fit in to the culture and values of this specialty?" question is just as valid as whether or not you like the subject matter. Just my 2 cents. Best of luck 🙂

You doing the triple board Peds/Psych/C&A Psych?

 

[LIDO]

Hi there! I'm a Peds/Psych intern (not like a Child psychiatrist, but more like med/peds in that my residency is in both fields). I've spent about 6 months with each group now, so I think that gives me a bit of perspective just cuz they are very different worlds.

While it is true that Peds and all specialties attract all kinds of people, Peds (and Psych, for that matter) has its own little "corporate culture" that tends to be overarching.

On the plus side, I've found pediatrics residents and attendings to generally be kind, understanding, and caring sorts. It is rare that you will meet an overtly malignant person who seeks to be intimidating. Pediatric folk do seem to be more interested in the psychosocial aspects of the patient and also in family dynamics (since all kids live in a family of some stripe or fasion). This could be good or bad for you, depending on where you interests lie.

On the down side, I do find that when peds people don't like the way you do something or disagree with your methods, they have a tendency to be passive-aggressive and gossip about it, rather than just letting you know. In addition, I take issue with their extremely regimented ideas about child-rearing issues. I was out of a car seat by age 4, was bottle-fed, and got chickenpox. And I did just fine. But you'd better believe in booster car seats for third graders, rotavirus vaccines (god forbid kids get diarrhea!), and that formula is the devil. If you don't really think these things are that crucial, you'd just better pretend and start goose-stepping like the rest of them. As a touchy-feely psych person, I'd rather let the family raise kids the way they see fit (within reason of course!) and work more on building a long-term therapeutic alliance than force-breastfeeding every infant. But such is the thought process in peds...do what we say, or you're not a good parent (We call this "anticipatory guidance").

For what it's worth, all specialties have their downsides, and I've found my time on psych to be rewarding but also punishing in all the opposite ways. In psychiatry, there are no right answers....anything goes. Peds is almost the opposite. I'm looking to hopefully work towards a happy medium years from now when I'm in my own Peds/Psych practice. I know I've rambled on, but I do think your concerns are valid, the whole "do i fit in to the culture and values of this specialty?" question is just as valid as whether or not you like the subject matter. Just my 2 cents. Best of luck 🙂

Thank you for your insight. I definitely find myself drawn to the psychosocial aspect of pediatrics....especially in heme/onc and neonatology. That is one of the main reasons for my attraction.

The passive/aggressive thing can be annoying....I tend to waiver on the fence of being outspoken and passive-aggressive at times. In general I am a serious, kind person, but I can be blunt/sarcastic. I assume pediatrics contains its fair share of personalities.

I keep trying to envision myself functioning in different specialties and doing the "bread and butter" of that field. I tend to appreciate radiation oncology, anesthesiology and surgery. I hate that radiation oncology lacks continuity. Anesthesiology is behind the scenes and lacks the intense psychosocial dynamic (besides subduing patient fears of surgery), and surgery requires an intense dedication....I don't think I long to be in the OR. Each time I picture myself practicing in one of these fields, I think about missing out on my passion as a ped heme/onc. That is probably a sign.

I have some time to figure things out. I appreciate your opinion and would like advice from anybody else reading this post.

Again, thanks everybody! 😉

 

[Sweet Tea]

Another additional point / question:

What if you have a passion/can see your self being incredibly satisfied in a pediatric specialty (nothing crazy competitive to obtain....at this point in time).....but you are nervous about the 3 years of your pediatric residency.

I cannot envision myself being content/happy as a general pediatrician.......

Do people go through those 3 years, and succeed, who are not diehard "geneal pediatricians" at heart?

If you have to be a diehard general pediatrician to do well in residency, then I'm screwed. I am so, so not cut out for general pediatrics, but I love peds. I'm looking at doing an emergency medicine fellowship after I graduate, and I'm pretty stoked about that. I'm a big believer in having a strong background in general pediatrics, but I'm really glad that there are other people out there who want to do general peds because Lord knows I would be miserable.

In regards to personalities, I think pediatricians have a reputation in general for being "nicer", but it's not a requirement. I'm a transplant from a year of surgery residency, and according to my med students I've gone from being the nice surgery resident to the mean pediatrics resident without actually changing anything I do.

Getting along with kids gets easier with practice. You do not need to have a kidspeak gene in order to relate well with children and their families. You do, however, need a willingness to learn and lots of patients to practice with.

I would tend to disagree with getunconscious's experience with pediatric dogma. Yes, we do tend to follow the AAP and CDC guidelines on things like car seats and vaccinations (note, these things also appear on board exams so it's a good idea to get the guidelines down even if you don't agree with it). But I think you do learn to pick your battles; I'm not going to fight a parent over varicella vaccines the same way I'm going to fight for the MMR vaccine. I've yet to meet a pediatrician who thinks that formula is the devil; most of the ones I work with think breast is best but are really just happy if you feed your kid appropriately.

 

[oldbearprofessor]

It's certainly true that some people bond more naturally with kids than others. Those who are really uncomfortable around children are better off avoiding them in their practice and not doing pediatrics. But, just like lots of folks learn to become good parents who are not "naturals" with kids, so too can one become a good pediatrician without an innate gift for talking about Sesame Street characters. Critical care specialties in particular would not require as much gift of gab with kids. Some folks who are less "baby oriented" might find adolescent medicine or sports medicine something that appeals to them.

Pediatrics is a big tent. You have to care about kids, but you don't have to be an expert on schmoozing with them.

 

[getunconcsious]

I definitely agree that peds is a big tent, even if it does have its own culture. I think one of the neatest and most fun things in peds is the vast differences with regard to development and age. The way you approach a newborn (almost like a vet, if you ask me!) and the way you approach an adolescent (how do you FEEL about your diabetes?) is totally different. I personally prefer the adolescents, since again as psych feelings are my stock-in-trade. But some people love the critical care aspect and/or getting caught up in cute babies. I always want to go up to the isolettes on NICU and say, "Tell me how you feel about your mother." And then I remember that they haven't really met her yet! Peds is awesome if you like psychosocial stuff, but if not, I think it's great for the people inclined toward interest in medically difficult stuff, since the patients tend to do so much better than in the adult version of almost any subspecialty.

 

[WhatUpDoc!]

Hello,


I would love to specialize in a pediatric field (heme/onc, gastro, nicu), but I am nervous that my personality may not fit. I tend to be on the more serious side.

Hope OldBear doesn't take offense to this, but during my 3rd and 4th year rotations, neonatologists were some of the most intense pediatric specialists that I ever met. I used to joke around with a few of my classmates and call them the "surgeons of pediatrics!" But hey, just like any generalization, there's always somebody/something that doesn't fit the mold. I chose pediatrics because I'm a big goof-ball, I still play video-games, and I refuse to grow-up! 😀

 

[umass rower]

On the down side, I do find that when peds people don't like the way you do something or disagree with your methods, they have a tendency to be passive-aggressive and gossip about it, rather than just letting you know.

I think this depends on the institution. I'd be careful about generalizing it to pediatrics as a whole.

In addition, I take issue with their extremely regimented ideas about child-rearing issues. I was out of a car seat by age 4, was bottle-fed, and got chickenpox. And I did just fine. But you'd better believe in booster car seats for third graders, rotavirus vaccines (god forbid kids get diarrhea!), and that formula is the devil. If you don't really think these things are that crucial, you'd just better pretend and start goose-stepping like the rest of them. As a touchy-feely psych person, I'd rather let the family raise kids the way they see fit (within reason of course!) and work more on building a long-term therapeutic alliance than force-breastfeeding every infant. But such is the thought process in peds...do what we say, or you're not a good parent (We call this "anticipatory guidance").

You seem to have an interesting take on the pediatric approach to these issues. Anticipatory guidance is our opportunity to tell parents about things that may not be intuitive for them, or that may require advance preparation (such as child-proofing the home before the child begins to crawl or walk). "Bad parent" is not part of the discussion. Our concern is with the child, and while you may have done fine with your upbringing, it is our responsibility toward the child to inform parents about safety and upbringing issues for their children. All of the things you list as examples of us "goose-stepping" have excellent reasons for us to recommend them. Kids can get badly injured in car accidents if seat belts aren't worn or fitted properly. Rotavirus can land every kid in the family in the hospital for a week, and the vaccine doesn't even involve a needle. Formula isn't the devil-- there are certainly plenty of moms in my conti clinic using it-- but there are numerous benefits to breastfeeding. Or, one of the most common ones I run into, placing babies on their front to sleep, and although countless kids have survived it (including me), I would be remiss if I didn't discuss SIDS risk with these parents.

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

I think this depends on the institution. I'd be careful about generalizing it to pediatrics as a whole.

You seem to have an interesting take on the pediatric approach to these issues. Anticipatory guidance is our opportunity to tell parents about things that may not be intuitive for them, or that may require advance preparation (such as child-proofing the home before the child begins to crawl or walk). "Bad parent" is not part of the discussion. Our concern is with the child, and while you may have done fine with your upbringing, it is our responsibility toward the child to inform parents about safety and upbringing issues for their children. All of the things you list as examples of us "goose-stepping" have excellent reasons for us to recommend them. Kids can get badly injured in car accidents if seat belts aren't worn or fitted properly. Rotavirus can land every kid in the family in the hospital for a week, and the vaccine doesn't even involve a needle. Formula isn't the devil-- there are certainly plenty of moms in my conti clinic using it-- but there are numerous benefits to breastfeeding. Or, one of the most common ones I run into, placing babies on their front to sleep, and although countless kids have survived it (including me), I would be remiss if I didn't discuss SIDS risk with these parents.

Thank you for responding more eloquently that I would have. If you've taken care of a kid in hypovolemic shock, or admitted one to the burn unit after they pulled boiling water onto themselves b/c mom and dad didn't know to turn the pothandle in on the stove, or watched a baby die of pertussis then all of those pesky things general pediatricians talk about seem more important.

 

[getunconcsious]

I think this depends on the institution. I'd be careful about generalizing it to pediatrics as a whole.

You seem to have an interesting take on the pediatric approach to these issues. Anticipatory guidance is our opportunity to tell parents about things that may not be intuitive for them, or that may require advance preparation (such as child-proofing the home before the child begins to crawl or walk). "Bad parent" is not part of the discussion. Our concern is with the child, and while you may have done fine with your upbringing, it is our responsibility toward the child to inform parents about safety and upbringing issues for their children. All of the things you list as examples of us "goose-stepping" have excellent reasons for us to recommend them. Kids can get badly injured in car accidents if seat belts aren't worn or fitted properly. Rotavirus can land every kid in the family in the hospital for a week, and the vaccine doesn't even involve a needle. Formula isn't the devil-- there are certainly plenty of moms in my conti clinic using it-- but there are numerous benefits to breastfeeding. Or, one of the most common ones I run into, placing babies on their front to sleep, and although countless kids have survived it (including me), I would be remiss if I didn't discuss SIDS risk with these parents.

Of course you are right, and you would be a much better general pediatrician than I. However, the person who posted originally was asking about the sort of corporate culture in pediatrics and I was just trying to point out some of the things characteristic to it. I suppose that psych's "Do what you feel, but just take your seroquel" culture would be less than appealing to some as well. I'm not necessarily taking issue with the peds culture, just pointing out that if you don't like or aren't comfortable with the guidance part, it might be a difficult fit.