Peds troubles...

[streetdoc]

---

Members don't see this ad.

this is our first rotation and i'm on peds. i;m surprised at how much i don't like it. I have never been big on kids and am the baby in my family so i have never even been exposed to kids. i'm awkward with them and don't understand how they function at all. i dread going in to see anyone under 3-4. the rotation is quickly coming to an end and, although i have made great strides, i'm ultimately worried that my lack of comfort with dealing with kids will hurt my grade. i know i come off as a horrible person because i do not "oohhhh and aaahhhh" at kids and don't act like a kid over stickers, but i think i do a good exam (when they allow me to) and i know the diseases as much as my classmates. i'm just bummed that i see my grade falling for not acting like a 3 year old.
streetdoc

 

[realruby2000]

this is our first rotation and i'm on peds. i;m surprised at how much i don't like it. I have never been big on kids and am the baby in my family so i have never even been exposed to kids. i'm awkward with them and don't understand how they function at all. i dread going in to see anyone under 3-4. the rotation is quickly coming to an end and, although i have made great strides, i'm ultimately worried that my lack of comfort with dealing with kids will hurt my grade. i know i come off as a horrible person because i do not "oohhhh and aaahhhh" at kids and don't act like a kid over stickers, but i think i do a good exam (when they allow me to) and i know the diseases as much as my classmates. i'm just bummed that i see my grade falling for not acting like a 3 year old.
streetdoc

In my experience, doing "oooh's " and "aaahs" still make the little ones cry when you examine them...i think making those noises is mostly to appease the parents...you should at least smile though...most kids will actually respond to that. i dont make any noises either. i sometimes give them my steth to play with while im about to examine them. what's more important is that you wash your hands before you examine them and do a good complete examination...most parents won't care if their baby cries as long as you find out what's wrong with them.

 

[pharmer]

Peds rotation is the one I fear the most. I wont have it for another couple of months but it scares the bajesus out of me. I too was the youngest in my family and never had exposure to taking care of kids. I find it extremely painful to try and ooohh and aaaahh and even when I do it sounds so fake that I might as well not even bother. Plus my reaction to people when they do ooohh and aaahh over the fact that the child can f*cking clap or touch their nose is chills shooting down my spine and the hair standing up on my neck. I also have never seen a patient under 40 y/o yet. I can't wait until my first day on peds and my preceptor over hears me asking a 5 y/o whether they smoke or drink. I also am fearing a lower grade in this rotation due to my poor ability to relate eventhough I pretty sure I will clinically perform at a high level.

 

[automaton]

peds was really fun. i would never go into peds and i hate the baby talk as much as anyone, but it was a really good atmosphere. i do love kids though, they're so cute. much better than lifelong smokers.

 

[streetdoc]

i do love kids though, they're so cute.

that's kind of what i'm talking about...that is not in me. i tried, really really really tried for about a week to get into this and "regress" a bit. but my common sense took over. i deal really well with the comatose child that has no parent around. I know the peds residents think i'm cold and mean, but my care is good and i know my patients to a T. its ashame they base evals on impressions. I hope this doesn't keep me out of EM or force me into surgery. 🙂

 

[care bear]

wow.

i just don't get it. . .they're so cute. my heart just melts when i see kids and i don't understand why peds isn't the most competitive specialty. . .i would think every med student would want to do it! you must really be my polar opposite, because i absolutely cannot fathom NOT feeling the urge to gush over kids 🙂

what worries me is people who love kids, come to med school thinking of doing peds, and then hit their peds rotation and decide 'this isn't for me. . .'. either they love kids too much to take care of them, or peds isn't intellectual enough. . i have heard both of those reasons. it scares me b/c if that reaction happens to me on my peds rotation, i just won't know what to do next! i really think i'd be at a loss for career options. . .perhaps culinary school? 🙂

just throwing out some random thoughts on peds in general.

 

[tkim]

Well, I haven't done my peds rotation yet, but I've got mixed feelings about it. I have a 2 y/o son and while I love him, that doesn't automatically make me love other people's kids. Thank god.

I've seen a little of both sides now - as a medic working up sick kids, and as a parent taking my kid to the pediatrician and the ER. I'd much much rather work on other people's sick kids. And, I'd never ever want to be a pediatrician. I hope I don't eat those words post peds rotation - I have loans to pay off you know.

 

[Stinger86]

My experience in peds clinic:

I ask the young kid a question, kid looks at mom/dad, kid shrugs his shoulders, mom/dad says "now son answer the doctor", boy sits in silence, boy finally responds with "i dunno, it just hurts" or "i can't remember", I sigh, I look at mom/dad, mom/dad shrugs her/his shoulders.

Copy and paste. Diagnosis: probably viral. Yeah, that was fun.