As a student, do you ever wonder what it’s like to specialize in pediatrics? Here’s your chance to find out.
Pediatricians are key players in primary care, which is in serious need of patient care as the nation struggles with a predicted shortage of 46,000-90,000 physicians by 2025. An estimated12,000-31,000 of these physicians will be in primary care, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Meet Elizabeth Meade, MD, a pediatrician and featured physician in AMA Wire’s “Shadow Me” Specialty Series, which offers advice directly from physicians about life in their specialties.
Read her insights to help determine whether a career in pediatrics is a good fit for you.
“Shadowing” Dr. Meade
Specialty: Pediatric hospital medicine
Practice type: In a large multispecialty medical group, employed by a hospital
A typical week: There really is no typical day or week for me. As a hospitalist, I work various shifts—days, nights and weekends—which means that every week is totally different. It also means that my schedule has a lot of flexibility and allows for lots of travel and other pursuits. A shift might include being on service at our main hospital taking care of 10-20 pediatric inpatients, or at a satellite location doing well newborn care, inpatients and ER consults. I also spend 25 percent of my time as teaching faculty for one of our family medicine residencies, so mornings are often spent doing teaching rounds with family practice residents on our pediatric ward.
The most challenging aspect of caring for patients in pediatrics: The most challenging thing is working with patients who are very sick, and their families who are stressed, worried and sad. But actually, this is the most rewarding thing as well. Most pediatric patients get better. When they do and they are discharged home with their family [feeling] happy and healthy, there is no bigger joy.
Three adjectives to describe the typical physician in pediatrics: Curious. Empathetic. Flexible.
How my lifestyle matches or differs from what I envisioned in medical school: It’s generally much better than I thought it would be. A hospitalist schedule allows me flexibility to travel and take time off for other activities. I work really hard when I’m at work but feel like I can really disconnect when I’m not.
The main skills every physician should have for pediatrics but won’t be tested for on the board exam are: The ability to be a savvy diagnostician, which really comes with experience, especially in pediatrics; flexibility and ability to “roll with the punches”; good bedside manner and skills with everyone from newborns to adolescents and their families/parents.
One question every physician in training should ask themselves before pursuing pediatrics: Do I like only seeing sick children rather than well, and would I miss the continuity of a typical pediatric practice?
The books I think every medical student interested in pediatrics should read are:
- The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
- Complications by Atul Gawande
- Read anything not about medicine. This will keep you well-rounded.
If you want to learn more about pediatrics, I also recommend students follow:One thing students considering pediatrics should remember: The American Academy of Pediatrics website has an incredible wealth of information about care of pediatric patients, careers and mentoring.
The best way to see what specialty might fit is to spend time with someone actually doing it. Go shadow someone doing this work!
If my life in pediatrics were a song, it’d be: “Crazy Babies” by Ozzy Osbourne.
Learn more from another pediatrician Check out an additional profile of a practicing pediatrician in the “Shadow Me” Specialty Series: Learn more from Carol Berkowitz, MD.
