But today all of that changed.
I saw a 3 year old for worsening asthma. And sick he was. Definitely in respiratory distress. Breathing hard but he wasn't dying in the next 5 minutes. Maybe a couple more days like this and he'd be toast. But not this minute. My attending admitted him and they sent an ambulance for transport. Ok, no big deal.
Let me tell you, folks, you'd have thought that aliens attacked the White House. People in the clinic were excited. Like really excited. Including the attendings. So I asked... "is this considered a lot of excitement for y'all?" To which I was told, "Yeah!!! Thats the most excitement we've had in years."
Hmmm. Maybe it isn't the place for me.
Don't rule out peds yet; it can be a very exciting field with many of the benefits you mentioned above. General clinical peds can be very boring, especially with all the well-child checkups. I don't know if you've had or will have the opportunity to work at a tertiary care children's hospital, but it's something that might change your mind about peds. Very exciting places with fun people and extremely interesting medicine (in my opinion). Best of luck with the rest of your rotations!
ReplyDeleteThat's OUTPATIENT peds. Inpatient is nothing like that. There's PICU, NICU. And there's also peds Emergency Medicine. Seriously, I'd never thought about peds either until I did the rotation, but it really is a great specialty, with happy doctors and adorable (for the most part) patients. People say they can't stand the parents, but there are challenging family members in every specialty. At least think about doing a peds sub-i next year to rule it out for real.
ReplyDeleteI admitted a kid once into our PICU in status, with the mom who had just had her 2nd 10-day-old baby (from baby daddy #2) and while were trying to "save" her 1st, she was jumping on the transport nurse saying "um... you can't put that IV in THERE because he got a bruise last time!!! I'm going to sue you guys for abuse!!!" turns around and then says to me, poking me with her 4-inch reddish purple nail "I think I'm havin' an aneurism, do you know what that's like?"
ReplyDeleteUm, no.
-- Glad you love peds! It's a great area!
Hi Ella,
ReplyDeleteI've been following your blog for a while now since I'm planning to go the med school route in the next year or so (I'm 26). I recall reading your blog post about how there are certain people we shouldn't listen to who try to dissuade us from pursuing medicine. Well have I got a story for you!
I'm overseas in Thailand right now visiting family and had to see the doctor yesterday due to some GI issues. The female doctor asked if I have been stressed lately. So I told her how I'm planning to quit my job in a few months to finish my science pre reqs so I could apply to med school, which yes, these thoughts have stressed me out. Her reaction was priceless. She flat out told me that I should reconsider and just become a housewife and have children. Wow. I told her I'll certainly consider that just to get her off my back...
hi ella!
ReplyDeleteI have been reading your blog for quite a while now. I am currently a first year medical student. Though not quite old (I'm 21 yrs old, by the way), I consider myself a non-trad as well.
I took up BA Political Science during my undergrad and extended another year to take extra science subjects. I also completed a one-year ER volunteer program in one of the tertiary hospitals here before entering med school. I am also a certified medical first responder and currently a volunteer firefighter (and I thought I was very different).
Anyway, I really admire your enthusiasm with regards to medicine and it inspires me to work harder. Good luck on your career! Keep it up!