Pediatrics is an experience worth sharing. Firstly I tried to define what the maximum age limit should be for peds (BTW that's short for pediatric) because this minute it was a two months baby you see in the wards, next minute you see an adult in the age of 16 walk into the out patient. Some books say 21, I think that's pushing it, coz it means for me being in med school and still seeing a pediatrician, lol. Some mention 18 still to old I think, yes I was in med school at this age! To be honest I have no memories of visiting a pediatrician, because from when I got in to secondary school I had started seeing adult doctors (excuse me). I was just 10 and I think that was to early to graduate to the bigger doctors. So what age? Personally I think 13 yrs is appropriate. Unless you have a chronic condition like, kidney disease, or a heart disease, or diabetes, then I think the pediatrician should follow up this cases till they feel it right to hand them over. What's your view?
I met all kinds of kids. the ever smiling, the crying for no reason,the unreasonably quite, the talkative, the gentle, the ones who believed the hospital is their play ground and so must run it down, and the list goes on. Then there are the parents who you also have to deal with, the careless parent, the worrying for nothing parent, the responsible parent, the ones who think the doctor is the enemy and the ones who are on our sides, those who think the doctors should teach their kids manners and to be well behaved, the abusive parent ( which I must add is just terrible) and the list goes on too.
Something I really liked is seeing was dads walk in with there Kids. you can tell mum is home getting a well deserved rest or out and about doing her thing and getting some time off. Who ever thinks its mum's job to do all the kids stuff? I have mates that have argued with me that it is the role of the mum to raise the kids. In the 21st century people still think like idiots, it's sad. well well, I wouldn't go into that. But you and I know the mum should NEVER be responsible alone!
Once this dad walks in hands us (med student) a bag of chocolate quietly, I went like yes, finally we med students are gifted for... well I don't know what it is we do, oh I know we don't hurt the kids, we play the most with them and think ever child is cute (note the male students thou). Well he ask us to give it to his daughter (sad face) after the doctor was done examining her. Saying he told her if she was good, the doctors will give her chocolate (yeah right). And of course his daughter wasn't the typical "screaming-for-no-reason-refusing -to-lie-on-the-examination bed child", she was well behaved. Lesson learnt! In peds if you you want your patients to cooperate you bribe them/ make a bargain with them. Not an easy field right, at least you don't have to bribe adults (well most of them) to cooperate with you and lay on the darn bed to be examined,.
As much as I loved the father-child relationship, I loved when I saw both parents walk in with their child. I kinda observed the difference in kids who came in from stable homes. they were well behaved and in terms of copping with illness, they coped better. Nothing beats a family who fights an illness as a family, especially when the ill is a child.
I spent most of my time in the respiratory and gastroenterology team. lots of asthma and gastroenteritis cases I saw, but from time to time I was allowed to visit other peds departments; peds surgery, endocrinology, NP ICU (neonatal pediatric intensive care unit). Was a great experience overall. Soon time to head back to Debrecen and face the exams.
P.S
pic: paradise bay, Malta
Keep smiling, stay positive,
