On Pediatrics
The continuation of our education and training while on quarantine because of the pandemic is imperative and something I am grateful for. That being said, the monotony of our daily routine composed of numerous video conferences from early morning to early evening can be overwhelming and its own type of mental saturation. Writing helps me process and store these events which can sometimes feel like one long stream of consciousness. Thus, the importance of chronicling my clinical rotations. However, I find myself writing seldomly because of constant mental exhaustion. This in turn has resulted in bone-deep restlessness that bothers me most especially at night. So, here I am taking advantage of some free time wherein I’m not exhausted or lethargic to put thoughts to paper once again.
Child health or pediatrics was the first medical specialty that inspired me to become a physician. I remember well-child visits to my pediatrician and growing fascinated beginning at age six or seven with her profession. Our parents, especially our mother, were adamant in ensuring the health and well-being of my brother and I. This meant having us vaccinated accordingly to the recommended schedule and observing our growth and development. They didn’t use these visits to scare us unlike what other parents did and still do to their children. I have encountered many such parents in the past and during my hospital work before the pandemic. If you want children to be cooperative during visits to the doctor and learn to value their health, don’t instill in them an irrational fear of doctors out of some misguided attempt to discipline or punish them. Nobody wins in that scenario.
Among the different subspecialties in pediatrics, two have caught my interest in the recent years. The first is neonatology. Mine was a difficult birth that almost landed my mother with a cesarean section. Apparently, I was a restless fetus and this along with her concurrent urinary tract infection and the occurrence of a cord coil during delivery made one dramatic entrance into this world. I spent the first two weeks of life in the hospital receiving phototherapy and antibiotics due to early onset jaundice. Ever since I heard that story, my interest in cases of complicated births has been piqued. Rotating with our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) team of doctors, even if only online, was truly enjoyable and informative. One of our beloved residents even took the time to familiarize us with the NICU environment and tasks via video conferences, allowing us to accompany him during rounds.
The second subspecialty is rooted more in my interest in psychology and psychiatry than pediatrics itself and that is child behavioral development. My first encounter with this subspecialty was during my third year in medical school and I remember listening attentively to the lecture. Unfortunately, we had limited time to expound on this topic during my clinical rotation but I’m nonetheless interested in it. I believe in early and timely intervention for behavioral disorders which can positively affect how children interact with the world around them and their overall performance. I believe and advocate the early introduction of children to healthcare so that they can grow into healthy and responsible adults.
