Interested in studying paediatrics

[heavenlyjohnson]

Hi all, I'm applying to medical school this year, just passed my GAMSAT and UKCAT and am thinking ahead about specialising. One of the things that really appeals to me is Paediatrics. I really get on with kids and have 2 of my own.

I was wondering if anyone currently practicing or training as a paediatrician could give me a few pointers about what it's actually like working in this field.

Many thanks

[rjm]

Hi, I am a paed trainee and I love it! I find it extremely rewarding and mostly good fun, although also has its difficult times. It is different from most medical specialties. Our acute turnover is huge, mostly because of inexpereience of community/A&E staff with kids, so we see alot of kids who dont get admitted (unlike acute medicine where most patients who are referred will get admitted). The majority who do will only be in 24-48hours. There are additionally the long stay/repeat offenders and you get to know the families and children really well, often you know what the whole family is up to and the whole doctor-family dynamics is generally more chilled than I remember in adult medicine. The kids will hate you for a very short period when you take blood/cannulate but this usually doesnt last very long, and it is always great to see them looking good and walking out the door (something that doesnt seem to happen v much in adult medicine). Additionally the team relationships between doctors/nurses/play therapists always seems more chilled in paeds, perhaps its because of the sort of person that choses to work in paeds though.

[heavenlyjohnson]

Hi rjm, thanks for the reply, that sounds like something that would really suit me! I just took the BBC big personality test and scored maximum for agreeableness so I think I might fit in I remember being in hospital a few times when I was little with asthma so I think I could empathize.

One thing, presumably sometimes the children die and this must be hard for everyone. How is that dealt with in the department? Is is possible to work in that environment without becoming jaded or is there good support?

[Martigan]

Heavenly, great minds think a like.

I've been thinking alot about Paeds as well, for similar reasons. Good luck

[rjm]

Thankfully death doesnt happen very often, and usually when it does it is not unexpected and most people have to some extent been ready/"prepared" for it. Although there are the occasional horrible ones where a child is brought in dead. I have found that teams always to be very supportive and my few experiences where we have withdrawn care on a child it has involved full team discussion and agreement at all levels and consultants have always been happy to discuss concerns/talk through decisions. I would say that paediatric consultants are often seen about more than my experiences in medical/surgical jobs aswell, there is more informal chat/banter/discussion, and they are usually happen to discuss anything if necessary.

It is always sad when you lose a patient that you have been heavily involved with, be them 3 or 93 years old, and if you didnt have some emotion towards it then you probably need to take some time out for a while. Like any specialty you have to support each other as well, there are days when you need a hug and similar times when you colleagues will want to talk something through. My experience is my colleagues are very good at that, might again be the sort of person that is attracted to paeds, might just be because I work with a good bunch.

[heavenlyjohnson]

Thanks rjm, this is really useful to know and I do appreciate you taking the time to reply!

[dotvicky]

Really interesting thread. Is it true that Paeds is one of the few remaining generalist medical specialties? Also, my son has a community paediatrician who he sees every now and then. Are there opportunities to be both hospital and community doctor or do people tend to pick one or the other?

Cheers
Vicky