I very much enjoyed my pediatrics rotation. Obviously children can be challenging to examine and thus I learned a lot from my preceptor on tips and tricks. Getting on their level and not forcing things is very helpful. For example, the PA I was with would always tell the kids “we have to see if there are potatoes in your ears,” when they were reluctant to allow us to examine their ears. Sometimes, when starting the exam, the children would be very reluctant, so the PA would start with auscultation and then check their ears as the kids were more trusting. Small things like this really made the difference in keeping the kids calm and cooperative.  One thing that I was surprised about my rotation was that there was a decent amount of psych involved. I learned that first, we must rule out any organic cause, then acknowledge the patient’s suffering and validate it, followed by explaining basic things to help them (such as sleep hygiene and maintaining routine), as well as referring to psychiatry or encouraging CBT. 

 

In the coming rotations, I would like to really prioritize practice questions using all three databases, as I love Rosh but feel it is not sufficient to just rely on that for the EOR. Thus, I would like to start doing Exammaster and Kaplan early on in my rotation, as it also helps to give context to the patients I see. Furthermore, I would like to make it a habit to thoroughly research some disease process I see every day, to really expand my knowledge. 

 

I found one thing I struggled with was remembering to ask everything in my H&P. Many times I would leave the room or be writing my H&P and realize I should have asked this, this, and this. I think with time and more exposure to the same type of disease processes, I will improve in this aspect. However for now, I think taking a moment before I leave the room to contemplate and gather my thoughts will help me to miss less. Furthermore, a template is helpful, as well as seeing what questions my preceptors typically ask that I may have a habit of forgetting. 

 

One memorable patient was a boy who had severe iron deficiency anemia and complained that he felt so tired and could not enjoy playing like he usually does. We detected the anemia and ruled out any underlying cause and started him on iron supplementation. He came back about 2-3 weeks later and him and his mother were so grateful and he was so happy that he could play and enjoy the summer as usual. It was great to see such a quick improvement in the patient’s quality of life, which is why many enjoy Pediatrics, as the patients are typically healthy and the medical issues can be managed well with substantial results.