I was both worried and excited about starting my pediatrics rotation. I am an only child and do not have my own children so I was worried I would not be able to find a common language with kids. However, that was not the case and this rotation turned out to be a great experience.

Majority of the complains required rapid testing for strep or influenza. I had prior experience performing these procedures at my old workplace, so that aspect was not difficult for me. However, I was exposed to new techniques such as catherization of an infant, cryotherapy for warts, performing CBC in the office, etc. Some of the procedures I was able to perform on my own, and in some I assisted and was able to learn.

I think the most difficult part of this rotation for me was performing the HEENT exam and identifying lung sounds. While I became pretty good at evaluating ears with my otoscope, evaluating the throat is still a learning process. In order for me to improve, I need to first evaluate many unremarkable throats so that I could identify when something is abnormal. I hope to get better at this skill in my future rotation, as adults are more compliant in this regard. Additionally, when there were any abnormal lung sounds, Professor Maida would let me listen first and then I would describe what I heard. While in some instances I was incorrect, it was great to have a preceptor that could clarify what exactly I was hearing.

Overall, managing pediatrics patients is significantly different from adults. You have to be even more compassionate and approachable, but you also have to work quick since many children are not complaint. Of course, when mentioning stickers and lollipops that aspect becoming a lot better. Additionally, parents are understandably over concerned about their children and you have to find a proper approach to them as well.

One of the main issues were the parents that wished to postpone vaccinations. All we can do as providers and future providers is to explain the facts to the parents, especially since there was a recent study that showed no relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism.

During this 5-week rotation I learned that I actually really enjoy pediatrics and could see myself working in this field later on. It was great to see Professor Maida and another PA Sal to know their patients so well, they watch these children grow right in front of their eyes. I learned the importance of performing a comprehensive physical exam in pediatric patients. Many times, even when the kids are older, they are unable to describe exactly how they are feeling, and sometimes the symptoms are different than from the ones outlined in textbooks. What I will never forget about this rotation is all the newborns that came in for their well visits, because they were just adorable!

This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.