Paediatric Rotation

Emergency Medicine is one of the fields that exposes you to patients at the extremes of the age spectrum and at everything in between. So a rotation in Paediatric Medicine in somewhat essential and it's something I need to do next. Funny thing is when the nursing staff asked me what I was going to do for the next 6 months and I told them I was trying to get a paediatric rotation, they all gave me this funny look. Granted, I did say kids are nothing more than expensive hobbies and generally find them irrelevant unless they can be taught to do tricks, it does not mean I cannot function well as a paediatric doctor. Take for example, if you brought me your expensive car, your precious little hobby, and asked me to look after it as a favour, I would. Not only will I treat it right, I'll also make sure it gets a nice shine on it every sunday morning. So if you brought your little bundle of joy to be seen by me, I will without a doubt, treat it like your little bundle of joy and send it home beaming!

Why am I not a natural with kids? I suspect a few things along my medical career has bruised me irrepairably. Rewind the clock back seven years and you'll find me in Katete, Zambia as a medical student running the Paediatric Malaria ward. I am proud to say I didn't lose a single sprog in the 6 weeks I was there. However, one thing that puzzled me was everytime I approached a baby in the ward, they'd start crying before I even touched them. One day, I enquired why that way the case, the mother answered and the male nurse dutifully translated that it was because I was ugly. That can't be good for anyones self esteem.

Granted, I don't look anything like Zambians. Put a Malaysians smack in the middle of Zambia they all start calling you Japanese because you have this thick trendy glasses and a goatee. Hang on, did she think Japanese people were ugly?! So it's not me really!

Anyways, I've mellowed down over the years and have learnt to deal with kids a lot better. I got a Basset Hound called Odie a few months back and I've learnt a lot from him. Oh wait, I can hear Odie barking. That means he's hungry and it's time to feed him! See, I might be on my way to be the best Paediatric SHO this side of town yet!