Author: Meera Palaniapppan
Throughout my life, I’ve always been drawn to the healthcare field. By taking on roles in healthcare clubs, organizations, volunteering at a hospital, and shadowing, my passion has only grown stronger to help those in need. But more specifically, a career in pediatrics has always stood out. Through my involvement in tutoring kids and working as a camp counselor, I’ve realized how much I enjoy working around kids and how rewarding it can be. The avenue where healthcare and working with children meet is pediatrics. Being able to treat patients and watch them grow, forming a connection with these children and their families seems extremely fulfilling.
In my experience, through volunteering and shadowing, I have seen firsthand how impactful roles in healthcare, especially pediatrics can be. By volunteering in the ICU, I work closely with the nurses and provide the best care for hospitalized patients that I possibly can. I emulate these nurses who work so hard and who truly have an impact on patients and their families. This would also translate into working in the PICU where nurses work to support children such as infants, toddlers, and adolescents. These patients would be closely monitored and vitals would be checked to make sure they are doing well. One PICU nurse from Children’s Hospital PICU explains how, “I knew I always wanted to go into pediatrics! After having a friend who precepted on the unit and shared his positive experiences, I knew that I wanted to come shadow. After shadowing in the PICU, I loved the teamwork that I saw and how all the health care disciplines came together to help the sickest kids get better. Our children are so resilient!” As this nurse explains, working in pediatrics entails a lot, but for an individual who is interested and dedicated to the healthcare field, it may be the perfect fit. Shadowing can be a great experience to observe what a career may require of you. In my shadowing experience, I had shadowed a pediatric dentist in Chicago. Since I was considering different career pathways in pediatrics, I felt as though it was the perfect opportunity to go shadow a dentist as well. I had even received my own set of scrubs while observing! When shadowing the dentist, the aspect that really stuck out to me was the connection that the dentist had with her patients. She had been working with these patients since a very young age, and she was continuing to build connections with younger patients and their families. No kid enjoys going to the dentist, but working on the other end of
the visit gives you the opportunity to ease their fears and help them stay healthy. This allows you to take part in a career that aligns with your interests but also allows for you to have fun and build connections. Pediatrics is a very general term that branches out into several different fields. However, what does this really mean? Pediatrics simply means working in medicine, the only difference being that your patients are kids. If you had a certain interest in working in a certain speciality, you could find this speciality within pediatrics as well. Some specialities are: pediatric surgery, pediatric cardiology, pediatric oncology, pediatric infectious diseases, pediatric dentistry, pediatric ophthalmology, pediatricians, neonatology, adolescent medicine, NICU, PICU, and so much more. There are so many possibilities to explore in the pediatric field. Being a pediatrician allows for you to see several patients and watch them grow up through annual appointments. A pediatrician must be trained in treating common ailments, preventing, detecting, and managing health issues that occur in children. If a pediatrician were to specialize in a specific field, this would require additional training to treat serious and chronic illnesses. This can include childhood disorders to cancer. A pediatric nurse would be able to work in doctor’s offices, clinics, hospitals, surgical centers, and more. Though the job as a pediatric nurse may be demanding, it is also worth it as they are able to provide comfort to patients and their families. Careers in pediatrics can be stressful, but it is up to the doctors and nurses to advocate for their patients and their families for these children to receive the best care possible as they cannot do so themselves. It is important to be comforting and caring, especially with children, and bring some fun and silliness to the job!
If you are someone who is interested in the healthcare field and you are drawn to pediatrics, it is very possible to get involved early on! If there is a local hospital nearby, apply to be a volunteer, whether it be in the ICU, front desk, pharmacy support, or more, it is an opportunity to interact with individuals who are entering and leaving the hospital. It allows for you to get a sense of how a hospital runs and interacts with patients, giving them the utmost care when they need it the most. As an ICU volunteer, my role depends on the fact that I answer patient calls and give them whatever they need in that moment to feel comfortable. I also restock, file, stamp, and more in order for the nurses to run an ordered floor while they tend to patients. Another opportunity is shadowing as it gives you insight into a specific career that you may be interested in. Getting a shadowing role may be difficult, but applying through your school, finding programs, or simply calling offices to find out if they offer shadowing can allow you to find a position that works for you. Shadowing is definitely one of the best ways to get a feel for a certain healthcare field, as you watch how the doctor interacts with their patients, and you can observe to see if this is a good fit for you. Getting involved in clubs at school or volunteering with organizations that give you access to taking an important position in the healthcare field is also great. There may be clubs at school that relate to healthcare, and allow you to get involved through research, volunteering, and more. Organizations like Crafting Smiles are also extremely impactful as well. Crafting Smiles organizes zoom calls with pediatric patients, which allows for you to make a real impact on someone’s day when they truly need it. These are great ways to get involved and get a feel for a career in pediatric or healthcare in general!
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