Pediatrics 101

I've been studying a mean streak over the past few weeks, in preparation for both my Peds and Psych rotations (I only have a 2 day break in between). I have been concentrating more on Peds lately ... there's a lot. In fact, my Textbook of Pediatric Care is substantially thicker (and with smaller print even) than my most impressive Emed text. 10 more days to go before I start, I'm really looking forward to it. I've always loved kids, and kids usually gravitate towards me for some reason.

I'm trying not to go into this with any preconceived notions similar to those I had when I volunteered in Pediatric ICU at a Children's Hospital years ago. Since I've always gotten along so well with kids, I had figured that it would be 'playtime', more or less. How very wrong I was. The children in those units are oftentimes very, very sick, and many others have chronic health conditions. It's almost a complete oxymoron, the Disney characters on the walls, attempting in complete vain to create an atmosphere of joy where there quite simply is little. Still, you do what you can, you manage a smile here and a cuddle there, and then you save your tears for when you're out of sight. That's not to say that there aren't happy times, from the 17 year old whose cancer went into complete remission to simply the good day the young tyke had when family and friends were present and videogames were played.

Of course, I don't think I'll be in ICU too often since I'll be rotating in a clinic. The clinic is in a more impoverished area of Philadelphia, I've been told I need to bring my own otoscope and opthalmoscope. I have no doubt that I'll be seeing my share of flus and assorted other viral incidents. But in reading through the material, many of the somewhat more serious conditions present so similarly that I'll be on the lookout with a keen eye. Granted, many are treated the same way, but there are a few that need more specific handling. I'm looking forward to the challenge, and the opportunity to make a difference.

All that being said, I hope I'm up to date on some of the current jargon ... is Dora the Explorer still the hip thing? How about Blues Clues, is that still even aired? Someone said SpongeBob, but honestly that came from a faculty member who's probably been saying that for years lol. I'll be able to talk movies with the pre-teens/adolescents, and I think my best bet with the infants is to bring some sparklie doo-dads, but I'm a bit stumped with the kids. Time to do some, er, research. Maybe Alvin.