What a relief--out of pediatrics

Wow--I can't believe that in high school I once thought I might want to become a pediatrician! These past two months have really shown me how much I am not naturally disposed to spending my entire day with kids. Especially crying whiny ones with parents who have no clue how to control them. Wait--maybe I mean the other way around--crazy parents with kids who have to put up with them. One mother came in with her son an hour late for her appointment, expecting the doctor to still see her son. When told she would have to rebook, she became very aggressive. She kept demanding the doctor's time and attention for her son's condition (actually not that emergent or serious) and upon his refusal ripped her 10-year-old son's pants down in the hallway to show the doctor the lesions on the kid's butt. Seeing the poor boy whimpering, "mom...mom!" while his mom shamelessly humiliated him finished me off for pediatrics.

Today I finished my peds exams, and on Monday I will proceed on to neurology and internal medicine. Haha, I saw a crying kid this evening outside the hospital context, and it suddenly dawned on me that I'm done with paediatrics (well at least for third year anyways), and I almost leaped for joy! I think that pretty much confirms I am not meant to be a pediatrician. :)