Pediatrics was my second rotation at Queens Hospital Center. The site is fast paced and the preceptors vary by day. While a lot of the cases were acute URIs, I was able to see some unique presentations. For example, I saw cases of appendicitis, DKA, pneumonia, lacerations, as well as foreign bodies. I was able to strengthen my basic skills like history taking and performing focused physical exams. Additionally, I was able to do some simple procedures like venipuncture and perform EKGs. Unfortunately, QHC is not equipped to handle true pediatric emergencies, particularly when they are surgical, nor do they have an inpatient pediatric unit. Therefore, a lot of the acute cases were transferred to Cohens once initially stabilized.

I also spent a week in the NICU and clinic. In the NICU, there were two extremely interesting ongoing cases of babies that were born at 24 weeks. It is so fascinating to see neonates of that size sustaining life, and how much support they require. At the beginning of every shift, there would be a complete change in their appearance and behavior from the day before. In this scenario, it is especially important to keep a positive attitude for the patient and their parents. I also spent some time on the mother-baby unit, during which we conducted full physical exams on the newborns. During the clinic week, I was able to work with doctors in different pediatric specialties, such as endocrine, neurology, pulmonology, and cardiology. They were all very willing to teach and shared their expertise in their field. I appreciated being able to actually hear heart murmurs and visualize defects on an echocardiogram.

Certain aspects of the rotation were difficult, as children are difficult to do physical exams and procedures on. It can be hard to present a coherent physical exam to a preceptor when the child is crying and screaming during the process. However, the use of distraction techniques really helps, which fostered a more nurturing approach to evaluating patients. Additionally, there is a pediatric psychiatry unit so there were some cases of that nature as well. It can be an emotionally challenging rotation when considering how many setbacks children from underserved communities are facing. There is also a language barrier a majority of the time, as many of the patients/parents are Spanish speaking. However, this was a rotation where it was extremely important to be culturally sensitive. I enjoyed the various opportunities and I think QHC is a great place to see the breadth of the pediatric specialty. I hope to use the skills I learned here on my next rotation – Emergency Medicine at NYPQ.

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