Category: Pediatrics

Calling the shots and bossing up: retirement at 52

They say we should “work until we are old enough to retire.” What age is that? For some, retirement is at 65 years, and for others, it is never. As a physician, I guess I fell in the “never” category. I never thought I would hang up my beautiful red pe…

The non-acceptance of vaccine-hesitant families is a problem in pediatrics

Some pediatric practices refuse to provide care for children with vaccine-hesitant parents. Those pediatricians are quick to offer rationalizations for this decision.  Many of their reasons are compelling.  I’m confident you yourself are thinking…

Teens need later school start times

Daily cries from parents, pediatricians, the press, and the public to reopen schools in the fall are certainly well-intentioned, but they are overlooking a critical opportunity to advance adolescent physical and mental health long after the COVID-19 pa…

How to raise tenacious and resilient children [PODCAST]

“For thousands of generations, parents, relatives, and the extended community raised and prepared children to become successful adults, to acquire knowledge, and strengthen the abilities needed to meet the challenges of their time. How did they d…

Pediatric patients need appropriate pain management after surgery [PODCAST]

“We believe optimal postoperative pain management should provide adequate pain relief, minimize adverse effects, and reduce chances of drug misuse. While we cannot undertreat pain, we also cannot go back to the practice of over-prescribing or unn…

It’s time to end the USMLE Step 3 exam

The COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on institutions that we did not think were pausable, allowing us to ask critical questions regarding their relevance and necessity. One such institution is the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).  Duri…

Teaching young children about the existence and acceptance of LGBTQ people [PODCAST]

“Even though there has been a lot of progress, LGBTQ youth are still struggling with discrimination. I am disheartened that 40 percent of LGBTQ youth surveyed by the Trevor project in 2020 seriously considered suicide in the previous 12 months, a…

Breastfeeding is not the end all be all

“Thank you. You’re the first to say it’s OK for me not to breastfeed.” These words have been said to me before by tearful, exhausted mothers. It had been sporadic, but now, it feels like I hear this every day in the clinic. Each time, I feel a rush of …

How mindset influences our ability to be a good dad and doctor

As a pediatrician, many friends, family, and even patients would frequently discuss how great of a dad I must be since I “knew everything about kids.”  Little did they know that residency only taught me how to intubate my child; I never learned how to …

Moms are resilience personified

I first met her at the bedside of her newly born son Tyler. Barely hours after her caesarian section, this mother mustered enough strength to get on a wheelchair to visit her little human at the NICU. That was just the beginning of our journey together…