Fresh out of residency and having just turned 29 years old, I started my first job as a general pediatrician in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. One of the first official tasks of my new position involved picking out brand new office furniture for my private windowed office which was housed along the perimeter of the multi-specialty clinic I had joined. I went with a blond L-shaped desk and shelf unit and later framed my diplomas to match. I was given a set of pens with my name engraved on the wooden holder. And I was directly involved in the hiring process of my own clinic nurse.
Fast forward 15 years, and I am now a pediatric hospitalist at a tertiary care hospital. I have enjoyed this career path and have been at my current institution for nine years. I was a hospitalist in Phoenix for three years before starting my current job and had been a general pediatrician for three years before that.
So, I guess you could say that I am solidly mid-career. I am among five hospitalists in my group who have 10 or more years of experience. We enjoy the intellectual challenge and diversity of our job and take pride in our excellent clinical and teaching skills.
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