About 3 months ago, I started my fourth year with a rotation in paediatrics. On the first day, I thought I didn’t like this specialty because children didn’t cooperate very well with the clinical method. Some children start crying the very moment the lay eyes on anyone with a white coat or anytime a hand is stretched towards them. I was always confused as to what explanation to give to my lecturers when ward rounds begun. Excusing myself with “the patient is not cooperative” doesn’t sound like a good excuse to me.

A few weeks later, I began learning a couple of manoeuvres that helped gain the trust of the child. Initiating physical exams through some form of play helps me. Making the child play and get to recognise medical instruments before the exams, I think, removes their fear for those instruments etc. So little by little paeds became as fascinating to me as internal medicine was.

A fortnight ago, my phobia for children repeated itself again when I began a sub-rotation in neonatology. On day 1, I couldn’t get myself to touch the new born. I thought they would just break apart if I tried examining them. I haven’t done Obs & Gyn yet but I used to think a baby could rip apart when being delivered by a doctor during labour.  (I guess I paid too much attention to Cartoon Network® as a child). Well, after two weeks, those fears are gone! Once again, I’ve learned children are not that fragile to break apart when I examine them, neither do they bite. Lol! And kids are really fun to be with.

With one month left in paediatrics, I feel confident I’ve had a good experience, good enough (but theoretically not the best) for future practice. One hurdle almost down, another one coming up ahead (Obs & Gyn).

Does any other person have phobias for certain specialties?