My pediatrics rotation at Queens Hospital Center was a wonderful experience as it exposed us to a variety of medical settings that care for the pediatric population. The first three weeks were in the pediatric emergency department. My rotation happened to land on influenza and RSV season. For this reason, the emergency department was very busy and students had a lot of opportunity for hands on experience. Furthermore, I learned to better mentally balance multiple patients at the same time while practicing how to prioritize patient care. The emergency department setting also exposed us to psychiatric consults for pediatric patients. The next week was spent at the clinic. Multiple specialists were available to care for patients that ranged from respiratory to endocrine to primary care. The work style was much different as patients were appointment-based and seen one at a time. Finally, the last week of pediatrics was spent at the NICU. This offered a rare glimpse at how hospitals take care of newborns who are premature or suffered from delivery complications.

Overall, the greatest lesson I learned in my pediatrics rotation is to develop trust and a collaborative approach with patients and their families. Children are especially difficult to communicate with and they are often fearful of medical instruments and providers. I learned to be patient with them, talk in a soft manner, and allow them to play with a stethoscope or gloves to ease their dispositions. Parents are also, naturally, very anxious or fearful as their children does not feel well. Medical concepts had to be explained in layman terms and multiple times to reassure the parents. 

Moving forward, I plan to carry the lessons learned in empathetic communication and developing trust with patients. Although these aspects are emphasized in a pediatric patient demographic, they are transferable skills that would benefit all patient types. I would like to improve on my skills of balancing multiple patients in a calm manner. As the emergency department had a surge of pediatric patients, it was easy to become overwhelmed by the volume. I believe with experience and practice, I will be able to better balance and prioritize patient care in a calm and methodical manner.