Rotation # 2 – Site Visit Reflection

My site visits were conducted with Gary Maida, who I also had as a professor for our pediatrics course. We discussed the observational nature of outpatient pediatrics, as children cannot provide a reliable history in most cases, and we must rely on specific signs in order to make a diagnosis, such as a child tugging on their ear to signal inner ear pain and otitis media. We also talked about the viral nature of most childhood illnesses which make medical treatment unnecessary and supportive care the main-stay of treatment. Our group evaluations also focused heavily on drug cards, and we were quizzed on each others chosen drugs like amoxicillin and cefdinir, as well as the indications, side effects, and dosages. One of the patients I presented was a 7 year old girl who complained of knee pain after falling several weeks prior, and an indurated mass was found on her femur, which was later revealed to be an osteosarcoma. Professor Maida gave me helpful advice for writing my H&Ps, as I had some things in an incorrect order and needed more practice writing them. I made the required corrections for my second set of HPIs and will make sure I document things correctly going forward.