the little ones

“All that wheezes is not asthma, and children are not little adults.”

The latter phrase was a common theme of yesterday’s lectures.  Here’s the thing–and this is not my opinion but more an observed general consensus among my peers–the lectures on pediatric asthma, pediatric bronchiolitis, and cystic fibrosis were…somewhat mediocre (I feel hugely guilty for being negative in writing, but there’s a point, promise).  Yet I thoroughly enjoyed them.

I like geriatrics.  When people ask why, one of the first things that comes to mind is that older individuals present the “same” diseases (bacterial pneumonia, for example) in more complicated and nuanced ways (not to mention the fact that there is frequently more than one illness or condition competing for attention in this population).  It’s stuff like this that makes work fun.  Now I’m starting to find that I’m attracted to pediatrics for much the same reason.

Of course, it doesn’t help that I just gave my final pediatric ICM history and physical exam last week.  Puddle of heart on the CHOP floor.  They sure are cute little germ bags, even when they cough in my face.

And random: happy first day of December!  I very happily listened to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” on my walk to class from the train this morning, and dreamed about celebrating the end of Mod 2 in 15 days with Love Actually and a stiff drink (or several).