I’ve been a pediatrician now for more than 20 years. I thought it would be a good time to reflect on some of the things I’ve learnt during this period.

After 20 years of pediatrics….

– Kids are still awesome

– Experience is the best teacher. As a medical student I worked with a pediatrician who was probably about as old as I am now. He mentioned that one irony of pediatrics is that young couples often prefer a young pediatrician. He continued saying, “but I am such a better doctor now than when I first got out of residency.” This was surprising to me, I thought that when you finished training you were the top of your field. Now I understand that statement.

– I would put my physical exam skills up against any doctor in the world

– Emotional IQ in pediatrics is as important as your intelligence IQ (yes, that’s redundant)

– If you work with an energy vampire who puts others down to make itself look better, avoid it. Don’t be nice to it.. it will only drain you faster

– Time has proven me to be an excellent doctor and a lousy businessman

– When I first started my career I worked with a doctor who was very skeptical of the American Academy of Pediatrics. I, on the other hand, looked at the AAP like their word was gospel. Now I see they are just doctors with opinions and their opinions are no more valid than my own

– I never thought medicine would become political, but it has. This is sad.

– I’m appalled that permanent, disfiguring surgeries performed on children and hormones that permanently change children are often preferred treatments for gender dysphoric children, many of whom have co-morbidities such as depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphic disorders which may not be completely treated before moving forward with “gender-affirming care”. I do believe many of these children are diagnosed too quickly and put on a path of hormones, which they will never produce themselves, thus making them lifelong patients. Other countries are taking a much more cautious approach with these children and focusing on their mental health. Meanwhile, the U.S. is doing the opposite. This is politically and ideologically driven. The overwhelming need for people to feel that they are morally pure permits their nonsensicality. The stories of de-transitioners are heart breaking.

– To me the word “safe” still means “free from harm”. So when discussing the Covid-19 vaccine with parents I tell them that getting the vaccine is “more safe” than getting Covid itself. For healthy children, the risk of serious disease from the virus is low. The risk for serious complications from the vaccine are even lower, but they’re not zero. People have been hospitalized and even died from side effects of the vaccines. So when I hear heads of medical organizations say, “the vaccines are safe and saying anything to the contrary will result in the revocation of your medical license!” Well, I have to ask… “what is YOUR definition of ‘safe’?”

– I’ve always looked at men dressing in drag as having a sexual fetish. I still think it is and that there is some sort of sexual fulfillment that occurs for the man dressed in drag. And that’s fine. However, videos I’ve seen of scantily dressed men with their asses showing and gyrating and dancing provocatively in front of children is creepy and disgusting. Children should not be around that behavior. Why a man would want to act that way in front of a child is ultra-creepy.

– Taking a personality test and discovering that I’m an INFJ has helped me understand myself and realize that all INFJs live their entire lives feeling as though they’ve been miscast in a play

– I still feel uncomfortable walking into the doctor’s lounge at the hospital

– I’m a much better doctor in an exam room than a doctor in a hospital board room sitting in on some committee meeting

– Children love you for who you are

Dr B