Karen Montgomery-Reagan, D.O., and Celeste Wallace, D.O. (‘02), were drawn to pediatrics for similar but separate reasons. 20 www.oucom.ohio.edu
compared to a 15 percent growth in the allopathic arena, according to a 2005 study published in The Journal <strong>of</strong> the American Medical Association. This trend is mirrored at OU-COM, although on a smaller scale. The number <strong>of</strong> graduates choosing pediatrics hasn’t exactly exploded but has been a slow climb from one or two graduates a year in the 1980s to anywhere from four to 10 in the past decade. Current statistics show that 60, or 4 percent, <strong>of</strong> OU-COM’s 1,653 practicing physicians are pediatricians. Double that for the percentage <strong>of</strong> OU-COM graduates currently in pediatrics residency programs. “We’ve seen a larger number <strong>of</strong> very bright students seeking pediatrics as a career choice, and I think America’s kids are going to be better <strong>of</strong>f for it,” says Michael Anderson, M.D., chair <strong>of</strong> the American Academy <strong>of</strong> Pediatrics’ Committee on Pediatric Workforce. “It’s a very exciting time to be in pediatrics because we’re making progress on disease processes that we didn’t have an impact on 10 years ago.” The reasons behind this trend are multifaceted. It’s not as simple as presuming more medical school graduates these days love working with children. Career satisfaction, job flexibility and changes in demographics are part <strong>of</strong> the equation. Reward, Reward, Reward When Carl Backes, D.O., talks about his 30 years in pediatrics, his enthusiasm is clear. Backes can explain his draw to the field in a simple statement. “I don’t know <strong>of</strong> another primary care doctor who takes someone from birth through high school–through jaundice, immunizations, hospitalizations for illness, growing up and having school problems, the changes <strong>of</strong> puberty during adolescence and, finally, getting them ready for college,” he says. “It’s like being a mom and dad.” Many studies indicate high career satisfaction levels for pediatricians, and reward is a big reason why pediatricians love what they do. Backes, a former OU-COM regional dean and currently a CORE clinical pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> pediatrics, is codirector <strong>of</strong> a dually accredited pediatric residency program at Doctors Hospital, along with a codirector at Children’s Hospital, both in Columbus, <strong>Ohio</strong>. In his role, Backes works with residents who have come into the field via different paths, some because it’s what they’ve always wanted to do and others who may have had an experience that inspired them to pursue a pediatric focus. According to Abbas, children typically bounce back. They want to get better, he explains, and parents usually listen to doctors’ recommendations because they want to take good care <strong>of</strong> their children. “It’s a ... positive experience, and you know there’s probably going to be a good outcome,” Abbas says. OU-COM Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Pediatrics Karen Montgomery-Reagan, D.O., says she was drawn to pediatrics for the same reasons and, like Abbas, has many positive anecdotes to share, such as the baby she treated in an emergency situation who’s now six years Number <strong>of</strong> General Pediatricians By Year (x1000) 80 60 40 20 0 . . . . . . . . . number <strong>of</strong> general pediatricians by year (x1000) 1975 2003 old and still her patient. “I’ve got all kinds <strong>of</strong> stories that make me so warm inside because maybe God put me in the right place at the right time for these kids,” says Montgomery-Reagan, who’s been a practicing pediatrician since 1995. This aspect <strong>of</strong> pediatrics shouldn’t be downplayed as it brings more medical students into this primary care field every year. Katie Pestak, a second-year OU-COM student and president <strong>of</strong> the Pediatrics Club, seems as knowledgeable about the rewards <strong>of</strong> the pr<strong>of</strong>ession as some <strong>of</strong> her mentors. Through the Pediatrics Club, Pestak exhibits her passion by working with Montgomery-Reagan, club adviser, to open up physcian-shadowing and pediatric service opportunities for students. “Kids heal quickly, and they have such a sense about them when they are healing,” Pestak says. “If I heal a child, they have possibly 80 more years to live. You feel like you’re really making a difference.” informational graphic by Jeff Brown summer 2006 21
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