DO - Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

compared to a 15 percent growth in the allopathic arena,
according to a 2005 study published in The Journal of the
American Medical Association.
This trend is mirrored at OU-COM, although on a smaller
scale. The number of 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, of OU-COM’s 1,653 practicing physicians
are pediatricians. Double that for the percentage
of OU-COM graduates currently in pediatrics
residency programs.
“We’ve seen a larger number of very bright
students seeking pediatrics as a career choice,
and I think America’s kids are going to be better
off for it,” says Michael Anderson, M.D., chair
of the American Academy of 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 of 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 of 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 of 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 professor of pediatrics, is
codirector of a dually accredited pediatric residency program
at Doctors Hospital, along with a codirector at Children’s
Hospital, both in Columbus, Ohio. 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
of their children. “It’s a ... positive experience, and you
know there’s probably going to be a good outcome,”
Abbas says.
OU-COM Associate Professor of 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 of General Pediatricians
By Year (x1000)
80
60
40
20
0
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
number of general pediatricians by year (x1000)
1975
2003
old and still her patient. “I’ve got all kinds of 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 of 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 of the Pediatrics Club, seems
as knowledgeable about the rewards of the profession
as some of 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