DO - Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

A Family-Friendly Specialty
Lori Gordley, D.O (‘03), loves children, but that’s not the
only reason she chose pediatrics. The flexibility it provides
cemented her decision.
“Lifestyle went into my choice, and pediatrics is good for
physicians who have families. I don’t have children yet, but
the ability to manage my schedule is important to me,” said
Gordley, a pediatrics resident at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
More graduates like Gordley are looking to balance family and
career, and they’re realizing that pediatrics offers flexibility.
The average full-time pediatrician works about 50 hours a
week, which is considerably less than some medical specialties.
In addition, more pediatricians work part time than physicians
in any other specialty. The percentage of pediatricians reporting
they work part time has increased from nearly 11 percent in
1993 to 20 percent in 2004, reports the American Academy
of Pediatrics, and 26 percent of pediatricians versus 14
percent of all physicians have worked part time at some
point in their careers.
“You’re going to work hard, but you’re not going to be
beaten into the ground,” says Anderson of the American
Academy of Pediatrics. “You make an impact on families’
lives, but you have time for your own family.”
This flexibility is appealing to women, who are entering
the field in unprecedented numbers. Women made up
about 20 percent of the pediatric workforce in 1970 and
about 40 percent in 1990, according to the American
Medical Association. Today, they represent more than 50
percent of the workforce, a historic first for any specialty
in the United States.
Pediatricians haven’t always had the ability to manage their
schedules, however. The pediatrician’s role was very different
when Backes was practicing in the years following his
graduation from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic
Medicine in 1972. He recalls working long hours and running
from hospital to hospital to treat children.“There weren’t
many pediatricians then, so we were always on call,” he says.
“It was a very challenging time.”
Many pediatricians say the reward and flexibility their field
provides makes up for the fact that pediatrics is one of the
lowest-paying medical disciplines. The average pediatrician
earns just more than $143,000 compared to $230,000 and
up for obstetrics/gynecology and general surgery. Even family
medicine practitioners, at nearly $150,000, make more.
Considering the rising cost of malpractice insurance and
heavy student loan debt many graduates are saddled with in
their early years, it stands to reason that some graduates
may be drawn to more lucrative specialties. Others, however,
see the long-term promise of job satisfaction.
“I really like what I’m doing, and I’m going to enjoy getting
up and going to work every day,” Gordley says. “Knowing
that, I don’t mind not making as much money. You have to
decide what’s most important.”
For Abbas, it’s not about the money, either. “I thought about
my kids and that I wanted to choose a specialty where I could
be there for them. It’s more important for me to see my
family rather than having more money,” says Abbas, who
has two children, Jad, 6, and Carabelle, 3.
Preventive Medicine
In pediatrics, education extends beyond the patient; a
pediatrics practice is a perfect platform for reaching both the
child and parent–children in terms of educating them about
staying healthy and safe, and parents in terms of teaching
them how to reinforce this message to their children. The
multigenerational reach has made pediatrics especially
attractive to some graduates.
“Children are at risk because they’re dependent entirely on
the parent,” says Thomas Clark, D.O., chair of OU-COM’s
Department of Pediatrics. “It’s important for us to be an
advocate for the child while educating parents about ways to
keep their children healthy.”
For example, Clark continually reinforces to his students the
importance of talking to parents about childhood immunizations.
“Younger pediatricians aren’t as aggressive about immunizations
because they didn’t see all these kids die from diseases,” he
says. “We need to be more aggressive about advocating for
children to get immunizations.”
Abbas, who earned a master’s degree in public health, talks
to parents about everything from preventing sickness and
injury to issues involving discipline. To this end, Abbas plans
to develop a parenting class that residents near Tripler Army
Medical Center can attend. This type of class is especially
relevant on a military base, where many parents are young
and often far from family.
“Good parenting skills can make a big difference in a child’s
health and psychological development, and we need to make
sure we’re helping parents on all levels,” Abbas says.
Celeste Wallace, D.O. (‘02), who is an assistant professor
in OU-COM’s Pediatrics Department and practices with
Montgomery-Reagan, also was drawn to primary pediatrics
for its preventive nature. Whether it’s hygiene or diet and
exercise, Wallace has found that many children will not head
down a healthy path if they don’t learn the basics early.
“Once they’re adults, it’s too hard to reprogram them. It’s
easier to start with young minds,” she says.
The drive to make an impact fits right in with Wallace’s
other reason for choosing pediatrics: “I love children, and
you have to do what you love.”
More Doctors in the Making
Although Pestak, a native of Cleveland, has two more years
of medical school and three years in a residency, she already
knows she’d like to practice pediatrics in Ohio and be a part
of this burgeoning profession.
22 www.oucom.ohio.edu