DO - Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

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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
“I think pediatrics is growing because people are more interested in continuation of care,” she says. “You develop long-term relationships, and I think people are wanting to connect with their doctors.” More medical students are realizing the benefits of a career in pediatrics because professors are creating opportunities for students to experience pediatric practice, such as through OU-COM’s Pediatrics Club, and through medical apprenticeship and mentoring programs that the American Academy of Pediatrics and other organizations offer. The American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians reaches out to medical students through chapters. Students additionally are invited to conferences and to serve on the organization’s Board of Trustees. Lee J. Herskowitz, D.O., president of the “ I really like what I’m doing, and I’m going to enjoy getting up and going to work every day. Knowing that, I don’t mind not making as much money. You have to decide what’s most important.” organization, believes its important to tap into students’ interests, perceptions and concerns about the field. “We, as a College, are doing as much as we can to try to encourage students to look at pediatrics,” Herskowitz says. “We involve them in organization activities such as helping us improve the academic curriculum in the area of pediatrics. Their viewpoints are important.” Although there’s been some debate about whether the general pediatrician workforce will expand more rapidly into the next decade than the child population, Anderson says, there will always be a need for pediatricians, especially in rural communities. “Getting pediatricians to practice in underserved areas will continue to be a concern, and that’s why it’s important for us to try to make an impact on students early on about the need and offer them incentives to practice in rural areas,” he says. For the pediatric field to continue to flourish, however, it’s important that medical school students keep experiencing the “aha” moments that lead them to a satisfying career in the field. “Treating children is a very visceral sort of thing,” Anderson says. “We have to show what fun we have and the impact we have on families.” TODAY’S DO –Lori Gordley, D.O. summer 2005 23
Page 1 and 2: DO perspectives from the college of
Page 3 and 4: DO the college of osteopathic medic
Page 5 and 6: Noteworthy Ronald Moomaw, D.O (‘8
Page 7 and 8: photo provided by Julianna Batizy-M
Page 9 and 10: Opportunities With 32 active donor-
Page 11 and 12: For nearly 10 years, Robin Thomas,
Page 13 and 14: director of the hospital’s medica
Page 15 and 16: CME S A V E T H E D A T E James D.
Page 17 and 18: WWhen Mary Kruszewski, D.O. (‘88)
Page 19 and 20: Anita Showalter, D.O., (‘93) whos
Page 21 and 22: . ........ From Diapers to Driver
Page 23: compared to a 15 percent growth in
Page 27 and 28: Your Ohio University Alumni Associa
Page 29 and 30: OU-COM Participates in First-of-a-k
Page 31 and 32: Frontlinesby Maureen Harmon Mission
Page 33 and 34: from the Syrian border (where Al-Qa
Page 35 and 36: Grandview Hospital, with 450 beds,
Page 37 and 38: Anderson Appointed to the Universit
Page 39 and 40: Congratulations Class of 2006

DO - Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

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