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- Feb 21, 2016
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Hi everyone! I'm a peds resident leaning towards a career in intensive care, either a Pediatric Critical Care or Neonatology fellowship. I have academic interests in genetic/metabolic conditions and congenital heart disease (e.g. "Terrible Ts," Pompe disease, Williams syndrome, Turner syndrome). I've ruled out peds cardiology because I want to work in the inpatient setting exclusively, ruled out PEM because I only want to care for the sickest patients.
However, given the limited time I've rotated in each unit as a resident (I only have 2 more weeks in the PICU), I'm having a hard time gauging which field between PICU or NICU will encounter more genetics/CHD. I don't have any more NICU/PICU blocks in my schedule nor away rotations at other hospitals.
I do love taking care of younger infants and even premies, and find fulfillment in providing counseling to parents whose NICU babies are born with genetic conditions with life-threatening or lifelong implications. I do find the physiology in cardiac babies fascinating, but I understand that most of the country is moving towards CV-ICU/PICU management rather than NICU management of these patients.
Of note, I do not prefer taking care of teenage/near-adult patients. Polypharmacy overdose is too sad for me, but trauma's exciting. But the acuity that CHD/genetic/metabolic conditions bring is what really brings me life.
Does anyone have any advice for deciding between NICU vs. PICU, based on these academic interests?
However, given the limited time I've rotated in each unit as a resident (I only have 2 more weeks in the PICU), I'm having a hard time gauging which field between PICU or NICU will encounter more genetics/CHD. I don't have any more NICU/PICU blocks in my schedule nor away rotations at other hospitals.
I do love taking care of younger infants and even premies, and find fulfillment in providing counseling to parents whose NICU babies are born with genetic conditions with life-threatening or lifelong implications. I do find the physiology in cardiac babies fascinating, but I understand that most of the country is moving towards CV-ICU/PICU management rather than NICU management of these patients.
Of note, I do not prefer taking care of teenage/near-adult patients. Polypharmacy overdose is too sad for me, but trauma's exciting. But the acuity that CHD/genetic/metabolic conditions bring is what really brings me life.
Does anyone have any advice for deciding between NICU vs. PICU, based on these academic interests?
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