As a medical student, do you ever wonder what it’s like to specialize in pediatrics? Meet Ellen Mateo, MD, a pediatrician and a featured doctor in the AMA’s “Shadow Me” Specialty Series, which offers advice directly from physicians about life in their specialties. Check out her insights to help determine whether a career in pediatrics might be a good fit for you.
The AMA Specialty Guide simplifies medical students’ specialty selection process, highlights major specialties, details training information, and provides access to related association information. It is produced by FREIDA™, the AMA Residency & Fellowship Database®.
Learn more with the AMA about the medical specialty of pediatrics.
“Shadowing” Dr. Ellen Mateo
Specialty: Pediatrics.
Practice setting: Group practice.
Employment type: Employed by a group practice that is part of Confluence Health, in Wenatchee, Washington. Confluence Health is a member of the AMA Health System Program, which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine.
Years in practice: 16.
A typical day and week in my practice: A typical day in the office consists of patient-facing hours, EHR documentation, inbox work and brief interactions with colleagues. Phone calls are also made to patients on occasion, as well as to specialists, depending on cases. My week is a combination of around 34 hours of clinical work and about six hours of administrative work.
The most challenging and rewarding aspects of pediatrics: The most challenging aspect of caring for patients in our specialty includes the care of children with special health care needs whose significant social determinants impact their health and safety.
The most rewarding aspects are witnessing how sick children recover in a nurturing environment and seeing children thrive and grow to become successful young adults.
The impact burnout has on pediatrics: Pediatrics is a very rewarding specialty but, like all areas of medicine, physician burnout is not uncommon. Burnout in pediatricians can significantly affect their ability to provide quality care, increasing the likelihood of errors, apathy or switching professions since they no longer find joy and purpose in their work.
To ensure pediatricians continue to meet their patients' health care needs, it's essential for physicians to acknowledge how burnout affects their ability to provide care and collaborate with colleagues and their health system for support. Fortunately, my health system offers various resources and has a fantastic team to address these concerns.
How Confluence Health is reducing physician burnout: Our organization has a Physician Experience Committee, which has engaged physicians and other health professionals to participate in activities outside of the office to establish connections. Periodic check-ins and rounding are done at the department level. Resources such as coaching and concierge services are also available for all.
How my lifestyle matches, or differs from, what I had envisioned: The lifestyle I have has surpassed my expectations from medical school. I have no regrets for taking the career path I took. My experience is not typical, as I have trained in my home country, the Philippines, as well as in the U.S. I have witnessed stark differences in how medicine is practiced between those settings.
I am grateful for the opportunities that came my way. I started a family much later and have encountered challenges in juggling starting a career with caring for infant children. I have found that having a supportive partner is crucial to achieving work-life balance.
Skills every physician in training should have for pediatrics but won’t be tested for on the board exam: Physicians in training for this specialty must have a significant amount of patience and curiosity to be able to communicate effectively and problem-solve with care providers. They must genuinely care about children and the relationships they have with their patients’ families.
One question physicians in training should ask themselves before pursuing pediatrics: How will I build a trusting relationship with young patients and their families, especially when navigating difficult circumstances?
Books, podcasts or other resources every medical student interested in pediatrics should be reading:
- The Harriet Lane Handbook: A Manual for Pediatric House Officers, edited by the Johns Hopkins Hospital. It is a condensed book that provides a quick reference for normal laboratory values, formulary and guidelines on managing common clinical problems.
- Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, edited by Robert Kliegman, MD, and Joseph W. St. Geme, III, MD. This is a comprehensive reference containing pediatric development, physiology and disease, and evidence-based recommendations for treatment of multiple pediatric conditions.
- The “Pediatrics on Call Podcast.” It presents bite-sized discussions of the latest research in pediatrics and its application to practice.
- Red Book, by American Academy of Pediatrics. This is a very helpful reference for the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases in children.
Additional advice I would give to students who are considering pediatrics: Be ready to bring positive change into a child’s life.
