Positive Shadowing Experience

I see some disheartening threads on the SDN forums, and I want to post something uplifting. I shadowed my DO pediatrician today and it was a very positive experience. The guy is happy as a clam. He works 4 days a week so that he can spend his Mondays going to the park/zoo/beach with his 2-year-old daughter. He said that the work of a ped provides a lot of fulfillment, and he really feels like he truly engenders well-being on children. One of the hang-ups I had about going into medicine (particularly primary care) is that I thought it might be boring (otitis, common cold, child check-up, repeat). He told that while he sees similar things routinely, every patient and case is different and he told me that he is never bored. He pointed out that you would be hard pressed to find a job that did not contain an element of repetition. All in all, he finds the job very intellectually stimulating and has very high job satisfaction. He also said that the difference between DO/MD is a wash in the real world. All the matters is that you are an empathetic and competent clinician. It was a really nice experience and I just thought I'd share.
Source: Student Doctor Network Forums - Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Tags: Pre-Medical Osteopathic [ DO ] Source Type: forums