glimpse of the future

i am excited for my interview today! and not just because it gets me out of a day in the NICU (actually, i’m missing the best day of the week — the short friday!). i am hoping that i will get a little taste of what being a pediatric endocrine fellow would be like. getting to concentrate solely on my favorite slice of pediatric medicine, balancing research and clinical duties, and learning a TON so that i will be ready to actually practice endocrinology on my own — it sounds so fantastic to me.*

i think that i would be a very happy and productive endocrine fellow.

i hope that i can show that to my interviewers today.

so what exactly does an endocrinologist do?
i have been asked this many times, so i figure it makes sense to clarify — it’s not just diabetes!
figure from kidshealth.org

pediatric endocrinologists treat:
• diabetes, both type 1 and type 2
• hypoglycemia
• thyroid disorders
• disorders related to the adrenal gland hormones, like diabetes insipidus or adrenal insufficiency
• issues with puberty (early or late) or sexual differentiation
• issues related to bone (disorders of parathyroid hormone, calcium, or vitamin D)
• growth problems (height or weight)
• endocrine tumors (genetic tumor syndromes or things like prolactinomas)
• patients with genetic syndromes that often have endocrine issues, like down’s syndrome, turner’s syndrome, and prader-willi

i ♥ it all. i also ♥ that peds endocrinologists work mainly in the clinic-based setting, get great continuity with their patients, and generally have lifestyles that do not suck. i hope things work out for me this year — it would be absolutely amazing to secure a position and know that i am set for the future in a career that i KNOW is for me.

* plus, no 30-hour call shifts, ever again!

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11.6.08

workout: 7 mile tempo run post-call.
– 1 mi @ 8:57/mi
– 6 mi @ 8:27/mi
felt WAYYYY harder than it should have. i just do not run well post-call!

cooking: nope. this week’s culinary adventures have not gone as planned. fortunately, most of the ingredients i bought will last for a while.