PAs Do That! Part II

Last year, during Physician Assistants Week, one of my PA colleagues guest-blogged on Dear Dr. Christina. This year, we’re hearing from Stefanie Mohabir, PA-C, another PA colleague and graduate of our Physician Assistant fellowship program here at PM Pediatrics. Happy PA Week!

Treating a child is very different than treating an adult.  As a PA who is early in her career, I quickly learned that taking care of the “little people” requires some pizzazz.  It is both fun and rewarding. One of the perks of being a PA is how versatile we are.  We are trained across various specialties, which allows for professional change and growth. Joining the PM Pediatrics team as a Pediatric PA Fellow in 2016 eliminated my past anxiety of taking care of a sick child.  In addition, it has allowed me to grow as a practitioner and master pediatric urgent care illnesses, injuries, and procedures.  Although we make up a small percentage of PAs in practice, pediatric PAs are differentiated from our adult-treating colleagues by our unique compassion: we are a family, treating a family. Yes, there are times when my pediatric skills are challenged:  by the late night wheezer with a low oxygen saturation of 90% who needs to be transferred to the emergency department, or by two back-to-back laceration repairs who arrive during our Sunday evening “rush”.  Yet in the midst of that, I’m always proud to know I did my job so well that my patient has invited me over for pancakes, or even offered to share an ice cream.

In between the guidelines and pediatric dosing charts, I find myself brushing up on the latest in kids’ television because you’d be surprised how far a few Paw Patrol or Doc McStuffin quotes go during a PM visit. If it takes 4 stickers + an ice pop to get a strep test without tears….I’LL TAKE IT! It’s all part of my everyday life as a PA at PM Pediatrics..

Keep reading! Blog Update: Your Epidermis is Showing!