2 answers
Sophia
Student
Yuma, Arizona
1
Question
Updated
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What are the ups and downs of being a Neonatologist?
When I grow up I want to be a Neonatologist. My name is Sophia and I am in 7th grade. I love helping my mom with the kids at home, I also like helping my families with their babies .I am really interested in being either a doctor or a nurse in Labor and Delivery. Altho I’mnot sure if I want to do that my whole life if there are downs to being a Neonatologist that I don’t know. So I need your help telling me the ups and downs to being a part of Labor and Delivery, and how to get there. I might also need to know if joining the Military or the Navy might help me get the job. Please share your thoughts and feedback, thank you so much for listening! What do you want to be?
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2 answers
James Hanson
Pediatric Intensive Care Physician; Consultant
266
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
James’s Answer
I am a pediatric intensive care physician - the kind of doctor that takes over from neonatologists as infants get a bit older, working in the intensive care unit. We work a lot with neonatologists since we use similar life-support machines and medications, and take care of many of the same babies. All physicians go through a lengthy, challenging education. 4 years of college + 4 years of medical school + 3 years of pediatric residency + 3 years of fellowship training (one starts being paid, although not much, after medical school). Babies are born and need care 24/7, so our specialties must work a lot of overnight and weekend/holiday shifts. Although our field keeps getting better at supporting the most ill babies, some do die, and it is of course very sad for the healthcare team as well as for the families.
Ultimately, most of the neonatologists (and for that matter, neonatal nurses) have been very happy with their careers, knowing that they are making a big positive impact on families. It is an amazing feeling when you work hard based on all that training and know you truly did save that person's life!
Please keep caring for babies and children. Please don't shortchange yourself - put in the effort to go as far as you can, and take pride in your accomplishments.
Ultimately, most of the neonatologists (and for that matter, neonatal nurses) have been very happy with their careers, knowing that they are making a big positive impact on families. It is an amazing feeling when you work hard based on all that training and know you truly did save that person's life!
Please keep caring for babies and children. Please don't shortchange yourself - put in the effort to go as far as you can, and take pride in your accomplishments.
Thank you, this is really helpful.
Sophia
Alexander Verma
Physician - neurologist
13
Answers
Denver, Colorado
Updated
Alexander’s Answer
Hi Sophia,
As Dr. Hanson said, there is a long road to becoming a pediatric intensivist. It is a position that is in high demand, but also puts a lot of demands on your physical and mental health. I'll preface this by saying that it's seldom a neonatologist gets to spend time with babies the way you do at home. Usually they are going room to room, seeing approximately 10-30 patients in a day, usually only spending a few minutes in each room. A neonatology nurse usually has fewer patients with more hands on time spent with each one but this comes with its own challenges.
Dr. Hanson mentioned that sometimes babies die in the ICU, and this is very true. However, consider that you will see babies at their sickest and most fragile, you will see families at their most emotional and vulnerable moments. Neonatology is a field with a lot of ethical dilemmas as well. You will encounter babies where the best possible outcome is that they will have severe lifelong health problems or profound cognitive deficits. You will have cases where what you think is best for a child is not what the parents think is best, and these conflicts can get quite contentious. These cases can be emotionally draining. This is also a field where, as you are caring for the most vulnerable population of patients, there is a lot of pressure. A mistake in care can lead to a catastrophic outcome for your patient, their family, and your career, even more so than other medical fields.
However, this field is rewarding in a lot of ways. You do get to see a lot of your patients thrive thanks to your care. You get lovely families who appreciate everything you're doing. You get to understand the human body on a very intensive level. I strongly considered neonatology as a career, but ultimately chose neurology instead as I didn't want to go through a pediatrics residency.
As for joining the military, ROTC can be a way to pay for medical school. Just keep in mind you will need to fulfill your military duties as well as your medical school and residency duties, and you may not get to choose where you do residency or where you practice when you are done. You often need to spend at least 5 years working where the military sends you before you are free of your obligations.
As Dr. Hanson said, there is a long road to becoming a pediatric intensivist. It is a position that is in high demand, but also puts a lot of demands on your physical and mental health. I'll preface this by saying that it's seldom a neonatologist gets to spend time with babies the way you do at home. Usually they are going room to room, seeing approximately 10-30 patients in a day, usually only spending a few minutes in each room. A neonatology nurse usually has fewer patients with more hands on time spent with each one but this comes with its own challenges.
Dr. Hanson mentioned that sometimes babies die in the ICU, and this is very true. However, consider that you will see babies at their sickest and most fragile, you will see families at their most emotional and vulnerable moments. Neonatology is a field with a lot of ethical dilemmas as well. You will encounter babies where the best possible outcome is that they will have severe lifelong health problems or profound cognitive deficits. You will have cases where what you think is best for a child is not what the parents think is best, and these conflicts can get quite contentious. These cases can be emotionally draining. This is also a field where, as you are caring for the most vulnerable population of patients, there is a lot of pressure. A mistake in care can lead to a catastrophic outcome for your patient, their family, and your career, even more so than other medical fields.
However, this field is rewarding in a lot of ways. You do get to see a lot of your patients thrive thanks to your care. You get lovely families who appreciate everything you're doing. You get to understand the human body on a very intensive level. I strongly considered neonatology as a career, but ultimately chose neurology instead as I didn't want to go through a pediatrics residency.
As for joining the military, ROTC can be a way to pay for medical school. Just keep in mind you will need to fulfill your military duties as well as your medical school and residency duties, and you may not get to choose where you do residency or where you practice when you are done. You often need to spend at least 5 years working where the military sends you before you are free of your obligations.
Thank you!
Sophia