Quote Originally Posted by acapitosti View Post
The worst part however though is the discouragement from others. "That would be so hard..." "Do you think you can handle sick and dying children?" "I can't bear to see children get sick" and so forth. What people need to say instead is "That's wonderful! We need more people like you."
Hi,
I am sorry that they cannot share the joy you feel from such a "giving" field as peds onc.

I found that working in oncology actually gives me so much more than working in med/surg or ortho!

Maybe a good way to answer these "tsk-ers" who say "how can you handle sick and dying children" is to say, "Because I think they deserve care respect rather than to be shunned and it isn't about "me" it is about them."

Or maybe,
"well its a good thing that I wasn't your patient then!"

Or how about,
"Then good, we don't need people with THAT attitude, yet, you do not know what you are missing, there is more joy, hope and enthusiasm with these sick children than you will ever find in med/surg...or wherever...with your equally or more sad adult patients..."

Good luck, I am sure that you will bring much to your patients and feel much in return.
Gen