Written by: Jennifer Chen c2023 McMaster Medical School, Hamilton Campus Where was your placement and what specialty was it in?
Barrie Pediatrics Core at Royal Victoria Hospital [cc2]. What were your accommodations like and how did you get to your placement? I found accommodation through ROMP and was living in a house that was a 15 minute walk or 5 minute drive to the hospital. The cost of parking at RVH was about $26 for the entire month but it was definitely close enough to walk. The only reason I didn't end up walking was because I was there in January and the snow in Barrie is no joke. Describe a typical day at your core. A typical day is around 9am to 4pm either in the pediatric ward, outpatient clinic, or one of the many in-hospital clinics, such as Diabetes Clinic, Asthma Clinic, or Urgent Consult Clinic. Each day you are working with a different preceptor and you follow them throughout their shift. The pediatric ward typically had between 2-6 patients and ranged from newborns with bronchiolitis to teenagers with eating disorders. Outpatient clinic is right across the street from the hospital and this is where I saw a lot of ADHD, autism, behavioural disorders, and constipation. The staff always give you about 40 minutes to 1 hour for lunch and the overall pace great for learning; you get enough time to see patients on your own and to discuss with the preceptor afterward. What level of responsibility did you have as a medical student? The level of responsibility was quite varied depending on what you wanted to get out of the experience. In the beginning of the core, I followed the preceptors around to see how they saw consults and when I felt more comfortable, I was able to see patients on my own and take histories and physicals independently. The staff are more than welcoming to requests/specific goals you have and work with you to achieve them, don't be afraid to ask! What are some things you recommend people review for this placement? It would be worthwhile to review ADHD, autism, behavioural disorders, and constipation for the outpatient clinic. Review pediatric asthma and diabetes to prep for the in-hospital clinics. Also get a general sense of what is on a pediatric history and pediatric physical exam, relative to patient's age (newborn, infant, teen). What is your most memorable experience? All the little kiddos who warm up to you as you chat and play with them! You can definitely see major differences in how children react to coming to the hospital/clinic but there is almost always something you can say/do to make their experience more entertaining and welcoming. It is one of the few specialties where it is totally normal to goof off with the patients. What was one thing you didn’t like? The snow and winter conditions in Barrie exceeded my expectations and I was not prepared. You absolutely need winter tires if you are in Barrie in the winter time. However, the good thing is that Barrie is close to a couple of ski/snow places so you can definitely ski/snowboard when you're in the area. Do you have any recommendations for things to do/explore/eat in the local area? Unfortunately we were in lockdown while I was in Barrie so I did not get the chance to explore the city much. However, I have heard that downtown Barrie is cute with restaurants and cafes. Would you recommend this elective/core to current students? Yes! It was a wonderful experience and I have no regrets in doing my peds core in Barrie.
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Royal Victoria Hospital, image credit: rvh.on.ca
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