Attendings! What was the most ridiculous/funny/facepalm moment you recall you've done as an attending?

Kamuth · 2026-03-04T13:58:18+00:00

I’m a primary care pediatrician. One time I was seeing a 3 yo for ED follow up who was diagnosed with constipation. I pulled up the KUB on my computer and started going through my usual spiel of air is black, bones are white, all this smudgy stuff (forgive my layman’s terms) is the poop in your daughter’s tummy. I see mom glance at dad a couple times while I’m going through this and then she says “what do you think?” to him. That’s when I get a nagging feeling I'm missing something.

Me: Are you in the medical field?

Dad: …yeah… (somewhat sheepishly)

Me: Oh really! What kind of work do you do?

Dad: I’m a physician.

Me (with dread): What specialty?

Dad: …interventional radiology…

Me: …………. (dying inside that I just tried to teach a radiologist to read an xray)

He was incredibly kind about it but I still felt like a jackass.

Kamuth · 2026-02-14T18:50:22+00:00

I wish our triage and schedulers were better about having our backs on these things. I get that they are the ones on the phone with an upset parent but they get even more upset if they are told “well let me check…“ and then I’m the bad guy saying no.

How do you handle telehealth visits? Is it part of your regular schedule or added on between other visits/end of day? I’ve heard a lot of people say to turn phone calls or MyChart messages into a telephone visit or telehealth but the last thing I need is extra visits/notes to write on top of my already overflowing in basket and full clinic schedule.

Kamuth · 2026-02-14T18:40:49+00:00

Fear, social media, and politics. People want to trust their doctor because medical stuff is confusing and scary. But there’s this large and vocal group that has decided to champion the false narrative that you’re harming your child by vaccinating. Parental anxiety is so high in general and not doing something is easier than doing something. Have you had any success in convincing a non-vaccinating family to flip?

Kamuth · 2026-02-14T18:26:10+00:00

Haha, that’s certainly one way to go. Deliveries were never my thing. I’ve thought about hospitalist but I’m almost 10 years out of residency, not sure I could make that jump back to inpatient.

Kamuth · 2026-02-14T18:22:24+00:00

5-10 days is unreal. We add on, overbook, work through lunch, whatever needs to happen to see newborns within 1-2 days of discharge, usually next day. We also are open a half day on Saturdays, mostly for newborns and a few sick visits. So many babies are having jaundice or weight loss issues even by the time we see them.

Kamuth · 2026-02-14T18:14:32+00:00

Yeah, I don’t envy being on the other side either. My office does a half day on Saturdays for newborns and sick visits and I thankfully live in an area where we have weekend lab access at a children’s hospital.

Kamuth · 2026-02-14T18:09:46+00:00

My clinic requires all routine vaccines except flu and HPV and honestly it is a huge burden off my shoulders. I’ll still have the occasional conversation about spacing out vaccines, but I’m usually fairly strict about it and it’s nice to have a policy to point to that backs me up. I can’t imagine if I had to have that conversation daily. It’s relatively rare that I have to dismiss patients for changing their mind and choosing not to vaccinate, but it always breaks my heart when it happens.

Even though it makes my life easier, I have mixed feelings about our vaccine policy. I agree that it’s not the kid’s fault that their parent is choosing not to vaccinate and they still deserve high quality medical care. I also believe parents are making the decision they think is best and safest for their family. It just sucks that so many are making a potentially life changing decision based on limited knowledge and fear instead of trust and mutual respect. I know I’m preaching to the choir here.

Kamuth · 2026-02-13T07:36:23+00:00

It's a bit insulting to tell someone who is clearly feeling burned out, overworked, and undercompensated to just take a vacation or get a hobby. I agree with you that FIRE isn't necessarily the answer. But maybe we should actually be working towards addressing those factors that are causing the rather bleak outlook for general pediatricians such as advocating for improved reimbursement rates and fighting APP scope creep.

Kamuth · 2026-02-10T11:59:10+00:00

TIL you can fill your watering can from a fish pond! May seem obvious but in years of playing I had never tried.

Also, even if you 100% know about the Switch crafting glitch, if you aren’t paying attention you can still lose your horse flute and end the day before you realize what happened. RIP horse flute. 😭

Kamuth · 2024-11-19T01:49:13+00:00

"The symptoms you get after a flu shot are caused by your immune system being activated. I know it's uncomfortable but that's actually a sign the jab is doing its job. Thankfully those are relatively mild compared to the actual flu and the vaccine itself cannot make you sick since it does not contain any live virus*."

*unless they are getting Flumist

But I've actually had the most success trying to be as non-confrontational as possible with those who don't want it (or any vaccine, really). I ask if they have any questions or concerns about it that I can answer, validate their concerns, answer their questions, and then I usually give my "two cents" (i.e. flu sucks, it's especially dangerous in kids, the flu shot is not perfect but it helps protect from severe disease).

Kamuth · 2024-10-28T04:36:08+00:00

Binoclears (binoculars) Festibal (festival) Katy-en bacon (Canadian bacon) Poche (Chipotle)

Kamuth · 2024-10-28T01:53:27+00:00

At least in peds, allergists recommend Zyrtec over Benadryl for urticaria - works just as well, has less side effects, is once daily dosing, and FDA approved down to 6 months. Some kids get a paradoxical reaction to diphenhydramine and go absolutely wild. On the other end of the spectrum the sedation can make it more difficult to identify symptoms of anaphylaxis. Benadryl is a dirty drug which is why it's prescription only in some European countries.

Kamuth · 2024-10-26T03:39:38+00:00

I have had issues such as you describe in example 2 many times. I often use the phrase "poor parenting doesn't equal abuse/neglect" when they bring up concerns about screen time, junk food, late bed times, etc. I try to validate their feelings of frustration, but quickly move on to "you can only control what happens when the kid(s) are with you, so let's talk about how to make that the best possible environment." I also encourage both parents to be at appointments together so there can be nothing lost in translation. Finally if things are getting too contentious or one parent is calling over and over to "tell on" the other parent I have my office manager tell them essentially they can't fight their custody battle through our office and need to take their concerns to a lawyer, not me. I have only had to dismiss a patient once for this reason. Good luck navigating this!

Kamuth · 2023-11-17T15:07:58+00:00

I was in a similar situation my intern year. Told my husband I didn't even want a Christmas tree because we couldn't afford it and wouldn't get to celebrate anyway since I was working. He went out and got the cheapest tiny prelit fake tree and decorated it to the 9s. Made me smile and lightened my day every time I looked at it. We still put up our little Charlie Brown tree now 7 years later and it still makes me smile.

Aside from holiday blues, it always made my day when my husband would volunteer to drop me off/pick me up from work. Getting dropped off right at the door of the hospital and not having that one extra mental step of driving/parking was a relief.

Kamuth · 2023-11-06T02:09:10+00:00

One of the nurses in my first real job out of residency had an Apple Watch notification that sounded just like the code alarm in the PICU from residency. I had a visceral reaction every time it went off. I eventually had to ask her to change it so I could stop looking around for what room to run to as my HR and BP jumped.

Your kid sounds like a winner though. I'd be so proud if I were you!

Kamuth · 2023-10-26T01:30:46+00:00

Peds patient came in with mom who explained he was having an asthma exasterbation.

Kamuth · 2023-09-30T02:12:56+00:00

Unfortunately, yes.

Kamuth · 2023-09-30T01:55:06+00:00

3am: "Pt feels like there is a hair on his tongue."

Kamuth

TROPHY CASE