The Doctor Diaries

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I got a call at home one afternoon from the office. They said one of my patients desperately wanted to talk with me. I figured it was a parent whose child was very ill. I am used to these types of calls.

I was surprised to hear that the patient was actually a four-year-old little girl. Her mom needed to take her to see a specialist to get an injection to boost her immune system, but this darling little girl was throwing a fit, refusing to get in the car, screaming and crying that she didn't want to go get the shot. She said she would only go if Dr. Bob called her and told her she had to. So, with only a half-hour until her appointment time, mom called our office for help. The office called me, and I called the little girl's house. Dad answered, and I could hear the girl crying in the background. Dad handed the phone to her, and I gave her a little pep talk about how important the shot was and that I really wanted her to go. She calmed down, and said in her cute little voice that she would go.

It really amazed me just how much of a positive effect a doctor can have on a child's life. I am so used to kids being scared to come to the doctor because they hate to get shots. Most two-year-olds have to be practically dragged into our office, kicking and screaming, for their checkup. And I don't blame them.

So it's very nice when I hear that a child actually looks up to me and respects me enough to want me to tell them over the phone that it's ok to go get a shot somewhere. A parent even told me once that her two-year-old actually plays "Dr. Bob" at home, walking around the house with her doctor kit saying, "I'm Dr. Bob, I'm Dr. Bob." This was one of the most rewarding things a parent has ever told me.