Training to Teach, Teaching to Train.

Abstract

1. Joseph A. Zenel, MD 1. Editor-in-Chief Although privileged to be Editor-in-Chief of Pediatrics in Review (PIR) , I am even more privileged to be a pediatrics residency program director. Training future pediatricians similarly to the way pediatricians trained me is an opportunity to instill the inquisitiveness, compassion, and dedication I witnessed in my teachers, who I now realize wanted to impart their enjoyment, satisfaction, and sense of purpose to pediatricians yet-to-be. My attending physicians made sure I knew my patients and their illnesses well enough that when asked, at any time of day or night, I could give in my own words a quick, succinct synopsis of a patient’s course and a coherent rationale for that patient’s therapy. Each attending physician had a different approach, some nurturing, others curt, but all strove to impress upon an apprentice their personal interpretation of pediatrics. During my 3 years of residency, thanks to constant faculty oversight, I grew confident in my skills and took pride in knowing my patients, being responsible for them, and caring for them. When I graduated and joined a rural practice, I was certain I was trained to practice well. What I did not know was that I also was trained to teach. Very soon in clinical practice, I …