Site evaluation

PA Gary Maida was my pediatrics site evaluator, and I really enjoyed learning from him because his extensive experience in pediatrics helped me have a deeper understanding of each patient presentation and pharmacological discussion. He made our pharmacology card discussions interactive and engaging, often turning them into game-style sessions that reinforced key drug concepts, including mechanisms of action and pediatric-specific adverse effects and uses that can be missed.

During the first site visit, he reviewed my attached HPI involving a pediatric abdominal complaint with umbilical pain and drainage in the context of a prior complicated appendectomy. He guided me to think critically beyond the chief complaint, considering post-surgical complications, congenital anomalies, and superficial versus intra-abdominal causes, while emphasizing the importance of a detailed history and thorough physical exam to drive decision making.

For the second site visit, we discussed two articles on tonsillitis and tonsillectomy. Professor Maida helped me to connect the literature to my real-world case. He also led a good discussion for us to consider not only infection but also airway obstruction, chronic disease processes, and the impact of socioeconomic factors and access to care on pediatric diagnosis and treatment. He encouraged us to present cases we encountered during out clinical rotation offering insightful feedback that highlighted the nuances of treating children compared to adults. His teaching style made learning practical, thoughtful, and directly applicable to pediatrics.