Amie Kowalczyk, Pediatric Resident

Humbling work

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"I've cried over my kids. I've had parents tell me things I can't imagine a stranger telling you, talking about their grief. Sometimes it just blows you away. It's really amazing to see how families deal with illness and grief.

"It really humbles you to be part of peoples' lives at such a critical time. It's pretty powerful but you don't think about it from day to day a lot. You just do what you're doing."

Images from my workplace

Where I work

I work for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority at Children's Hospital and do some work with the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Boniface.

I also spend time with community pediatricians and have gone up to Thompson for a month at a time to work there.

There are about 30 residents at Children's Hospital. We treat children who are in-patients at the hospital. We also see kids in Emergency, at clinics and spend a lot of time with the sub-specialists who work with them.

Unique role as resident

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"It's kind of a unique, in-between phase in that you're not a student anymore. You have the responsibility as the doctor that's looking after these kids in the hospital and yet you are still learning, and there are still attending physicians who are supervising you, to a certain extent.

"Thank goodness there is that graduation from being just a student to having some supervision. And as you progress throughout residency from first year to fourth year, you get more and more independence."

My work environment

Children's Hospital and the General Hospital are undergoing quite a few renovations. They recently opened a new Critical Care Unit so we have a new Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit and new operating rooms.

I spend a lot of time on the ward and in the clinic. There's a lot of walking and I'm constantly on my feet but for the most part, it's indoors. I don't get outside unless I make a point of going outside to get from point A to point B.

Tools and technology

We use a lot technology to interpret test results, such as an electrocardiogram machine.

The everyday technology I rely on includes X-rays, CT, MRI and ultrasound. I also use stethoscopes to check the kids' heart and lungs, and otoscopes and opthalmoscopes to check their ears and eyes.

Note: CT, or CAT scan, stands for Computerized Axial Tomography. MRI is Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Ultrasound is a procedure using high-frequency sound waves. All of these tests produce various kinds of images, allowing the doctor to "see" internal organs.

Change one thing

As residents, we work really hard and sometimes I think it borders on too much. I think cutting back the hours and the call time a bit would make things better for patients, for us and for everybody else that we have to work with.

Other than the number of hours we work, I think we're treated pretty well.

Education important

Education is important to both of my parents. They are both professionals with post-secondary schooling. Mom was a teacher and Dad worked in Agriculture.

My brother, sister and I were expected to get training after high school, or to at least plan on it. My parents would have been fine if we decided to take time off before going to university, but they emphasized education and lifelong learning.

My sister and I went to university and my brother is going to a community college. My sister and brother both went into agriculture-related directions.

Supportive parents

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"My dad was quite funny because when I first told him, ‘I really think I want to do this. I can't see myself doing anything else', I got the ‘Are you sure? You better be sure, because if you're sure, we can make this work.' I said, ‘Yeah, I really am.' So we made it work.

"My mom's always telling me to relax. I think that's pretty good advice.

"They've always encouraged me to do whatever I wanted to pursue the dreams that I had. That kind of encouragement was huge when growing up."

Recently married

I got married this year. I met my husband in medical school at the anatomy lab. There were lots of great stories at the wedding about that. It was not the most romantic meeting but kind of funny.

He finished at the same time as I did and we both started our residency here after a brief honeymoon. He's working in Orthopaedics, so he's working with bones and joints and those sorts of things.

We don't have any kids yet but hope to one day.

Relax in free time

At the end of a long day, I just want to come home and relax. Our outside interests have fallen by the wayside. With the hours my husband and I are working right now, I'd rather just have time at home with him or visit family. He's a very good cook and I like to eat what he cooks, so it works well. I'm quite spoiled.

In the winter, we rent movies or go out to movies.

We like to travel but we haven't had much of a chance to do this since we started our residencies. Maybe next year we'll take a trip somewhere warm.

Likes Winnipeg

I grew up in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. My family moved there when I was three and a half years old. It's a small town of about 5,000 people.

Winnipeg is a terrific city. There's more to do here than in Saskatoon or Regina. There's more theatre, more restaurants. And there are fabulous people. I work with a really good group of people.

It's also nice to have a mix of things to do outside of the city. You don't have to travel far to get to some beautiful lakes and amazing camping.

Shifts vary

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"We do an average of seven (on) call (shifts) in 28 days. On average it's every fourth day but sometimes it'll be two days apart and you'll go five days without being on call.

"The rest of your days depend on where you're working. For example in Emergency, it's shift work, and they're usually eight-hour shifts. In clinics, it's more laid back because clinics don't start until 8:30 or 9:00. You're often there later because you have a lot more paperwork."

Long hours on call

When I'm on call, I have to stay at the hospital up to 30 hours. Kids can turn around really quickly and we need to be able to respond fast.

Because I'm there for so long, I sometimes sleep for an hour or two while I'm there to refresh myself a bit.

I typically work two weekends a month but if there is a particular weekend I'd like off, I can ask for it ahead of time. By the time I get to my fourth year of residency, I will do less on-call work and none on weekends.

No two days the same

There's an element of surprise to my work. The kids and their illnesses differ and my schedule changes. It keeps me on my toes.

As a resident, my year is divided into four-week blocks. When I'm working in emergency, my work is quite different than what I do in neonatal intensive care.

There are some consistencies in my day, though. I am always seeing, diagnosing and treating patients, working with residents and being a part of a big health care team.

Intense work

My job is very busy and fast-paced. I spend a lot of time on my feet and there's not a lot of down time. Things change from minute to minute, which can be high stress but also very rewarding.

Leaving the ward for a coffee, a walk or a bite to eat helps. So does venting to other residents because we're all dealing with the same stress. It can feel good to take five minutes to vent about something that's driving you crazy to someone who understands.

Leaving work at work

Some days I have to make a conscious effort to leave work at work. Shifting gears from work mode to my time is difficult. I'll still be thinking about the kids as we're making dinner, watching TV or going to a movie. I get attached to my kids and their families because I work so closely with them.

My husband gives me a hard time when I'm worrying about my job. He reminds me that somebody else is looking after them while I'm away and they're going to be okay.

Find humour at work

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"I get to play with the kids a little bit. I'm not always poking them. Especially some of the kids with more chronic diseases that you get to know a little bit better, they're a lot of fun. Kids have some of the most profound, funny things they say sometimes.

"With the other residents, we're all there working 80, 90 hours a week and we're all pretty sleep-deprived. And every now and then something that really isn't that funny, at three in the morning, when we finally get something to eat, is all of a sudden hilarious.

"When you have a good group of people to work with, it makes a big difference."

Team effort

The chain of command varies. I'm a junior resident. On my ward, our team of junior residents and medical students is supervised by a senior resident who runs rounds. We also work with nurses, dieticians and respiratory therapists.

The attending physician is a community pediatrician who admits the child to the hospital. We check in regularly with the attending physician to tell them what we plan to do.

Learning from kids

I think I'm basically the same person I was when I started out but I know my job has changed me. I have learned more about myself.

Kids teach me a lot. It amazes me the way kids look at illness. It makes me look at life a little bit differently. It makes me really thankful that my family and friends' children are healthy.

Strong work ethic

To be a pediatrician you have to have a strong work ethic. It's a lot of work getting through school until you get the marks you need to get into medical school. Then you have to make choices in medical school and follow through so you can get the residency position you want.

Once you're a resident you have to work 80 hours a week and enjoy what you do. You have to be disciplined because sometimes it can be exhausting work and it never seems to end. You have to be focused and prepared to work hard, both before and after becoming a doctor.

Need people skills

Problem-solving and critical thinking skills are important to diagnose and treat patients, but people skills are a huge part of my work. I need to be able to deal with the kids who are sick. Their parents can be challenging to deal with because they are so worried about their kids. I see them at their worst and I need to be patient and professional with both kids and their parents.

I also need to be courteous and respectful to the team of people I work closely with.

Passion for science

In high school I wasn't much of an English/social science kind of person. I preferred having the right answer to the question. I was a science geek and liked physics. I took all of the science and math classes I could take.

In university I took physics and mathematical physics. I don't know what I would have done with it but I found it interesting. I considered a degree that worked with math, physics, medicine and research technology but I realized I'd be working in labs all the time. I prefer to work with people.

Evolving career plan

My career plan kind of evolved. I decided to go into medicine, which was a surprise to me, after my sister Sarah was born. I was in high school at the time. It was pretty exciting.

Once I decided on medical school I had to choose what kind of doctor I wanted to be. It was a pretty big question to ask myself. I first thought about obstetrics and family medicine but I ended up deciding on pediatrics. It took me quite awhile to figure that all out.

Explored options

In high school, there are opportunities to get into a hospital and see how it works. If you have a chance to job shadow somebody for a few days or volunteer at a hospital, I recommend it. You can see how things run.

Once I was in medical school, I worked as a summer student at the hospital in Lloydminster. That was good for me because I realized I liked being in a hospital. After being in the classroom, some people go a more academic route but I wanted to be working with patients.

Women in medicine

It seems there are more men than women working as family doctors and pediatricians. That's the generation gap lagging behind the new reality. Now, I think the majority of people starting medical school for the past five years are primarily female. Our class was a 50-50 mix between males and females but some schools are approaching 60-40 for women.

When I got into Medicine, I had a lot of people asking me about how hard it was to be a woman in Medicine. I said, "My class is full of women. Now they're everywhere!"

Took quick track

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"I'm happy with where I am now and with how I got here. And I don't think I would change anything but it's quick.* There are a lot of other people who've gotten to the same point in their careers that have taken time to do some travelling and explore some other things in life.

"Once you're committed to it, there's not a lot of time. We get four weeks of vacation a year. Some people take a year off here and there but once you're into that track there's not a whole lot of flexibility. Make sure it's what you want to do before you really commit yourself to that path."

Note: Amie didn't take any time off between her studies and starting her work as a resident.

If I had more free time

If I had more free time, I would pick up some of the interests I used to have, like figure skating and music. I might even explore new hobbies and interests.

My husband and I enjoy spending time outside and camping. We have also talked about travelling together but we haven't decided on any particular destination. As newlyweds, we visited family in Saskatoon. Even talking about going somewhere more exotic on vacation is fun.

In five years

I'm not sure where I'll be in five years. It depends on when we start having children. I don't know when that'll happen, but I know it won't be very soon. If we were to have children during my four-year residency, I would likely take a year of maternity leave.

In 10  years I'll probably be more settled in a practice of some sort. I think I'll probably end up with a community paediatrics, with a more office-based practice so I can have more time with my family.

What I want most

I want happiness. I'd like to start a family of my own.

I'd like more balance between work and family. That's going to take conscious effort with two doctors. We're both really career-focused, especially because we've invested so much time, energy and money to become doctors. But my husband and I are also both family-oriented.

Pediatrics is changing

It's not easy to find a pediatrician now. Pediatrics has become referral-based. Winnipeg is one of the few places where pediatricians still do primary care. In other areas, family doctors do primary care and refer to pediatricians when the kids get sick.

Family doctors only get about two months of training in pediatrics during their residency. If they had more training, I would be more comfortable with this shift in how care if given. Some medical schools offer an extra six months in pediatrics for doctors to gain or refresh those skills.

Making a difference

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"You do your best to help kids get better faster and do what you can to help them through acute illnesses.

"We get to do some long-term management too, and diagnose what's wrong and do what you can to treat it. You get involved in the family dynamic too, helping families cope with things.

"Even just talking to parents about nutrition and immunizations - those kinds of things makes a big difference. It's just all the little things put together."

Job market info

The links below take you to federal and regional government information on employment, education, salary ranges and long range prospects for this career.

The official title for Amie's occupation is "Specialist Physicians" and its NOC* code is 3111.

Manitoba Job Futures - Pediatrician

Employment Prospects - Labour Market Information

*Each occupation has an official name and unique number called the 'National Occupation Classification' code or 'NOC'.

Education

Useful High School subjects

- Math
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- English

*Source: JobFutures.ca .

For those out of school, Adult Learning Centres can help you get or upgrade your high school diploma, including adding subjects that are required for work or further education. All Manitobans are normally entitled to 4 free courses.

Below are links to various programs and courses that will you on the path to a career as a Pediatrician:

Colleges & Universities

University of Manitoba

Pre-Medicine
Faculty of Medicine

University of Winnipeg

Pre-Medicine

Canadian Mennonite University

Pre-Medicine

Brandon University

Pre-Medicine

Essential Skills

The most important Essential Skills* for Amie's and other related occupations are:

- Multidisciplinary teamwork
- Proposal writing
- Business and financial management
- Committee work
- Interpersonal skills

*For more information on Essential Skills and their importance, go to: Essential Skills NOC .

Professional Resources

College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba  
The statutory body responsible for maintaining standards of medical practice in Manitoba

Manitoba Medical Association
The province's voluntary professional association for medical doctors

Professional Association of Residents and Interns of Manitoba
A volunteer-run, non-profit organization representing Manitoba's resident physicians

Canadian Paediatric Society
A national association of pediatricians that promotes excellence in health care, advocacy, education, research and support for its membership

CareerTrek
A not-for-profit organization that provides innovative educational programming for young people with perceived barriers to entering post-secondary education

Related Careers

General Practitioners and Family Physicians (NOC 3112)

Naturopathic Physicians and Osteopathic Physicians (NOC 3123)

Managers in Health Care (NOC 0311)