Pediatricians: The best job in the world

Pediatricians are doctors who provide healthcare for kids. It’s really the best job in the world. That’s why we do it. We get to heal and treat babies, toddlers, teenagers, up to 21-year-olds, and everything in between. Our job is to partner with parents in all aspects of their children’s health care. We hold brand new babies who are just minutes old. We talk with moms at 4 a.m. who have been up all night with fevering children. We answer questions when parents are uncertain. We laugh with you when things are great, and we cry with you when tragedy strikes.

Like you, we are moms and dads, and aunts and uncles. And we’ve been there. We know the happiness a child’s smile can bring. We know the hope and the future we see in the eyes of the 3-year-old princess that comes in for a checkup, the 10-year-old who plays soccer, or the 16-year-old learning to drive. We know the anxiety of parenthood, the worry, the fear, and the uncertainty. We have felt it. We feel it every day in our own homes. It is real. But we are here to help.

As pediatricians, we’re partners. We want what you want: happy, healthy kids. We want sore throats to get better fast. We want sprains and breaks to heal quickly. But more than that, we want parents to be empowered. We listen. We connect. We know your name, your needs, and your successes. We provide a safe place to get answers to tough questions. So we educate and take the necessary time to make sure you’re aware and up to date on the latest recommendations. We study, we read, and we have stacks of medical journals with the latest studies, treatments, and guidelines so that, when you have questions, we have the best answers.

Let’s face it: parenthood isn’t always glamorous. You get peed on, pooped on, coughed on, vomited on, and more. But every one of those not-so-glamorous moments is worth it. Our job has hazards, but the reward is worth all the wardrobe changes.

We are in it together. We have a vested interest. We want what’s best. We strive to be worthy of your trust. And we work for it every day—and even some nights—because we know you do so much for your children and we’re here to help.

That’s why we’re pediatricians and we love what we do.

Dr. Monica Wonnacott is a board-certified pediatrician at Granger Medical Clinic in Riverton Utah. Appointments can be scheduled with Dr. Wonnacott by calling 801-302-1700. 

Originally printed in Granger Medical Clinic’s magazine, Spring 2014.