Superior Endorsement

I like talking to my pediatric patients, because most of them are full of comedic gems that just can't be ignored.

Last week I was working in Fast Track. Fast Track is a section of our ER that we send the walking wounded - ear infections, sprains, strains. . .okay, basically it's where we send everyone that didn't need to come to the damn ER in the first place. But the nice part about it is that it's fast, people don't have time to get cranky and I get my own little fridge.

We see a lot of kids in Fast Track, simply because a lot of kids come in with the complaint of "I know she's fine, I just want to make sure." This is perfectly fine. I always tell worried parents that I'd rather have them in the ER and have it be nothing, rather than stay home and it was something serious. (Usually while I'm saying this, inwardly I'm making sarcastic comments about how pinkeye isn't an emergency, it's not deadly, there's pediatricians for a reason...yeah, I'm two-faced. Sue me.)

We've been on the prowl lately for a pediatrician, and since I see a lot of kids I just ask the parents if they like their pediatrician or who they could recommend. So far the #1 name I've heard is Kevin White. Dr. White is the old-school badass sort of pediatrician that will see his own patients and even check up on them if they're in the hospital. I've never heard a complaint against him. So I'd been waiting for a chance to ask one of his patients what they thought.

My chance came last week, when a little kidlet came in for some reason or another (To protect her privacy and such, we'll just leave it at that.) Jackpot! Her pediatrician was Dr. White! So while I was discharging her and her mom, I casually mentioned I was pregnant (which is obvious to most people at this point, or they just think I'm smuggling a grapefruit in my pants) and I was looking for a doctor for the baby. So I asked Little Miss, "Do you like Dr. White? Do you think he'd be a good doctor for my baby?"

Talk about opening the floodgates. This kid gushed about her pediatrician like he was Hannah Montana. He was nice, he smiles a lot, he's not mean, his shots don't hurt, he walks on water, etc. The mom interjected (when she could) to agree that they really loved him as their pediatrician. Not to be outdone, Little Miss leaned over and shouted into my belly button, "YOU'LL LIKE DR. WHITE A LOT, NURSEBABY. HE HAS THE BEST STICKERS."

Well, that settled it. I mean, can you ask for a better reference? No kid of mine is getting crappy stickers.

Afterthought: I still wonder how that kid knew the baby was in my tummy. She was pretty small, so she must have had a little brother or sister. Or she was just a genius ahead of her time.