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EDITOR'S CHOICE: Richard Smith A tough time for paediatricians BMJ 2004; 328: 0-g [Full text]

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I still love my job

Umesh Prabhu   (2 January 2004)

I still love my job 2 January 2004
Umesh Prabhu, Consultant Paediatrician The Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust Send response to journal: Re: I still love my job	Dear Richard, It has always been tough for us 'poor' paediatricians. What, no private practice, no waiting list initiatives, no death certificate money, no medico-legal work and so on resulting in poor remuneration!. Our patients can't talk for themselves, we interpret what others tell us about them, carers who abuse them, parents who believe in media gossip rather than the evidence, evidence which is muddled, expert opinion which is confusing and the list goes on and on. Of course I do feel 'damned if you do and damned if you don't' But these are all part of my day to day life. Most parents do love their children, vast majority are grateful for what I offer and most of what I do is very rewarding. For me diagnosing child abuse is also like any other clinical problem, you look at the evidence and then come to a diagnosis. Some I can say as definitive abuse others definitely not abuse and a few I can't be sure and I do ask for others help and that is what medicine is about. It is the dogma which is wrong. Competing interests: None declared