Hear from Dr. Mary Rahrick!
- Dr. Mary Rahrick
- Oct 4, 2017
- 5 min read
Dr. Mary Rahrick is a practicing pediatrician writing to us from Owatonna, MN.
What percentage of your day is spent doing what?
Seeing patients – 80%, mostly in the clinic, maybe 3 – 5 % in hospital, depending on the week. 20% paperwork, filling out forms, dictating, answering phone calls/ electronic record questions, teaching.
How many hours a week do you work? Are you on call? Do you work weekends / holidays?
About 40. I work “part time”, at about 80%, but the paperwork keeps me here longer. I take call about 5 – 8 times per month. I may have to actually go into the hospital while on call about 1 – 3 times per month. I do take call on weekends, usually 1 – 2 days per month, but often don’t have to go in. I do have to take call on holidays – at least 2 per year. But the clinic itself is closed on most holidays.
Who do you work for? (i.e. self, another provider, a hospital)
I work for a large health system (Mayo Clinic Health System)
What kinds of problems do you deal with?
Well and ill children from birth through about 22 years old. Some very healthy. Some quite complex – with seizures, gastric tubes, a trach, developmental delays, asthma, etc. They may have up to 15 different specialists that they see.
What do you do if you do not know something or how to treat a patient?
I start by trying to look it up on Up-to-date or ask a colleague who is nearby. If that doesn’t work, I might call a specialist in Rochester or the Twin Cities. I might refer them to a specialist as well. I like to try to figure it out by asking – that is the fun part! There is ALWAYS something you don’t know. You can never know it all. That is what keeps you on your toes.
What was your residency like?
I had a fairly reasonable residency – call was 1:3 nights for about 5 – 6 months, most was 1:4 nights, occasionally only 1:6 nights. We did not have work hour restrictions, though, so you could be up for 36 hours if your call night was bad and you had a long day the next day. That is limited now. I could work up to 120 hours a week at times – not so fun. Some rotations were very stressful, others not at all. I worked at a Children’s Hospital in New Mexico.
Do you think you sacrifice personal life for your profession? How do you balance the two?
Yes – you pretty much have to in medicine, truthfully. But, there are options. I work part time so that I can be there for my kids and go to their sporting events. I started part-time after I had children. I make a point of never being on call for a birthday or special event. If I have to be, I arrange coverage so I can be there for whatever is happening. That is very doable in Pediatrics, but I suspect not so easy in certain other specialties. My family is the most important to me, so I put them first. I do sometimes have to come in on weekends or take work home to finish up work, if I wanted to get out on time to go to a tennis match or track meet. It is worth it to me.
What is the best aspect of your specialty? What is your least favorite aspect about your specialty and/or medicine?
Peds is great – the kids are so cute and fun to be around (most of the time). You have to be a detective sometimes because they can’t tell you what is wrong. Least favorite – in Peds, is child abuse. I don’t see it much where I work, thankfully. In medicine – paperwork and hoops that have to be jumped through.
What is needed in your niche? (ie. what personality traits/skills? What specialties?)
Of course, a pediatrician needs to enjoy kids and not get bothered by crying and attitude. J Being a little silly helps.
How do you ensure value based care over volume based care?
This is tricky and one I really am aware of. I schedule patients for the amount of time I think I need with them. I want to take my time and educate. I am sure I earn less money that way, but that is my choice. As reimbursement goes down, there is more push for volume. Then, I work longer hours. Thankfully, my kids are older, so that is less of an issue for me. If they were little, I would end up being more “part time” and get less money.
Did you always want to be a healthcare provider (doctor/PA, etc.)?
Not at all. Had no idea what I wanted to do. Majored in Biology and then decided to apply to Med school at the end of my Junior year.
Is being a medical professional exactly like how you imagined it?
Pretty much, actually.
What are some regrets you have regarding your profession?
It can be stressful, which triggers my migraines, so I wonder if they would be better if I did something else. But, I truly can’t imagine doing anything else.
How would you describe the relationship between science and education to the actual practice of medicine?
You need to know your basic sciences to understand a lot of the medical stuff. But, in the long run, I do not use chem or biochem in my daily life – VERY RARE. Bio – yes, a lot. But, human bio – physiology, cells, anatomy, etc. If I were a different specialist, though, say endocrinologist or nephrologist, that chem/biochem would be used a lot.
What would be the 2-3 best pieces of advice you could give students who are considering a medical career?
Shadow, shadow, shadow to see what it is really like. Don’t do it for the money. You have to enjoy it. Don’t stress about getting a B here or there – yes, grades are important, but so are activities, having a life, doing well on the MCAT, etc. Do what you can do. STUDY for the MCAT – it makes a difference. Study in a way that works for you – it may be a class or home study. HAVE A LIFE – med schools don’t want someone who only studies and worries about getting in. You need to be well rounded, or med school will take you down.
What was the med school/PA school curriculum like?
First 2 years – almost all classroom – biochem, physiology, anatomy, microbiology, etc. Learn how to do exams. Last two years are all clinic – in clinics and hospitals, with patients, as part of a care team. You have to take peds, internal medicine, OB/Gyn, Psych, surgery. Then you get to take electives.
What would you want to see in someone who is joining your practice?
Someone who is a good team player, is not afraid to ask questions, is friendly, works well with patients, goes with the flow.
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