Komal Luthra Period 6

ISM- INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS Student Name: Printed Name of Person Interviewed: Role of Individual: Place of Business: Business Address: Phone Number: Date of Interview: Komal Luthra Dr. Michael Binder Period: 6

__X_Mentor ___Other Professional #1 UTMB Pediatric and Adult Primary care 128 W. Parkwood Friendswood TX, 77546 281-482-5695 2-27-14

___Other Professional #2

Type of Interview: __X_ In Person ___ Telephone* ___Email* *Documentation Required (Attach E-mail to Interview Verification Page)

1. For someone working in your field, please describe the fantasies versus realities of the job. (fantasy vs. reality) For someone working in this field, the fantasies are just being able to talk to patients and interacting with them. However, the reality is that pediatricians have to do mundane and non-patient related jobs such as completing charts and doing paperwork. Secretarial work is a part of his job. 2. What is your current educational level? What continuing education and training are required? (educational level and requirements) Dr. Binder completed his undergraduate education. He did a Bachelors of Science in biology. He attended medical school for four years at Texas Tech. After medical school, he completed one year of internship and two years of residency in pediatrics. For continuing education and training, he has to complete 24 hours of formal education every year. He can receive formal accredited training from conference and seminars. He has to take courses on medical ethics. Every 7 years, pediatricians must take their recertification exam which involves a written exam and research project. For his research project, he did a study on hand washing. 3. Please describe the typical day to day activities of someone working in your field. (day-to-day activities) Every day, he sees children who come in for well check-ups and child exams. He has the opportunity to approach the human body holistically when diagnosing and treating patients. He has to be aware of not only the physical health of the patient, but also the emotional and social health. He takes care of infants, children, teenagers, and young adults. He sees about 30 patients daily. He treats different types of illnesses, minor injuries, and infectious diseases. Some pediatricians spend 20 percent of their time in a hospital setting and 80 percent of their time in a clinic setting. Pediatricians work in outpatient practices. One interesting experience he mentioned was when he met a child who was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of one. The head circumference of the patient had increased. This childs health affected the whole family. My mentor had the opportunity to be there for the family for emotional support. He learned about the different types of needs including the need for emotional support. He said that it was a very traumatic experience.
Revised Fall 2013

Komal Luthra Period 6

4. How secure are you in your current position? What do you think is the future of your field? (job security) He believes that he is pretty secure is his position. He is currently the medical director of the clinic and continues to work for improvement. In his opinion, the future of his field is unknown. For many, there is a lot of insecurity due to the government regulations on compensation. He also discussed the issues with quality of care versus quantity of care. 5. What is a typical (average or lowest to highest) salary of someone working in your field? (salary) Pediatricians who work in an academic setting have a lower salary than those in a private practice. This is due to the decrease in productivity. Pediatricians in private practices see about 50 patients daily. Pediatricians in an academic setting make about $110,000 while those in private practices make about $280,000 to $300,000. 6. What potential for growth is there in your field? (growth potential) There is a lot of potential of growth in this field because there are a lot of subspecialties. There is also a lot of room for advancements. Research has had a great impact on this field. Currently, a lot of clinical trials on antibiotics are going on. There are also always new changes in vaccine recommendations. 7. What do you tell parents that are concerned about their children being vaccinated? Talking to patients involves the art of listening. The pediatricians have to identify the patients concerns. Many patients are concerned about their children developing autism. Many parents do not want to have their children vaccinated due to religious reasons. Some vaccinations are derived from aborted fetuses or the obstruction of a human life. 8. What are some severe side effects of vaccinations that you are aware of? Some side effects include infection at the injection site, acute reactions, fever, rashes, irritability, and rashes with chicken pox. The flu vaccine can cause Guillain-Barr Syndrome. My mentor is unable to receive the flu vaccine because a few years ago when he was vaccinated for the flu, it caused a lot of weakness in his arm and hand. He was not able to grasp things with his hand. 9. What are some things you do before vaccinating a patient? Have there been any instances when you have been unable to vaccinate a child? If yes, please explain them. Before vaccinating a child, pediatricians have to educate the patients and inform them about why vaccinations are important. They must receive verbal consent from the patients and check for any allergies. Sometimes, they are unable to vaccinate children because they are allergic to eggs. Some patients have had a seizure after receiving the pertussis vaccine. Because of this, pediatricians should not give them the vaccine again. Pediatricians also delay vaccines if there any problems. If there are any significant issues, they tell the infectious disease doctors. 10. What do you do if a patient is allergic to an ingredient(s) of the vaccination(s)? Some patients cannot receive the flu vaccines due to egg allergies while some cannot receive the MMR vaccine. A lot of the vaccines have antibiotics and different kinds of preservatives. Since they cannot receive the vaccine, the doctor tells the patients about other ways they can prevent the disease through good hygiene and other actions.

Revised Fall 2013

Komal Luthra Period 6

Revised Fall 2013