Pediatrics vs. Geriatrics

This past week at the VA hospital our service had several WWII vets. I truly enjoyed working with these men and caring for this population. The elderly have a wisdom and air of fulfilled lives about them. That being said, I still don't want to do geriatrics. Summer of '07 I did a geriatrics program and enjoyed my time but realized I couldn't handle knowing all of my patients are going to die in the near future. On top of that, if I were a geriatrician, I'd know that one day I'd be my patients' peer, meaning that I'm getting old myself. As a pediatrician, I know I'm going to have kids who die on me, but I will never be their peer and they'll always be innocent children to me. Plus, kids have generally healthier constitutions, so there's not as much poly-pharmacy and co-morbid conditions. Pediatrics, here I come!