MEDamorphosis Podcast · UBC Medicine Learning Network

S5 E3: Adapting to the Pediatrics Ward - Dr. Jill Lin

·28 min·2 clips

After a patient passed away, Dr. Jill's entire resident cohort reached out to offer support and debrief.

Dr. Jill Lin, a first-year pediatrics resident at BC Children's Hospital, joins host Ella to discuss their residency experience and career path. Dr. Lin uses they/them or she/her pronouns and entered medicine as a second career after working in biotechnology. Their journey provides a unique perspective on the medical field and pediatric training. Dr. Lin describes a varied first-year schedule that includes rotations in subspecialties like respiratory and gastroenterology, general pediatrics inpatient blocks (CTU), and a night float block. They are currently on a NICU rotation, which involves pre-rounding on patients, attending deliveries, and potentially assisting with neonatal resuscitations. The resident highlights work in a specialized unit for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome, which employs a harm reduction approach. Dr. Lin expresses a particular fondness for community rotations, where they manage cases more independently without immediate specialist support. A surprising insight is that Dr. Lin initially thought pediatrics was not for them during pre-clerkship studies, only rediscovering their passion during clinical rotations in their clerkship year. They note the steep learning curve in residency, where they now sign orders and are the first line for overnight calls. Dr. Lin discusses the mental demand of pediatric care, which involves managing both medical and psychosocial complexities for children and their families. They share a personal experience of attending a difficult resuscitation where a patient passed away, highlighting the emotional impact and the support from their resident cohort. The conversation covers Dr. Lin's global health project, a student-led initiative in Bhutan studying youth perspectives on mental health, which continues with current UBC medical students. They advise medical students not to rush specialty decisions, noting they only finalized choosing pediatrics in their fourth year. Dr. Lin emphasizes that a medical career is as much about personal discovery as it is about patient care. The tone is conversational, educational, and reflective, featuring a candid dialogue between a medical student host and a resident. The style is supportive and informative, focusing on sharing practical experiences and advice. This episode is ideal for medical students, especially those in pre-clerkship or clerkship years, who are curious about pediatrics or navigating career decisions. Listeners interested in global health initiatives or the transition from medical school to residency would also find it valuable. Those seeking highly technical clinical discussions or debates on medical controversies might find the content too introductory or career-focused.

As heard by us

A calm look at choosing pediatrics that stays practical instead of polished.

This piece keeps its focus on Jill Lin's route into pediatrics, and that is where it works best. The move from medical laboratory science and biotechnology into a first-year residency at BC Children's Hospital gives the story a grounded shape, while the advice about shadowing,…

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Why you'd press play

If pediatrics feels blurry, this helps you see how a first-year resident found her lane.

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