The Force is strong with this one

And now here you are. Last day of training.

New job as a consultant paediatrician starting soon.

Taking a moment to look back on your journey to this point.

Fleeting images strung together, a montage of your rise through the ranks.

You recall the early inklings of a professional affinity.

Perhaps your student immersion in paediatrics piqued your curiosity.

No other rotation came close.

Maybe as a junior doctor you found yourself volunteering to see the youngsters in a mixed emergency department, with colleagues only too happy for you to take on this responsibility.

‘A bit of a knack’ with kids? You wondered whether you might be on to something.

Others noticed and gave encouragement. You should think about paediatrics…….

Think about it you did. Felt it as well.

Something special in these encounters.

You met the unblinking gaze of wary toddlers, the boisterous fidgeting of primary schoolers, the half-smile of self-conscious teenagers, and wondered each time; ‘How can I best help you today, cherished child?’

A feeling that……what could possibly be better than this?!

Your decision was made. To test the waters, to dive into paediatrics training.

Starry-eyed ambitions soon crashed up against the reality of the task ahead.

The grind.

The daily worksheet. Overtime. Night shifts. Weekends.

Study somehow shoehorned into the remainder of a week, month after month after….

Trying to help your loved ones understand. Thankful that they did.

Gratitude also for the work itself. The adrenaline charge of the life-threatening. The intricacies of each subspecialty. The challenge of weaving together the threads of complex care. The slow-burning turnaround of the developmental and behavioural.

The unique therapeutic triad; a child, their parents, and you.

Brain crammed with knowledge, skills polished bright, you took a deep breath and entered the pressure chamber of exams. Nowhere to hide in there. Under the intense gaze of peer review, you summoned your best……and unlocked your future.

Elation!

And then…. post-exam blues.

A strange feeling of having summited……only to realise that greater peaks, previously hidden, lay beyond. The expedition needed to resume.

More years of advanced apprenticeship. Yet another level reached.

And having now arrived at this point, how will the world react?

Pride from your family of course.

A low-key acknowledgement from friends and workmates.

A certificate.

Precious little fanfare. No coronation ceremony.

Bit of an anti-climax?

Do not be fooled. This IS a momentous day!

After all the long years of study, training and working……finally achieving your dream of becoming a specialist paediatrician.

A watershed in your professional life.

Those of us who have walked this same path are proud of you.

Excited for you.

We are looking forward to crossing paths with you.

Working with you.

Swapping stories with you!

So please, do celebrate. Do something really special to mark the occasion.

Because this is a big part of who you are now.

A highly trained clinician, with a rare set of skills, helping children get back on their way to a healthy and positive future.

Not a bad choice for a life's major work.

Congratulations!