Dr. Daniel Golshevsky is a paediatrics consultant working in metropolitan Melbourne. As a student and junior doctor, Daniel had the “pleasure and displeasure” of enjoying every rotation, a dilemma to which many of us can relate. But before he committed to a training program, Daniel took extensive time off (2 years!) to travel during his medical studies, and worked part-time for a while during his training. Listen in to hear about what he did and why he thinks this helped him to become a “better person and better doctor”.
The ‘mantra’ he wishes to impart onto listeners is “don’t be in a hurry”. In particular, he urges us to consider and seek out the different perspectives of specialties from that of a student, junior doctor and consultant, all of whom see the profession differently. This could help us to not make a “premature” decision. When push came to shove, he was faced with the dilemma of choosing between paediatrics and geriatics, between which he saw many similarities (which we thought was counter-intuitive but which he explains perfectly). Yet it only took one day as a paediatrics JMO to cement his decision.
With increasingly fewer full time public metropolitan consultant jobs available, Daniel originally dabbled in private practice and locum work. This helped to grow his patient base and fill the (surely very few) gaps in his knowledge. Currently, he operates on a 50/50 split between private and public work. He has also noticed that fewer people are using a regular GP, instead turning to public EDs and private paediatricians.
Additionally, Daniel stresses the importance of having a life outside of medicine. For him, his passions are keeping fit and pursuing a field he refers to as “infotainment”. He loves “demistifying” the concerns of patients that have been consulting Dr Google or present to him with common misconceptions about their childrens’ health or illness. Regardless of the patient’s outcome, he feels like he has made a difference. Yet paediatrics isn’t all fun and games. In particular, caring for the very sick patients, especially when they are separated from their parents, is tough work. However, seeing his own kids grow up has made it “easier to relate” to his patients on a day-to-day basis.
We finish our interview, as usual, with a couple of pearls for students and interns.
We hope you guys like today’s show! As usual, we appreciate any feedback you may have for us.
If you have any other questions you’d like us to ask Dr Daniel Golshevsky, fill out the form below or shoot us a message!
Pathways into Paediatrics
Medical School → Internship → Basic Paediatric Training (3 years) → Advanced Training in General Paediatrics (3 years)
Source: Royal Australian Fellowship of Physicians
Salary
According to the Australian Government Taxation Data, in the 2013-14 income year we had:
- 654 female paediatricians earning an average of $147,347
- 683 male paediatricians earning an average of $239,405
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