Interview with: Dr.

Qian Yuan, Pediatrician

[© The Churchill Tribune 2011]

1. What does being a ‘doctor’ mean?

Being a Doctor mean’s providing a service to help people with their health problems, loving
people and dedication.

2. What are your main responsibilities at work?

My main responsibility is helping children with a variety of health issues, physical and emotional;
making sure that all the children under my care are growing well, doing well in school and having
my patients stay calm.

3. What does a typical day at work look like?

A typical work day is long and busy, starting at 8:45AM, one patient every 15 minutes
(sometimes 30 minutes for complicated patients), with a five minute to one hour lunch break, and
the last patient is officially at 4:45 pm. We have to complete all the medical charts for
documentation, and return all phone calls from families with questions about their children.
During the day, we also need to talk to other doctors by phone to discuss about a particular
patient.

4. What are the advantages & disadvantages of your job?

I love what I am doing and I feel privileged to serve for people, to solve issues and to help with
people with health needs. A disadvantage concerning my job is that I wish I could spend more
time with my family, particularly with my two lovely daughters.

5. What skills & abilities do you think are necessary for someone to succeed in this job?
To succeed in this job, one must have excellent interpersonal relationship skill, enjoy interacting
with people and solving problems. Social skills are also extremely important not only for
interacting with patients, but also for interacting with colleagues.

6. What you enjoy the most about being a doctor?

I enjoy interacting with people, solving problems, and helping others.

7. Why did you choose this job? (What made you want to work here)
My intrinsic desire to be a doctor came from a passion to help and to serve others. I love biology
and the human body, and I am willing to use my knowledge to help other who have issues about
their health.

8. What is the general range of salaries for a doctor?

The starting salary for a paediatrician in USA is around 100K. It can be 120-130K and they often
have 1-2 times of bonuses of variable amount in a year.

9. What is the stability of your job—for example, the availability of employers, if the pay is steady
or constantly changing, probability of layoffs?
My job is extremely stable. Regardless of the economy, people will always get sick and need to
see a doctor. Chances of being laid off are extremely small.

10. How much free time do you have (ie: family time, vacations, etc?)
I get 5 weeks per year of paid vacation, weekend on call (working Saturday and Sunday) 8-9
times a year, week day on call (pager) once a week for 10 months per year.
11. What’s the work environment like?
I work in an indoor office, nice environment, but there is a lot of crying and screaming from
children who do not want to come to doctor’s office or do not like shots.

12. Opportunities for advancement?

There is little chance of advancement as a primary care paediatrician, but there are chances to
become a partner of the practice (i.e. owner of the clinic) after working for a number of years,
yearly salary increase is expected.

13. How easy it is to find a job (need for relocation every time you find a new job)?
It depends on the areas in USA, generally speaking it is easy to find a job.

14. What advice do you offer for people who are interested in your job?
You have to love what you are doing, endure long work hours, continue medical education to
refresh your knowledge and take and exam which is once every 7-10 years depending on the
specialties.