Samantha Earley, DO, is a pediatric hospitalist, which is a type of physician who exclusively takes care of hospitalized patients.
Dr. Earley says she was drawn to medicine at a young age because her mother was a critical care nurse. “And I come from a big, extended family with a lot of little kids around, so I knew early on that I liked working with young children,” she says. “It was natural to combine that interest with medicine.”
The best part about being a hospitalist, she says, is its collaborative nature. “I like that you have a team to work with, from nutrition to speech to different specialists and nurses,” Dr. Earley says. “You are never treating a patient alone.”
She also enjoys seeing her patients’ resiliency.
“Even when kids are feeling miserable, a toddler will still want to grab at a toy. You can see the spark—and if we blow bubbles or give them a blanket or stuffed animal, it can ease the tension of the environment,” she says. “It’s impressive what most kids can tolerate, and most turn around very quickly and walk out the door not too long after they come in. It’s rewarding to watch our interventions do what they are supposed to do.”
