IF your child is diagnosed with kidney disease, he or she will most likely be referred to a paediatric nephrologist like Dr Maolynne Miller.

Dr Miller, an associate lecturer at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Mona, also conducts private practice at Ruthven Medical Centre and has been a paediatric nephrologist for almost 30 years.

“I have the best job possible. I get to play with kids as I help to make them better,” Dr Miller said.

This week, she shares an insight into her career with Career & Education.

What is the value of the work that you do?

My work is to diagnose, prevent and treat kidney disease in children and to educate others on this subject. The value is in preventing disease from progressing to kidney failure needing dialysis and transplantation. Kidney disease in children is more common than one is generally aware of. Something as simple as a urinary tract infection may be the first sign of kidney disease.

What do you enjoy the most about your career?

The hugs and smiles of the children and parents who express their thanks to me in this way for caring for them.

What are your responsibilities as a paediatric nephrologist?

I hold hospital clinics for children with kidney and bladder problems at UHWI, Cornwall Regional Hospital and Mandeville Regional Hospital, supervise inpatient hospital care of renal patients including dialysis, and teach medical students and residents in the paediatric programme at UWI. I also give talks to various groups of laypeople as well as doctors at conferences. In addition I provide paediatric nephrology consultations privately.

What are the qualifications for your job?

You need to be a qualified paediatrician to be part of a paediatric nephrology fellowship training programme. This requires (at a minimum) five years of med school, a year of internship and four years of paediatric residency training and nowadays a minimum of two years of fellowship training.

What are some of the challenges you face on the job?

In public (hospital) practice the challenges are financial, as the hospital with which I am affiliated is not a ‘no user fee’ or government hospital. Patients are required to pay for the services offered eg laboratory fees, kidney biopsies, dialysis. The patients have no money so they cannot afford the tests, and the hospital also is financially distressed and has frequent shortages. So as doctor you end up having to find ingenious ways to help the patients and raise external funding for their needs.

Was this the career choice you’ve always wanted?

As a small child I wanted to be either a doctor or a teacher. As a teenager, I saw how unkind adolescents were to teachers and that sealed my fate as a doctor. I initially thought of being a surgeon, but realised that I did not like the smell of blood or the long standing required for surgery. I decided on paediatrics because of my love for children, their innocence and genuine emotions. Paediatric nephrology chose me when, as an intern in paediatric surgery, I met several children in kidney failure and realised that there was no one who actually knew what were the normal values for kidney function for the children or how to treat their illnesses differently from that of the adult patients. I also met then, my mentor, Professor Carpenter who was the consultant paediatric surgeon. He has been my lifetime career guide, surrogate father and morale booster when spirits flag as they do from time to time in this demanding field.

I have the best job possible, I get to play with kids as I help to make them better. I care for healthy children and children with all kinds of kidney related problems, not just in Kingston but across the island. I am rewarded by smiles and hugs that are worth more than money, as they go straight to your heart and make even the worse day seem worthwhile.

What advice do you have for others who wish to enter the field?

You should only be a paediatric nephrologist if you really love the subject and children. It is a most demanding sub speciality with sometimes 36-hour days — even as a consultant. If you do not really, really love the field, leave it alone. You must be prepared to be meticulous, caring and hard-working.

What is your daily motivation?

My daily motivation is that each day, with God’s help, I get to do something to help somebody. God is the core of my existence and the reason I am given the strength to do all I am able to.