By William Rowen Healthy Roar reporters | Dr. Rob Schlitt and Dr. Akash Kanneganti, both resident pediatricians at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, recently visited Rowen for an interview with the Healthy Roar reporters in Room 213. Their interview has been lightly edited.

Healthy Roar: Have you ever planted trees or gardened?
Dr. Rob: In college, I helped plant a row of trees next to a main road going into campus. I liked it because it felt good going outside, planting something and watching it grow. I went back and already saw how much they’ve grown. They’re still alive and growing even bigger. Soon they’ll be the first thing you’ll see when you enter campus.

Dr. Akash: I planted a tree near my family’s house when I was in second grade, and it’s still there and massive now.

Healthy Roar: Do you ever get nervous before performing any medical procedures?
Dr. Rob: As doctors, we have to be prepared for a lot of different situations, so we have training for an emergency situation. It’s important to prepare for when those situations were to happen.

Dr. Akash: Before you do anything new, it’s normal to feel nervous. But the more you do it, the more you practice, the more you feel comfort-able. The procedures we do now are really small, but can be nerve-wracking.

Healthy Roar: Why did you want to become a doctor?
Dr. Rob: My grandfather, dad, and brother are all pediatricians [doctors who treat children and teenagers], so I always wanted to be one.

Dr. Akash: I wanted to be a pediatrician because I really liked my pediatrician growing up.

Illustration by Ava, Wm. Rowen E.S., 2023–24.