Q&A with Paul Skelton, MD, assistant professor, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
Hometown: Monroe, Wisconsin
Educational/professional background: I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Thomas Edison State University in Trenton, New Jersey. I earned my MD from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and completed pediatrics residency at the University of Wisconsin.
Previous position (title, institution): None, this is my first job as an attending!
What is your field of research or area of clinical care, and how did you get into it? I’m just starting out as a general pediatrician, so I haven’t established myself in a specific area yet. However, I’m interested in getting involved in community advocacy and clinical quality improvement in the future.
How would you describe your work to a 5-year-old? I take care of little kiddos like yourself by making sure they’re growing well and staying healthy. Sometimes I fix their owies too.
What attracted you to UW–Madison? As a Wisconsin native, I’ve always been very proud of the UW as our state’s premier institution for education and dissemination of research to our Wisconsin communities. When it came down to finding a place to practice after residency, it was hard to find a better fit than right here.
What is your favorite thing to do in Madison? I love biking on the trails throughout town as well as hiking in some of the surrounding state and county parks.
What’s one thing you hope trainees will learn from you and your work? I hope I can teach trainees how to listen attentively to patients and their parents and feel and display genuine compassion and empathy in their struggles and victories.
Do you feel your work relates to the Wisconsin Idea? If so, please describe how. Absolutely. In the most direct sense, the education I’ve received through the UW will enable me to impact the lives of thousands of children through my clinical work. But beyond that, I hope — through community engagement and advocacy — to take the medical knowledge I have the privilege to be entrusted with and make it accessible to my fellow Wisconsinites.
What’s something interesting about your area of expertise you can share that will make us sound smarter during video chats and parties? A lot of people believe that having a firearm in their home will help keep them safe, as they could use it against a violent intruder. This idea has been studied, and as it turns out, having a firearm in the home actually increases your risk of being killed, often by someone else in the household. It also increases the risk of death from suicide for everyone in the house.
What are some of your hobbies and other interests? I love hiking and the outdoors, and I read about history and geology in my spare time. I also dabble in classical guitar and am hoping to get into caving now that I’m out of residency. I also hope to establish a large strawberry garden in my backyard soon.