UAMS Pediatrics

Christine Barrett loves animals.  As a little girl, she told anyone who would listen about her plans to become a veterinarian.  And she followed through on her word, preparing for her career by volunteering at animal clinics and rescue programs through high school and college. Christine wanted to be a vet with the kind of passion that drives people to do extraordinary things.  Seemingly impossible things, like wrestling a wild alligator into submission and bringing it to the local zoo.

Everything changed, however, when she went on church mission trip to Africa:  a poorly staffed hospital gave 19-year-old Christine the opportunity to take vitals, draw blood, and even deliver babies.  

"It turned me on to the human side of things,” she said, recalling how she carried her own bath water and often went without electricity. "That's when I really decided to go into medicine."   

She went on to attend medical school at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

Though she originally wanted to become an obstetrician, Dr. Barrett chose pediatrics after her OB rotation in medical school.  

"I loved catching the babies, but I wanted to stay with the babies," she said emphatically.

She selected the UAMS/ACH residency program based on a month-long away rotation at Arkansas Children's Hospital.