UAMS Pediatrics

For Chad Masters a love of science and interest in teaching have played an important role in becoming a pediatrician. “Medicine always appealed to me,” says Chad Masters,  and “I knew that I always enjoyed teaching and working with children and adolescents.”  After graduating with a degree in Biology Education, Chad spent nine years teaching high school biology and physics, but the thought of med school was never far from his mind.

 With the encouragement of his wife and children and at the insistence of a colleague, Chad finally took a leap of faith and submitted his application to med school as a non-traditional student.  Luckily, medicine was the right fit for Chad.  “Door after door was opened which allowed me to quit my job as a teacher, survive medical school and match in the program where I felt like I belonged,” Chad explains. 

By his 3^rd year of medical school, Chad was sure he would do a family practice residency.   But when he arrived at ACH for his pediatric rotation, he was surprised how much he enjoyed it! Compassion for the children and empathy for their parents came naturally to this former teacher and father of two. “I should have realized early on that pediatrics was my future,” states Chad.

After spending time working at ACH during medical school, Chad was amazed at the heart of the faculty and the residents.  Placing needs of the patient above everything else as well as taking the time to teach and allowing him to take an active role in patient care were a few of the things that impressed Chad and impacted his decision to apply to this pediatric residency program. 

“I couldn’t be happier with the UAMS/ACH pediatric program and would have chosen it even if I did not have a family with deep roots in Arkansas,” Chad explains.  ACH rates an A+ with this former teacher, who has found a way to merge his love of science with his interest in working with and for the children of Arkansas.