Steve Lods
Name: Steve Lods
Current position: Pediatrician at Suburban Pediatrics in Davidson, N.C.
Hometown: Kokomo, Ind.
Education: Received a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from Purdue in 1989. Graduated from Indiana School of Medicine and completed his residency at Ohio State, where he met his wife, Tara, also a pediatrician.
Changing direction: Steve began his Purdue career as an engineering student (his father, John, is an industrial and electrical engineering alumnus), but soon discovered that engineering wasn't for him. "I could see that engineering wasn't what I wanted to do, so I switched into biology. Purdue is a great science school."
When the call came: Having established that engineering wasn't the path he wanted to take, Steve wasn't 100 percent sure what he wanted to do with his life until his senior year of college. "I like science and I like helping people, but being a doctor wasn't a life calling for me. Doctors are just normal people who happen to be doctors."
Going with the flow: Steve says his job as a pediatrician fits his easy-going demeanor. "Pediatrics seemed like a good fit for me because my personality lends itself to working with kids. You have to be laid-back when you're in pediatrics. You just never know what you are going to experience." He says patience is a necessity with pediatrics. "Sometimes my office is like babies gone wild."
'A happy place to be': Steve says he enjoys his job because bad news is usually at a minimum. "I would say 90 percent of what I do is deliver good news and makes them more reassured. My patients are usually young and healthy, so my main job is to counsel and educate."
From 0-18: Variety keeps Steve on his toes, as one minute he may be dealing with a colicky infant and the next minute advising an 18-year-old about how to make wise life choices. "That's the beauty of pediatrics. I'm always shifting gears."
Music man: Steve's downtime is spent keeping up with his children, which include Craig, 23; John, 18, and a freshman biology student at Purdue; Jackson, 8; and Katie, 6. He also enjoys golf, travel, playing the guitar and Dave Matthews. "I have a guitar room in my office. And I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but I saw my 45th Dave Matthews concert this summer."