Pediatrics
- Connie H
- Dec 28, 2022
- 2 min read
What is Pediatrics?
By definition, pediatrics is the branch of medicine dealing with children and their diseases. Specifically, pediatric medical providers will overlook patients from 0-18 years old and monitor their rapid development. They will diagnose and treat several conditions or problems related to the patient. In addition to their treatment, they will also give advice to parents to prevent or care for health reasons.
Pathway
In order to work in the pediatric field, you will need to complete a bachelor’s degree and medical school. Afterward, you will complete three years of residency in pediatrics. If you are interested in a subspecialty in pediatrics, you will do a fellowship. The length of a fellowship depends on the specialty you prefer. Lastly, you would obtain a license to practice and might consider being board-certified.
However, there are combined training programs where you train in two specialties in shorter terms. For instance, there is a combined training program for pediatrics and emergency medicine that lasts five years. After the combined program, you can be certified for two specialties or a pediatric subspecialty.
Average Salary
The national average salary (USA) is reported to be $222,942. You should also take into consideration of experience, position, state, and other external factors that affect your salary.
Subspecialties
Within the pediatric field, there are many subspecialties. They simply cater to children. These are some of the subspecialties recognized by The American Board of Pediatrics:
Pediatric Cardiology: Treat heart issues in children.
Pediatric Endocrinology: Treat hormone disorders in children
Pediatric Emergency Medicine: Treat children who are in immediate medical help
Adolescent Medicine: Treat teens or young adults with complex physical, mental, or emotional health issues
Pediatric Gastroenterology: Treat digestive, liver, or nutritional problems in children
Pediatric Nephrology: Treat kidney, bladder, and blood pressure issues in children
Pediatric Pulmonology: Treat breathing and lung issues in children
Day to Day Life
Every day will bring something new as a pediatric provider. It starts early in the morning and possibly ends late at night, depending on the number and type of shifts you work. You begin by checking on patients and making sure their health stays on track. Afterward, you would consult new or old patients on their health and give proper treatment accordingly. Lastly, you would end your shift by checking on your patients again! There may be some instances where you will meet with other medical providers to discuss proper treatment for a patient. Additionally, if you are teaching residents or fellows, you may spend more time showing your duties.
Information to Consider
As you are interested in pediatrics, you have to consider the low job growth in that field. Also, every day will vary from having a patient pass or having a patient cured of diseases. Lastly, make sure you have the necessary skills or mindset as a pediatric provider. Do you have good self-control, team-work, decision-making, or the perseverance to go through years of schooling?
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