On an average day, I care for a good mix of happy and not so happy children. I treat patients ages from 0-18 so the things I encounter and the challenges I face change on a day to day basis. Because pediatric patients tend to be more fragile than adult patients, my charting and prescriptions have to be much more specific, so I spend a lot of time doing that. When I am treating a patient, I focus on their whole being rather than just their symptoms.
CAREER
Pediatricians
Overview
Salary Median (2023)
$198,690
Projected Job Growth (2023-2033)
-1.6% (little or no change)
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Pediatricians Do
Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries in children. May refer patients to specialists for further diagnosis or treatment, as needed.
Other Job Titles Pediatricians May Have
Developmental Pediatrician, Emergency Room Pediatrician (ER Pediatrician), General Pediatrician, Group Practice Pediatrician, Medical Doctor (MD), Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician, Pediatric Physician, Physician, Primary Care Pediatrician
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
Pediatrician
My days are dedicated to caring for children and newborns. I split my week between two offices and a hospital, seeing patients from 9 to 5 for well-baby exams, physicals, and vaccinations. Thanks to telemedicine, I now conduct sick visits over the phone, allowing more time for in-office well visits. My afternoons often involve hospital rounds to check on newborns. My passion lies in being a voice for my young patients, ensuring timely care and advocating for their health.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Prescribe or administer treatment, therapy, medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury in infants and children.
- Examine children regularly to assess their growth and development.
- Treat children who have minor illnesses, acute and chronic health problems, and growth and development concerns.
- Examine patients or order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests to obtain information on medical condition and determine diagnosis.
- Advise patients, parents or guardians, and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Pediatricians
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Post-doctoral training (78%)
Post-doctoral training
Doctoral degree
Professional degree
Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Psychology
Doctorate
Medicine
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
Being honest is very important. To be a pediatrician, liking kids is important since they are your patients. Understand how to talk to kids and make them feel safe.
Having a background in subjects other than just medicine or the general biological sciences makes you a well-rounded person and gives you greater insight. I speak Spanish, which has been a huge advantage in my practice. I would say knowing another language is a great skill to have. Always be open to learning. Be quick on your feet and knowledgable in order to best serve your patients.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
College Students
Dream big! Build a support structure. Without people around you supporting you, it's going to be very challenging. Focus on getting really good grades. Medical school is competitive and having good grades is essential to getting in.
Reach out to people when you need help and don't be afraid to ask. Don't feel like you have to rush into medical school right away. Age ranges in med school are really diverse. Take time to grow as a person and this will make you stand out more in the field of applicants. Shadow or interview with a pediatrician if you can. Try different things!
Try as many things as you can; instead of focusing on what choice to make, focus on what you don’t like. It’s okay to put things on the “that’s not for me” list, but you’re never going to do that until you’re willing to take the risk to try different things.
Pediatrician
You can either get a pre-med degree in something like biology, or if you major in something else, make sure you take the necessary prerequisite science classes. Then you can take the medical school entrance exam. From there, you'll apply to medical schools depending on what your score is.
This page includes information from theO*NET 29.2 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
