PEDIATRICIANS
Supervising the health of children requires specific medical
training. They're at risk for a variety of diseases, from chicken pox to
rubella. And no matter what ails children, they need to be treated in a
way that is appropriate to their age and weight. Even the nutritional
needs of children are different from those of adults.
As a
pediatrician, you may advise parents on taking care of their first baby,
diagnose childhood cancer, and recognize the symptoms of an eating
disorder. If you become a pediatrician, your impact on the health of
children will stretch all the way into their adult lives.
Pediatricians are doctors who care for children from
birth to early adulthood. They specialize in diseases and ailments
specific to young and growing bodies.
“The best part of the job is the tremendous sense of accomplishment I get when a surgical procedure that allows a child to see or preserves his or her vision goes well.”
Lou, Pediatric Neuro-ophthalmologist
Are You Ready To...?
- Talk to teens about birth control
- Help overweight children start diets to prevent future health problems
- Order tests to confirm your diagnoses
- Give babies their immunization shots
- Treat children for strep throat and other common ailments
- Advise parents on surgical options and refer them to a surgeon
- Spend years studying and training, and a lifetime keeping up with advances in medicine
- Respond to emergencies late at night
- Work closely with other doctors
It Helps to Be...
Diplomatic and sensitive, and an excellent communicator. You’ll need
to listen carefully as your patients or their parents describe their
symptoms. Recognizing the common threads among childhood diseases and
encouraging parents to promote healthy lifestyles is an important part
of the job.
Make High School Count
- Take plenty of challenging math and science classes, including AP® courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and calculus.
- Enhance your communication skills through English composition, speech, and drama classes.
- Sign up for psychology to learn about human nature and explore the mind-body connection.
- Volunteer at a health clinic, hospital, women’s clinic, or eldercare facility.
- Explore summer study programs like the University of Massachusetts’ High School Health Careers Program or the Health Careers Opportunity Program at the University of Montana.
Did You Know?
- Some pediatricians specialize in areas such as the heart problems of children.
Outlook
Government economists expect jobs for doctors, including
pediatricians, to grow much faster than the average for all careers
through 2018. They also predict the retirement of many experienced
doctors. Open positions should outnumber applicants, especially in rural
and low-income areas.
A growing population means that more
people will need medical services. Changes in health care coverage and
advances in technology, however, could limit demand.
Compensation
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that general pediatricians earned an average of $161,410 in 2009.
Self-employed
physicians -- those who own or partly own their medical practices --
usually have higher incomes than those who are salaried by larger
institutions like hospitals. However, self-employed doctors must pay for
their own insurance and retirement.
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