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Job Description: Pediatrics is the branch of medicine
concerned with the health of children.
It deals with all aspects of a child's physical and emotional
development and well-being, including the treatment of diseases and disabilities. It frequently involves preventive health
care. Doctors who practice pediatrics
are called pediatricians. These
doctors provide care for children from birth through adolescence. Pediatrics developed as a branch of
medicine because many health problems occur chiefly or only in children. For example, chickenpox affects far more
children than adults. Children are
physically and psychologically different from adults, and so doctors must
treat them differently. Children also
grow rapidly and thus they change more quickly than do adults. |
Qualifications: After graduating from
medical school, a doctor who wishes to become a pediatrician must complete at
least three years of special training in health care for children. The doctor then can become a certified
pediatrician by passing an examination given by a pediatrics specialty
board. Many pediatricians take two to
three years of additional training in a particular area of pediatrics. For example, they may specialize in blood
diseases or cancer; in certain organ systems, including the heart, kidneys,
or lungs; or in patients in specific age groups, such as newborns or
adolescents. Such subspecialists act
as consultants to other doctors and often conduct research on growth and
development or on the treatment of disease. |
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Nature of the Work: (Interview with Dr. Joan M., my
Pediatrician) Where do you usually
work? “I work in my office in When does the work day
start and end? “I have office hours from How many breaks are there
during the day? “I take a short lunch break
in the middle of the day.” How many vacation days do
you have? “I take about 4 weeks off
during the year. I don’t have office hours on Wednesday.” How is the social
environment at work? “I work in a small office
with one secretary. However, I like to
teach and have a nurse practitioner and medical students come to observe me
at least once a week.” Do you typically spend a
lot of time in meetings or in a cubicle? “I spend most of my time in
the examining room with my patients. I do attend medical meetings but mostly
on Wednesdays or in the evenings.” |
How Much Does This Person Make? The entry level salary for
a new pediatrician depends on the size and location of the practice. For a medium size practice in the |
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Reflection: I chose to investigate this
career because I visit my pediatrician at least once a year and have always
though she had an interesting job. I would consider going into this career
because I like to help people. I also
think that it would be challenging to try to make a diagnosis after
questioning someone about their symptoms and testing them. I don’t like the
fact that some health care organizations limit what a pediatrician can earn. |
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Sources: 1. The World Book
Encyclopedia, 2002 ed. 2. Microsoft Encarta
Encyclopedia, 1998 ed. 4. http://www.generalpediatrics.com/ |
