Photo: Official U.S. Navy Page (Public domain)
Job description
Pediatricians see kids for routine wellness checks as well as acute illnesses, chronic conditions, and developmental concerns, ordering and interpreting tests to reach a diagnosis. A big part of the job is talking through results and treatment with both the child and the parent or guardian, and advising families on everyday things like diet, hygiene, and disease prevention. When something falls outside their scope, pediatricians refer patients on to specialists for further care.
Pros
- High upside earning potential, up to $338k at the top of the range
- Strong pay even at the entry level
- Long-term relationships with patients across childhood, seeing the direct impact of preventive care
Cons
- Above-average hours, more than a standard 40-hour work week
- Slower than average projected job growth (0.8%), among the slowest in this field
- A relatively small number of positions nationwide, so opportunities may be geographically limited
A typical day
The morning schedule alternates well-child checks and sick visits: a 4-month-old's milestones verified and vaccines given over indignant protest, a kindergartner's lingering cough sorted from asthma-worry into post-viral reassurance, and a 15-month-old whose speech delay earns an early-intervention referral — catching things early is the specialty's quiet superpower. Between rooms the pediatrician signs school forms, answers portal messages, and returns a 2am worried-parent call with morning kindness. The afternoon's highlight is a teenage well visit, half of it conducted parent-free by design, where the real conversation about mood and stress happens. A toddler's ear infection, a rash identified on sight, and a new-parent visit that's mostly coaching close the clinical day. The charting follows dinner sometimes. Pediatrics pays less than adult specialties and its practitioners tend to report loving their jobs anyway; the waiting-room artwork explains why.
Tasks at the job
- 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.
- Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients and parents or guardians.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens indoors in a climate-controlled setting, and you work in close physical proximity to coworkers or the public for much of the shift. Standard safety equipment like gloves or safety glasses is commonly worn.
You're expected to exercise significant independent judgment day to day. Precision and accuracy are essential to the work, and the work is highly structured, following set procedures. You'll regularly deal with frustrated or upset people as part of the job, and almost all of the work is done as part of a team.
Education necessary or common
Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), plus residency training in the specialty
Common college majors
Licenses & certifications
- Medical license (MD/DO)
- American Board of Pediatrics certification
Career path
Related fields
Courses to take
- AP Biology — the premed spine
- AP Psychology — child development is core clinical content
- Anatomy and Physiology — the growing body's map
- AP Chemistry — the prerequisite chain
- Spanish — pediatric practices serve young families in many languages
Clubs, activities & competitions
- HOSA-Future Health Professionals
- Regular babysitting, camp counselor, or youth coaching — sustained time with kids
- Children's hospital or pediatric clinic volunteering
- Peer tutoring of younger students
First steps you can take now
- Work with kids consistently this year — the specialty choice is really a question about who you want in your waiting room
- Shadow a pediatrician; family practices and clinics often welcome students
- Get certified in pediatric CPR
- Map the road: college premed, medical school, three-year pediatrics residency
