General Pediatrician

A pediatrician is a physician who provides care for children from birth through early adulthood. Typically pediatricians focus on ailments that are specific to this early period of life. Also, pediatricians track the growth and development of their patients up until adulthood. Pediatricians tend to focus more on the day-to-day medical needs of their patients and refer some conditions to specialists. Pediatricians work closely with a staff of other healthcare workers including but not necessarily limited to nurses and other physicians. Some pediatricians focus on pediatric surgery, or specialize in serious chronic ailments that afflict children.

Pediatricians must be emotionally stable and able to make decisions under pressure. Also, they need to be people oriented, rather than just technically oriented as many surgeons are.

Education and Credentials Required
General Pediatricians must complete four years of undergraduate college, four years of medical school, and three to eight years of residency. Some medical schools combine undergraduate and medical school into a six-year program. Competition for admission to medical school is intense. The first two years of medical school focus on anatomy and microbiology; the second two years are spend working in real-world conditions under the supervision of physicians. Every state requires all physicians to be licensed. Upon completion of residency, the prospective physician must pass an examination in a board specialty.

Future Prospects
Employment opportunities for pediatricians are expected to rise as fast as average. Typically, there will be more opportunities will be best in rural and low-income areas, due to the lower concentration of physicians practicing in these areas.

Salary Range
The median salary, as of 2002, for Pediatricians was $152,690. Self-employed Pediatricians can expect to earn significantly more than salaried Pediatricians. Experience, location, skill, reputation, hours worked and other factors impact income. Pediatricians pay for their own health benefits and retirement.