Should I be a pediatrician?

Do you have an interest in child and youth health?

Are you an aspiring physician who adores and loves working with children?

If so, you might be destined for a career as a pediatrician!

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

• Provide health treatment to a child/children who are ill, either temporarily or permanently.

• Assist families in maintaining the physical and mental health of their child/children.

• An eye for detail: Children often lack the vocabulary or are too distressed to communicate their feelings. Keeping an eye on their non-verbal cues will be important in helping to assess a problem.

• Empathy: Creating a strong bond with the child and parent will help build trust, ease anxiety, and improve health outcomes.

• Commitment: As medicine constantly evolves, it's important to commit to life-long learning by keeping up to date on anything relevant to children’s health.

• Patience: You'll be put to the test every now and again, as children are often scared when a procedure is about to be performed. Find ways to calmy express and show how you're going to help them feel better.

It may take about 14 years to become a pediatrician. Here's a breakdown of the time commitment:

• The bachelor's degree takes 4 years to complete.

• The medical school program lasts 4 years.

• The residency program takes about 3 years. The duration might vary depending on the specialization (eg. immunology and neonatology).

• The 3-step licensure process begins in medical school and gets completed during the residency program.

• The fellowship program lasts 2 to 3 years. However, it's not mandatory.

Image by Satarupa Das Majumder

The median salary for pediatricians in the United States is $158,355/year .

The median salary for pediatricians in Canada is C$124,500/year .

• You have skills like patience and an eye for detail.

• You enjoy studying.

• You're an outspoken supporter of children's health.

• You're willing to invest 11–14 years of your time in school.

• You become distressed when seeing children in pain.

• You find it challenging to interact with children, particularly infants.

• You quickly become emotional while dealing with visibly emotional parents.

• You don't like working irregular hours.

Photo by Usman Yousaf on Unsplash

Are you ready to start your career as a pediatrician?