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What kind of path do I have to go on that will help me become a pediatrician?

My name is Chloe O., and I attend Pikeville High school in Pikeville, Kentucky as an 8th grader. I realize that I am a bit to young to be interested in having a career, but I want to be prepared for the future. I attend a Verizon Innovation Camp. I love science, math, and working with kids, which is why I want to be a pediatrician. I want to be a pediatrician, but I do not know
what type of path I should go on. #career-paths #pediatrician #doctor

career-paths pediatrician
Thank you comment icon THAT'S SO COOL!!! Christina
Thank you comment icon GOOD JOBB CHLOE!!!!!!!!!! Hibba
Thank you comment icon Good job!!! Reilly
Thank you comment icon I am so proud!!!! Christina
Thank you comment icon What college do you want to go to? Rachel
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Sheila’s Answer

Hi Chloe:

It's awesome that you want to work with our young people. Your passion to work with them will go a long way, which I'm sure you'll find rewarding. My son is a Pediatrician; he's now in the last phase of his journey a "fellowship program" for the next three years. The Pediatric journey is long and expensive but, quite rewarding and exciting. You should be proud of yourself exploring the steps at your age. I hope you find this information helpful. Follow your passion. Best of luck to you!

1) Make high scores on the SAT and ACT exams
2) Select a college/university that offers at least "Biological Science" (you don't have to major in Pre-Med, Math, etc.)
3) Score well on the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) the "first time". Retake the exam if necessary
4) Apply to "all" the Medical Schools of your interest
5) Medical School = 4 years
5 a) Find an Internship Program (paid or volunteer) over a summer
5 b) DO NOT limit yourself to where you would like to get residency Matched (simply because you may get put on a "wait-list" and then you're competing all over again with the newest college graduates)
6) Residency = average is 3 to 4 years (this comes after Medical School)
6 a) Fellowship = average is 3 to 4 years (this is where you Specialize in, which is after Residency)

• Get your Bachelor's Degree (4 years)
• Take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT Exam) and score well. Retake it if necessary
• Medical School (4 years)
• Begin the Licensure process
• Residency in Pediatrics (3 years)
• Become Board Certified
• Fellowship Program (3 years) *

* A Fellowship program is optional and not required. Some students want to further their expertise by specializing in a particular area.

Sheila recommends the following next steps:

Score high on SAT & ACT exams
Take the MCAT Exam • https://students-residents.aamc.org/taking-mcat-exam/taking-mcat-exam
Score well on the MCAT test
Find a summer Internship Program (paid or volunteer)
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Ken’s Answer

Congratulations on being interested in becoming an pediatrician. It takes a special person to enter this field and meet the demands which this career area presents. The first step is to get to know yourself to see if you share the personality traits which make engineers successful. The next step is doing networking to meet and talk to and possibly shadow engineers to see if this is something that you really want to do, as a career area could look much different on the inside than it looks from the outside.  

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
Here is a helpful video: ## https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2YCMkTLLNk
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