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Ashley
Student
Kerrville, Texas
6
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How long should I go to school to become a pediatrician?
I'm currently a freshman in high school. Is there any steps I should be taking to help me prepare for my career of interest? How much post-secondary education do I need to succeed? #pediatrician #school
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Elsa Roberts
Graduate student
2
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Whittier, California
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Elsa’s Answer
Hi Ashley,
Great question! Pediatrics is a wonderful field to consider. There are a few steps school-wise to take: undergraduate college, medical school (4 years) and residency (generally 3 years),and then fellowships, depending on if you want to specialize or not.
First, you will need to go to college and complete prerequisites that will be needed for medical school, the second phase of your schooling. Many people who want to do medicine opt for a science or pre-medical major in college, such as biology, but you can actually select a non-science major as long as you take the needed pre-requisites for medical school admission. Although medical schools do differ somewhat in the prerequisites they require, most require a few core courses (organic chemistry and lab, general chemistry and lab, physics and lab, biology with labs, and usually at least one English course. These courses are not exhaustive--the medical schools you are interested in should lay out their undergraduate requirements). Many people find it helpful to choose a science major as their pre-requisites will be built in to their program, but choosing a major is of course dependent on you and your interests!
After you graduate college with your completed pre-requisites, you will need to apply to medical school. Once accepted, medical school takes four years, and is a mix of lectures/didactic (usually more heavy in your first two years) and clinical experience (usually more geared towards your last two years). Once medical school is complete, you will apply to residencies, which are specialty-specific. In your case, you would apply to pediatric residencies, and would have the opportunity to act as a "doctor in training" where you are under the supervision of a teaching doctor for about three years, as you learn what it is really like to be a pediatrician, and gain specific experience. During your residency, you will complete the last of three exams, called boards, that fully certify you as a doctor. As a resident, you will be getting paid (though not the salary that most, completely independent and certified doctors make).
As I mentioned above, some doctors choose to specialize further within their fields. For example, if you wanted to become a pediatric neurosurgeon, rather than a general family pediatrician, you would go on to complete more training. More training can take the form of fellowships, usually 1-2 years depending, or a second residency.
All said and done, you can expect at least 7 years of training post college. This sounds like a good chunk of time (and it is!), but it will be worth it if is what you are passionate about! As I said above, it is wonderful that you are thinking about this now. To help prepare you now, my biggest suggestion is to start gaining some experience in a hospital or doctor's office. I realize that this is tough right now due to COVID, but you have time over the next four years to do this. If you know any physicians, you can ask to shadow them for a day or two. If you get the opportunity to do that, think about questions you can ask the doctor at the end of the day.
Again, once it is safe to do so, you can also ask nearby hospitals if they are in need of volunteers. Your experience doesn't need to be anything really intense (like watching an open heart surgery), instead, it can be something that lets you get the feel for a medical setting and allows you some interactions with patients. This will not only be something you can list on a resume later, it will also help you gauge your interest in this field, and hopefully give you an idea of what you personally feel is a good fit for you.
I realize that this is a lot of information, so please feel free to ask if you have other questions! And good luck to you!
Great question! Pediatrics is a wonderful field to consider. There are a few steps school-wise to take: undergraduate college, medical school (4 years) and residency (generally 3 years),and then fellowships, depending on if you want to specialize or not.
First, you will need to go to college and complete prerequisites that will be needed for medical school, the second phase of your schooling. Many people who want to do medicine opt for a science or pre-medical major in college, such as biology, but you can actually select a non-science major as long as you take the needed pre-requisites for medical school admission. Although medical schools do differ somewhat in the prerequisites they require, most require a few core courses (organic chemistry and lab, general chemistry and lab, physics and lab, biology with labs, and usually at least one English course. These courses are not exhaustive--the medical schools you are interested in should lay out their undergraduate requirements). Many people find it helpful to choose a science major as their pre-requisites will be built in to their program, but choosing a major is of course dependent on you and your interests!
After you graduate college with your completed pre-requisites, you will need to apply to medical school. Once accepted, medical school takes four years, and is a mix of lectures/didactic (usually more heavy in your first two years) and clinical experience (usually more geared towards your last two years). Once medical school is complete, you will apply to residencies, which are specialty-specific. In your case, you would apply to pediatric residencies, and would have the opportunity to act as a "doctor in training" where you are under the supervision of a teaching doctor for about three years, as you learn what it is really like to be a pediatrician, and gain specific experience. During your residency, you will complete the last of three exams, called boards, that fully certify you as a doctor. As a resident, you will be getting paid (though not the salary that most, completely independent and certified doctors make).
As I mentioned above, some doctors choose to specialize further within their fields. For example, if you wanted to become a pediatric neurosurgeon, rather than a general family pediatrician, you would go on to complete more training. More training can take the form of fellowships, usually 1-2 years depending, or a second residency.
All said and done, you can expect at least 7 years of training post college. This sounds like a good chunk of time (and it is!), but it will be worth it if is what you are passionate about! As I said above, it is wonderful that you are thinking about this now. To help prepare you now, my biggest suggestion is to start gaining some experience in a hospital or doctor's office. I realize that this is tough right now due to COVID, but you have time over the next four years to do this. If you know any physicians, you can ask to shadow them for a day or two. If you get the opportunity to do that, think about questions you can ask the doctor at the end of the day.
Again, once it is safe to do so, you can also ask nearby hospitals if they are in need of volunteers. Your experience doesn't need to be anything really intense (like watching an open heart surgery), instead, it can be something that lets you get the feel for a medical setting and allows you some interactions with patients. This will not only be something you can list on a resume later, it will also help you gauge your interest in this field, and hopefully give you an idea of what you personally feel is a good fit for you.
I realize that this is a lot of information, so please feel free to ask if you have other questions! And good luck to you!
Hi! Thank you for your response! I found it not only incredibly helpful and informational, but also it made me excited for the life I have planned out. I would also like to thank you for your kind words and your overall welcoming attitude.
Ashley