What are some tips on becoming a pediatrician?

What is a Pediatrician?

A pediatrician is a physician who specializes in treating babies, children, adolescents and young adults. As a pediatrician, you will treat illnesses and other health conditions, as well as provide preventative care. Conditions that you may diagnose and treat include genetic defects, behavioral difficulties and infections. You'll also help patients with injuries, diseases, developmental disorders and functional problems. Job duties may include examining patients, keeping records of patient histories and ordering diagnostic tests. Pediatricians also administer vaccinations, develop treatment plans and counsel patients regarding wellness.

Step 1: Earn a Bachelor's Degree

To be admitted to medical school, you must complete premedical courses as an undergraduate. These courses include inorganic and organic chemistry, biology and physics. Since admission to medical school is highly competitive, you may have a better chance at acceptance if you earn a bachelor's degree, gain volunteer or paid clinical healthcare experience, participate in extracurricular activities and take on some leadership positions while in college. During your undergraduate study, you will prepare for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), which is a requirement to get into most medical schools.

Step 2: Graduate From Medical School

You may complete four years of allopathic medical school to earn a Medical Doctor (M.D.) degree, or you might complete four years of osteopathic medical school to earn a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree. Both programs prepare you to practice medicine as a pediatrician, but osteopathic programs place more emphasis on the musculoskeletal system and preventative medicine.

During medical school, you take two years of lecture and laboratory courses in the sciences, such as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, pharmacology and microbiology. Your final two years give you experience diagnosing and treating patients on clinical rotations. These rotations focus on various specialties, such as family practice, internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry and pediatrics.

Step 3: Earn a License

You must earn a license before you may practice medicine in the United States. Allopathic physicians must pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), while osteopathic physicians are required to pass the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Exam (COMLEX). Each 3-part exam tests candidates on basic science knowledge and the ability to apply this knowledge to the clinical practice of medicine.

Step 4: Complete a Pediatric Residency

After you graduate from medical school and earn your license, you must complete residency training in pediatrics. This training usually lasts for three years. During your residency, you complete clinical rotations in different pediatric sub-specialties, such as adolescent medicine, emergency medicine, endocrinology and cardiology. You may also attend lectures, conduct research and gain teaching experience.

Step 5: Consider Earning Board Certification

You may choose to earn board certification in pediatrics following completion of your residency, although this isn't required. Board certification shows patients that you hold a high level of competency in your chosen specialty. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) regulates the specialty certifying boards for allopathic physicians, while the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) regulates the specialty certifying boards for osteopathic physicians. Continuing education is required to maintain board certification.

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