What are all the differences between a general doctor and a pediatrician?

Hi Lexy,

General doctor:

• General practitioners, or GPs, provide primary and continuing medical care for patients in the community. They take account of physical, emotional and social factors when diagnosing illness and recommending the required treatment. Patients may be referred to hospital clinics for further assessment and possibly for treatment.

GPs may run specialist clinics within the practice for patients with specific conditions. They increasingly work as part of a team alongside other healthcare professionals, including community health doctors, to discuss care options for patients and their families and help patients to take responsibility for their own health.

GPs who are partners in a practice are also responsible for the running of the practice, which involves a range of administrative activities, such as employing staff, managing contracts and working within strict budgets.

Pediatrician:

• A general pediatrician treats all types of infectious childhood diseases, including mumps, measles and chicken pox. During the course of a regular workday, a doctor deals with matters ranging from a case of acne to a child's ongoing battle with muscular dystrophy. Many of their patients have yet to develop communication skills; therefore, physicians must be able to provide a diagnosis based on visual and auditory indicators.

Most general pediatricians work in family health practices. HMOs and children's hospitals hire the majority of pediatricians, with smaller private pediatric clinics being the second largest employer.

Most pediatricians work more than full-time, usually around 60 hours per week. Those who work in hospitals or clinics should often work in shift rotations and on an on-call basis. Even general pediatricians in private practice are often called in to consult with hospital doctors when one of their regular patients is brought in as an emergency patient.

Along with general medicine, growth and development monitoring are the basis of a pediatrician's practice. A general pediatrician must track and administer immunizations on schedule. The doctor must be able to communicate well with both children and parents. They often need to provide detailed explanations of treatment course options and assuage fears. Sympathetic bedside manners are highly valued in this particular area of medicine.

See more in: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/general_practice_doctor_job_description.htm
http://study.com/articles/General_Pediatrician_Job_Description_Duties_and_Requirements.html

Have a good choice!