Despite the birth rate falling by 4% in 2020, there were still 3.6 million babies born in the US that year!
So long as people keep starting families, there will always be a need for healthcare professionals to take care of them. Not only do we have general family doctors, but we also have pediatricians.
So what is a pediatrician and what do they do? What else should you know about them? Read on to find out more!
What Is a Pediatrician?
As you may have guessed, a pediatrician is a medical professional who specifically caters to babies and kids. They help parents ensure that their children grow up healthy and strong. This means that they’re trained to recognize issues early on so children can get prompt attention and treatment if needed.
What Does a Pediatrician Do?
You might think that a pediatrician only focuses on the physical side of things, but that’s not true at all! In fact, they also look at how kids are doing both emotionally and socially.
Also, many people think that once they reach their teenage years, they don’t need to see a pediatrician anymore. But in reality, these doctors can take care of you up to age 21!
In general, if you have a baby, you should bring them to the pediatrician often from birth until the age of 2. Then, after age 2, you’ll make yearly appointments for checkups. Of course, if your kids get sick or need medical care, you’ll call your pediatrician too.
Some services they provide include:
- Vaccinations
- Treatment for minor injuries
- Childhood illnesses
To learn more about pediatricians, check out provopediatrics.com.
How to Become a Pediatrician
If the above has you interested in becoming a pediatrician, then you might be wondering what the right steps to take are.
Well, like any other medical profession, you’ll have to start with a pre-med undergraduate program. If you’re able to graduate with good grades, you’ll then have to go to med school.
Once you’ve graduated from that, then you’ll need to get into a residency program. And after that, you’ll need fellowship training, which means you’ll spend between 3 to 7 years on these 2 things.
From start (graduating high school) to finish (becoming a practicing doctor), expect it to take anywhere between 1 to 15 years. While this might seem like a very long time, the career is extremely rewarding and pays well too.
A Pediatrician Is Key to a Child’s Development
As you can tell from reading this article, a pediatrician is vital for a child to grow up healthy and strong.
So if you’re interested in becoming a doctor and want to help kids, then this might be a great career path to take. It might take a lot of hard work and dedication to become a pediatrician, but it’ll definitely be worth it when you see how much you can help growing children!
For more information about pediatrics, take a look at our other blog posts now.
