The world of Pediatricians…for the love of kids’ health
By definition, Pediatricians are doctors who specialize in treating newborns, children, adolescents, and young adults. These are the doctors we see from newborn to 21 years old (typically) before being transferred to a general physician (Cleveland Clinic).
Kids are sooo adorable! Being a Sunday School teacher, I love being around the cutest little humans all the time and seeing them smile! Seeing them develop into fully functioning and aware beings is such a nice experience, and it pushed me to look into a career that would surround me with the people that I enjoy taking care of. Understandably so, the hospital can be a scary place, whether it be from the perspective of a fully grown man or a small child. Having someone who knows how to care for you, and does it in a way that relieves your anxiety, is the kind of experience anyone would dream of. For me, being that person for a child is a dream experience!! That is when I was introduced to the job of a Pediatrician.
Specializations?
Since pediatrics is a specialization, one would have to then enter a pediatric residency program, which is meant to further their experience and knowledge in their specialization.
During this time, you will be exposed to different departments of the hospital that deal with pediatric patients, such as:
Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
The general department
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
From this point, some people will enter the general pediatric field. For those who want to specialize even further, they may enter a fellowship program to subspecialize (to study or work on a particular subject or skill more than others within a particular area of study, (Cambridge Dictionary)).
Fellowship programs can vary in time, but may span from two to six years.
How do I get there?
To become a Pediatrician, you must:
First become a physician, you must undergo advanced training and education. Considering that they must be an expert in the development of humans from the newborn stage to young adults, the education requirements are quite fitting.
To become a pediatrician, one must (typically:
First, obtain a four-year undergraduate degree. During this time, they are taking pre-med courses and advanced sciences, such as biology.
Then, one must attend medical school for a total of four years (yes, it’s been eight years; no, we are not done yet). During this time, they are taking advanced courses such as human anatomy and physiology. Clinical hours at a medical facility are also required during this time.
*Some schools offer programs that will combine the undergraduate and medical degree programs into a six-year track, rather than eight!!!
The time spam is…
So in total, excluding fellowship, becoming a general pediatrician will take a total of nine to twelve years (keep in mind that programs vary depending on the institution!).
Pursuing this career is a commitment and definitely takes time, but so does everything in healthcare! To me, this career is so desirable because it allows me to be the person I needed when I was younger, that is the most rewarding thing.
Work Cited
Cleveland Clinic. “Pediatrician: Role, Education, Average Salary & Where to Find.” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, 27 Aug. 2021, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/21716-what-is-a-pediatrician.
Cambridge Dictionary. “Subspecialize.” @CambridgeWords, 30 Apr. 2025, dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/subspecialize#google_vignette. Accessed 2 May 2025.
