What does a Pediatrician do?
1 Answer(s)
Top Answer
Talent.com 
Answered March 30 2021
Career Expert at Talent.com
Pediatricians provide mental, physical, and emotional care for their patients. They perform diagnostic tests to gain medical insight into their patient's health and interpret the results to make accurate diagnoses.
When necessary, they prescribe medications and treat minor injuries and illnesses, and are a primary point of contact with the health care system in general. When patients are teenagers, Pediatricians can help them access health services such as STI testing and birth control. Pediatricians also administer vaccines and ensure that children follow the recommended vaccine schedule. In short, Pediatricians need to have a broad knowledge base to draw from, as their patient needs are varied, and their day-to-day patient load can present all kinds of cases.
As primary care physicians, they refer parents to specialists for medical or psychological conditions if children require more specialized interventions. Some examples include referring psychologists for children with mental health issues or pediatric cardiologists for those with heart issues.
Depending on their sub-specialty or personal preferences, Pediatricians can work in various environments, such as hospitals, private clinics, community health centers, or schools. Some Pediatricians will teach or spend their time completing research within a medical school setting.
Average Day of a Pediatrician
Generally, Pediatricians work eight-hour days, Monday to Friday. However, hospitals may require overnight or weekend shifts. Some people prefer this kind of schedule as it allows for more time at home with their children, others prefer working days.
Once Pediatricians arrive on-site, they will usually need to check in with the team on the shift before starting. They might also meet with case managers to ensure that they are on the same page as the rest of the care team regarding what the patient needs.
Then they begin to make rounds visiting their patients, either with hospital rounds or daily appointments at their office. Pediatricians may treat mild issues such as flu and eczema to more complex issues like genetic disorders and premature births. There is no telling what kinds of medical cases they will see in a day.
Like all medical professions, there is a decent amount of paperwork and charting involved in being a Pediatrician. Many health institutions have digital charting, which makes things faster, but it is essential to ensure that all patient notes are accurate and up to date.
Some Pediatricians will also teach less experienced doctors, conduct medical research, or sit on medical committees, all of which require organizational and time management skills.
When necessary, they prescribe medications and treat minor injuries and illnesses, and are a primary point of contact with the health care system in general. When patients are teenagers, Pediatricians can help them access health services such as STI testing and birth control. Pediatricians also administer vaccines and ensure that children follow the recommended vaccine schedule. In short, Pediatricians need to have a broad knowledge base to draw from, as their patient needs are varied, and their day-to-day patient load can present all kinds of cases.
As primary care physicians, they refer parents to specialists for medical or psychological conditions if children require more specialized interventions. Some examples include referring psychologists for children with mental health issues or pediatric cardiologists for those with heart issues.
Depending on their sub-specialty or personal preferences, Pediatricians can work in various environments, such as hospitals, private clinics, community health centers, or schools. Some Pediatricians will teach or spend their time completing research within a medical school setting.
Average Day of a Pediatrician
Generally, Pediatricians work eight-hour days, Monday to Friday. However, hospitals may require overnight or weekend shifts. Some people prefer this kind of schedule as it allows for more time at home with their children, others prefer working days.
Once Pediatricians arrive on-site, they will usually need to check in with the team on the shift before starting. They might also meet with case managers to ensure that they are on the same page as the rest of the care team regarding what the patient needs.
Then they begin to make rounds visiting their patients, either with hospital rounds or daily appointments at their office. Pediatricians may treat mild issues such as flu and eczema to more complex issues like genetic disorders and premature births. There is no telling what kinds of medical cases they will see in a day.
Like all medical professions, there is a decent amount of paperwork and charting involved in being a Pediatrician. Many health institutions have digital charting, which makes things faster, but it is essential to ensure that all patient notes are accurate and up to date.
Some Pediatricians will also teach less experienced doctors, conduct medical research, or sit on medical committees, all of which require organizational and time management skills.
