Throughout all of human history, knowledge of medicine has been a necessity in the survival of
man. Brave individuals of the past dedicated their lives to the study of the human body and its
functions in order to help all of us survive for as long as possible. To this day, their research still
aids our survival and has been used to teach a new age of doctors. However, as we learn more
about the human body we realize how complicated it truly is. So much so, that it’s considered
impossible for just one doctor to learn about every function in the human body. And so, as time
goes on, doctors began to dedicate themselves to the study of humans in specific stages of life,
as well as the body parts of said humans, and illnesses they may contract. The specific
dedication of a doctor to one of these aspects in human life is known as a “specialty”. One of the
most important specialties is a Pediatrician.
A Pediatrician is a type of doctor who is dedicated to the study and medical care of
infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatricians specifically care for newborns, all the way to
those entering adulthood. The diseases that pediatricians have to treat include sore throats,
earaches, and the common cold. These diseases are extremely common to treat in the world of
pediatrics primarily because of how contagious they are and how extreme the symptoms of
these diseases can be when they infect children. However, there are even more serious
diseases treated by pediatricians such as RSV, a disease that affects your respiratory system.
Although it is easily treatable among adults, the disease primarily spreads among those aged 2
and younger affecting the weak immune system of these toddlers.
But thanks to the innovations of modern medicine, pediatricians can easily treat even the
most extreme cases of this once lethal disease. Because of that, the death rate of RSV among
babies is less than 1 percent. Being a pediatrician also comes with a great upside for those who
love children, and wish to treat those children who may have such dangerous diseases. But
thankfully, the high success rate in medication administered not only allows pediatricians to
avoid the tragedy of possibly being unable to save a patient but also to take pride in the fact
that they are giving the next generation a healthy future.
In order to actually become a pediatrician, your journey should begin in high school. A
pediatrician is still another type of doctor meaning that it’s highly recommended that you take
plenty of science AP classes, primarily biology, physics, chemistry, and calculus. Also, it’s highly
recommended that you dedicate time to A.P. and honors English classes primarily due to the
amount of time you will spend directly communicating with your patients. Meaning that a diverse
vocabulary and learning to become a confident speaker is a necessity in order to become a
good pediatrician (or any type of doctor for that matter).
When you do go to University, your major should obviously be one related to science.
This will help increase your chances of getting into medical school. The following majors that
are most commonly found among aspiring pediatricians include Biochemistry, chemistry,
molecular biology, or Pre-medicine. When you finally enter Medical school, you are expected to
complete all 4 years. From there you can finally enter your residency where you will work
primarily in your specialty, using skills that you have learned from almost 8 years of both college
and medical school. You will have to do your residency for three years before becoming a
doctor.
For your undergraduate, the colleges that are best for you to apply to if you wish to gain
one of the following recommended bachelor degrees include John Hopkins University,
Northwestern University, Harvard, Duke, and Stanford. These schools have the best Pre Med
programs in the country and can help you gain an edge against those applying for Medical
school, no matter what field you wish to be in. Colleges with medical schools with a known
reputation for specializing in Pediatrics would include- UCLA, University of Michigan, University
of Washington, and the University of Colorado. Those are the following schools that any
aspiring pediatrician would want to aim for if they wish to gain this best education and
experience possible to better prepare them for their respective field.
There are also many subspecialties in which you can help the following patients ages
0-21 with specific health problems that they may have been born with. These subspecialties
include Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Pediatric Endocrinology, and
more. The following subspecialties listed are the more popular subspecialties many decide to
go into for pediatrics. However, nearly any subspecialty found that may address adult patients,
can be pursued in the world of pediatrics.
In conclusion, this is the collegiate journey required to become a pediatrician, as well as
the possible patients you may meet with and the diseases you will most likely treat. The
positives in this specialty are prevalent for those who love children and want to dedicate their
lives so that they can have a healthy future. This profession is one of the many that can be
taken in the world of medicine, and one that is often considered a vital one for a pediatrician is
given the most important duties of all which is making sure the children of the future, have a
healthy one.
References:
Schools, Best Medical. “The Best Medical Schools for Pediatrics, Ranked.” U.S. News &
World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 2020,
www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/pediatrics-rankings.
Council of Pediatric Subspecialties,
www.pedsubs.org/about-cops/subspecialty-descriptions/.
Big Future, bigfuture.collegeboard.org/careers/health-diagnosis-treatment-pediatricia.
“10 Common Childhood Illnesses and Their Treatments.” HealthyChildren.org, 21 Nov.
2019,
www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/treatments/Pages/10-Commo
n-Childhood-Illnesses-and-Their-Treatments.aspx.
Alison B. Bocian, MS. “Size and Age-Sex Distribution of Pediatric Practice.” Archives of
Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, JAMA Network, 1 Jan. 1999,
jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/344727.