Pediatrician

A pediatrician manages the physical, mental and emotional health of babies, children, adolescents and young adults up to 21 years of age.

Many of your patients, like babies and toddlers, may be too young to develop communication skills, so you ought to be able to diagnose and treat them based on visual and auditory indicators. For children who are elder in age, be friendly and gentle in your communication so that they feel comfortable enough to open up and share about their illnesses or other health issues. Children always like a fun doctor. Be creative and try to distract them with either toys or random chats during painful treatment. It also helps when the examination room is decorated to be like a nursery rather than a clinic. It can be a really fun and rewarding career, especially for those who love to interact with children. You get to guide and support your patients’ physical and mental development to ensure that they grow up healthy.

Most pediatricians work in children’s hospitals, family health practices or private pediatric clinics. Depending on the volume of patients, you may be required to work more than full time. You may have some on-call commitment as well.