What Does a Pediatrician Do?
Pediatricians provide medical care for infants, children, and adolescents, managing everything from routine well-child visits to complex chronic conditions. They monitor developmental milestones, administer vaccinations, and diagnose childhood illnesses. Pediatricians serve as the primary healthcare provider for patients from birth through age 18.
Pediatrician Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a pediatrician include:
- Conduct well-child examinations to monitor growth, development, and overall health at each stage of childhood.
- Administer childhood vaccinations according to the recommended immunization schedule.
- Diagnose and treat common childhood illnesses such as ear infections, asthma, allergies, and strep throat.
- Screen for developmental delays, behavioral issues, and learning disabilities during routine visits.
- Prescribe medications and treatments appropriate for pediatric patients, adjusting dosages by weight and age.
- Counsel parents on nutrition, safety, sleep habits, and age-appropriate developmental expectations.
- Manage chronic pediatric conditions including diabetes, epilepsy, and congenital heart defects.
- Refer patients to pediatric specialists such as pediatric surgeons, neurologists, and endocrinologists.
- Provide adolescent health services including discussions about mental health, substance use, and reproductive health.
- Collaborate with schools, social services, and community organizations to support child welfare.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a pediatrician, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Pediatric examination and diagnosis
- Child development assessment
- Immunization schedule management
- Age-appropriate communication
- Family counseling and education
- Chronic disease management in children
- Emergency pediatric care
- Developmental screening tools
Education and Training
Pediatricians must complete four years of undergraduate education, four years of medical school to earn an MD or DO degree, and a three-year pediatric residency program. Residency training includes rotations in general pediatrics, neonatal care, pediatric emergency medicine, and various pediatric subspecialties. Board certification through the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) requires passing a comprehensive examination. Many pediatricians pursue additional fellowship training in subspecialties such as pediatric cardiology, oncology, gastroenterology, or neonatology.
Salary and Job Outlook
Average Salary: $180,000 - $250,000 per year
The demand for pediatricians remains stable, with modest growth projected over the next decade. While the overall birth rate in the United States has declined, the need for pediatric preventive care, chronic disease management, and mental health services for children continues to grow. Pediatricians who practice in underserved urban and rural areas will find strong demand. The growing recognition of childhood mental health needs is creating additional opportunities.