Pediatrician

Overview

Who is Pediatrician?

Paediatricians are doctors who are specialised in children. They get intense training to interpret and manage issues in all domains, such as physical, developmental, behavioural and social issues, of infants, children and teenagers. A child who is below 18 years can benefit from a paediatrician. The special expertise for children is required because nature constantly reshapes them, they undergo changes and fluctuations in physical, mental and social situations. The role of a paediatrician begins from conception and through pregnancy. The several sub specialities in paediatrics are adolescence medicine, child abuse paediatrics, clinical informatics, neonatology, pain medicine, paediatric cardiology, paediatric critical care, paediatric haematology, paediatric oncology, sleep medicine, social paediatrics and many more.

Typical day at work

What does Pediatrician do?

A paediatrician is a physician who specialises in the care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. Paediatricians play a crucial role in your child's health and well-being. They are responsible for a wide range of tasks, including routine well-child examinations as well as detecting and treating diseases, injuries, and other health problems. They handle everything from well-baby examinations to chronic medical issues management. Paediatricians treat infections, traumas, and illnesses as well as provide preventative care. A doctor examines youngsters and advises them on vaccines. They ensure that the kid is on track to reach developmental milestones in terms of growth, behaviour, and abilities. They also provide details about your child's health, safety, nutrition, and exercise requirements.

• Examine patients regularly to evaluate their growth and development which is normal or not.
• Treat children with mild diseases, acute and chronic health conditions, and questions regarding growth and development.
• Collect, document and hold patient records, such as medical history, notes or outcomes of examinations.
• Prescribe, diagnose, and treat patient with therapy, medicine, vaccine and other advanced medical services to treat or prevent infant and child illness, disease or injury.
• Request, administer and interpret diagnostic tests to obtain medical details and to assess the diagnosis.
• Guide and counsel patients, parents, and members of the community about food, exercise, hygiene, and disease prevention.
• Explain process and discuss test results and treatment plans with patients and parents.
• Track the health and progress of patients, and reassess treatments as appropriate.
• Plan and implement healthcare services to help children and adolescents grow and improve mentally and physically.
• Guide and direct nurses, therapists, assistants, students, specialists and other medical staff’s activities.
• If required, refer patient to a medical specialist or other practitioner.
• Provide consulting services to other physicians.
• Perform operations on patients to remove, repair, or enhance functioning of diseased or injured body parts and systems.
• Perform research to study anatomy and create and assess drugs, treatments, or procedures for disease or injury prevention or control.
• Design, enforce or manage health programs or guidelines for prevention or treatment of injury or disease in hospitals, industries, or communities.
• Update the patient records and charts to show present results and treatments.
• Analyse the test results to assess any suspicious findings.
• Conduct annual check-ups, regular exams, and immunizations.
• Prepare government or organizations about the birth, death, and illness estimates, employee reviews, or patient medical status reports.

Abilities & aptitude needed

What are the skills, abilities & aptitude needed to become Pediatrician?

Paediatrician must be able to listen and communicate actively and attentively to the needs of the patients. They need to ask the right questions to interpret the information. They also regularly interact with other doctors and administrative staff. Thus, having good communication and interpersonal skills is necessary.

They must be sensitive, calm, polite, patient, and empathic to patients’ needs and concerns. They need to make their patients feel comfortable and let them know they care, which requires them to have emotional intelligence.

In order to find a diagnosis based on connecting different symptoms, it requires analytical thought, problem-solving, judgement, and decision-making skills. They must show dedication, eye for detail, self-discipline, spatial orientation, determination, persistence to commit to years of intense practice.

They need to be flexible with their treatment plans as not every type of treatment will work for every patient, thus, having the ability to be resourceful is essential. Extra patience may be essential for patients who are afraid of medical treatment. They must have empathy and compassion for patients dealing with what may be a troubling and alarming diagnosis. Lastly, they work long hours and spend much of their time on their feet, thus physical stamina is essential.

Courses

Which course I can pursue?