A Day in the Life of a Pediatrician

For many people who are thinking of getting involved in the world of children’s medicine, a common question that they might ask is what is a day in the life of a pediatrician like?  Pediatricians are the front line for parents and kids alike who are attempting to deal with coughs, colds, fevers, or more serious ailments.  Given that first time parents are often nervous about the health of their children, pediatricians have to be skilled not only as doctors but also as communicators when it comes to handling the questions and concerns of the adults in the room.

A pediatrician focuses on young people.  The definition of who qualifies for a pediatrician’s care is fairly broad, with everyone from infants to 21 year olds involved in a typical practice.  A day in the life of a pediatrician almost always includes a significant amount of face time interacting directly with patients.  Average pediatricians see just under 100 cases a week, and work approximately 54 hours in a week.  Doing the math, that comes out to around nine patients a day, which is a fairly significant load of cases to stay on top of.  These doctors usually start their day between 7 am and 8:30 am, take a one to one and a half hour break for lunch, and then see patients again until around 5 pm.

Many pediatricians have their offices in a group practice with other doctors, but there are also those who have their own private practice and offices.  Some pediatricians begin their day with hospital rounds at the care facility they are affiliated with, where they check in on any newly admitted cases and also keep tabs on the babies that have been recently born.  They then head to their offices where they start their regular work day.

Pediatricians usually structure their days so that they see two types of patients.  First, there are unplanned visits to the doctor, the type of cases that usually involve fevers, infections, or other sudden medical problems which parents feel require more immediate expert attention.  While pediatricians typically don’t become involved with broken bones or sprains – that type of injury is usually reserved for a hospital’s emergency room – they might be asked to diagnose and treat an eye infection, sore throat, or persistent stomach pain.

The second type of visit that a pediatrician deals with on a daily basis involves scheduled appointments that are meant to encompass the regular medical care that all children require while growing up.  These can include annual or bi-annual checkups, a round of booster shots or fresh vaccinations, or even follow-up on previous issues which the pediatrician wants to make sure are progressing properly.

Some pediatricians are also available after their clinics have closed, in order to respond to urgent cases.  This can mean visiting the hospital to consult on a case that has been admitted in the evening, or handling questions over the phone from students or other doctors.

There are of course exceptions to these general guidelines of how a pediatrician typically spends their day.  Some doctors prefer to work in an as-needed role, moving from hospital to clinic to hospital to take the place of pediatricians who are on vacation, sabbatical, or who are unable to work for a given period of time.  Some might be employed by a school board, a special type of health clinic, or even be teaching at a medical school in order to train new generations of pediatricians.

Pediatricians have one of the most difficult and rewarding jobs in all of medicine.  Although they may often find themselves involved in heart-breaking cases, in the best scenarios these doctors get to make a positive difference in the life of a child.