General paediatricians are qualified doctors
who have undertaken postgraduate training to specialise in the diagnosis and
treatment of a variety of ailments specific to young people and tract patients’
growth to adulthood. They also care
for the health of infants, children, teenagers, and young adults. Some paediatricians
specialize in paediatric surgery or serious medical conditions, such as
autoimmune disorders or serious chronic ailments.
Paediatricians
work with different healthcare workers, such as nurses and other physicians, to
assess and treat children with various ailments. Most of the work of paediatricians
involves treating day-to-day illnesses—minor injuries, infectious diseases, and
immunizations—that are common to children, much as a general practitioner
treats adults.
Paediatricians can receive training in the
following subspecialties:
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Adolescent medicine
·
Developmental-behavioral paediatrics
·
Hospice and palliative medicine
·
Medical toxicology
·
Neonatal-perinatal medicine
·
Neurodevelopmental disabilities
·
Paediatric cardiology
·
Paediatric critical care medicine
·
Paediatric emergency medicine
·
Paediatric endocrinology
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·
Paediatric gastroenterology
·
Paediatric hematology-oncology
·
Paediatric infectious diseases
·
Paediatric nephrology
·
Paediatric pulmonology
·
Paediatric rheumatology
·
Paediatric sports medicine
·
Paediatric transplant hepatology
·
sleep medicine
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A paediatrician's career is
challenging, stimulating and rewarding. It concerns the health and treatment of
children from birth to adolescence, focusing not just on physical health, but
also the emotional and social aspects.
The paediatrician deals
with biological, social, and environmental influences on the developing child,
and with the impact of disease and dysfunction on development. It might, for instance, involve the treatment
of a child with cancer, or coordinating various support services for a disabled
child.
In all instances, it focuses on the entire
family, the ultimate aim being to allow the child to lead as normal a life as
possible. Areas of care range from preventative
healthcare to diagnosis and treatment of chronic and acute diseases. Their role
also involves prescribing medication and counseling children's families.
Paediatric careers can be
general or specialist. General paediatricians treat most
children hospitalized with acute illness. They may also care for children with
special needs, such as learning difficulties. Outside hospitals, they may work
in local clinics or schools. Specialist pediatricians focus on as many
different clinical areas as can exist in adult medicine. They are frequently
involved in research projects and providing guidelines for preventative health
education.
Day-to-day activities
within paediatric careers
Paediatricians meet patients
and parents to gather information and conduct examinations to identify health
problems. They also order tests to aid diagnosis, analyze data and undertake
consultation with other physicians. Once diagnoses are made,
the pediatrician discusses treatment with patients and families, makes
recommendations, and refers to other specialists as required.
They perform:
- Medical procedures, including surgery
- Post treatment-- they monitor the patients' health and progress
- Discussion with the patient's family involves advising on measures such as diet and exercise
- Updating the family about the patient's condition
Administration and management activities
include:
- Keeping detailed records on patients' health
- Assigning tasks to nurses and other healthcare workers,
- Writing chart notes
- Completing paperwork
Outside the consulting room or hospital, paediatricians:
- Contribute to or administer hospital or community health schemes
- Contribute to or research articles for medical journals
- Teach in medical school
- Undertake professional development classes to update their skills.
