Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is a Pediatrician?What Do Pediatricians Do?SubspecialtiesTraining and CertificationAppointment TipsMaking an AppointmentChoosing a Pediatrican
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is a Pediatrician?
What Do Pediatricians Do?
Subspecialties
Training and Certification
Appointment Tips
Making an Appointment
Choosing a Pediatrican
A pediatrician is a healthcare provider who specializes in the care of children and adolescents, providingvaccinesfor the smallest of babies or caring for a college student diagnosed with aneating disorder. You also may encounternurse practitionerswho specialize in pediatric care.
With additional training, some pediatricians focus on a specific area of care, such as cardiology or genetics. Others may have training in thecare of LGBTQ+ youth, or with developmental health issues like autism.
This article explains the role of a pediatrician in health care for children, teens, and young adults. It will help you to learn more about their training, specialties, and the services that pediatricians offer.
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Pediatricians focus on the health of infants and children, providing wellness visits and screenings or treating common illnesses likeear infection. They also assess and monitor a child’s development, providing referrals to other specialists in the event of a serious emerging health condition, social or behavioral challenges, or mental health concerns.
Some pediatricians are certified in adolescent and young adult medicine, and care for the needs of people up to age 25.These providers may treat substance use disorders, reproductive health concerns, and more.
2:12Click Play to Learn All About Pediatricians
2:12
Click Play to Learn All About Pediatricians
The American Academy of Pediatrics lists dozens of areas of expertise for pediatric healthcare providers. The care and services for children and young people include:
Pediatricians can treat a range of conditions, fromcommon childhood illnesseslike chickenpox to minor injuries that require stitches or splinting. They may refer you to specialists for additional care, or practice a specialty themselves (intreating allergies, for example).
Vaccine Schedules: Standard vs. Alternative
Pediatrician Subspecialties
There are many types of pediatricians. There are general pediatricians who practiceprimary care, taking care of the general needs of children, and there are others who specialize in certain areas, such as:
Adolescent Medicine
Adolescents face tremendous social and academic pressures, as well as potentially life-threatening illnesses, habits, and behaviors. Adolescent health specialists are trained to help teens and young adults between the ages of 10 and 25 with their complex physical, behavioral, and emotional health care needs—from physical exams and immunizations to reproductive and mental health care.
Pediatric Cardiology
If your pediatrician has a question about your child’s heart, he or she may refer your child to a pediatric cardiologist, a healthcare provider who specializes in diagnosing and treatingheart problems in children.
Child Abuse Pediatrics
These healthcare providers have special training, experience, and skills in evaluating children who may be victims of some type ofabuseor neglect.
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
A hospital-based pediatric critical care specialist is called on to provide the special care your child might need if he or she is in an unstable critical condition due to aserious illness or injury.
Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics
These specialists possess training and experience to consider the medical and psychosocial aspects of children’s and adolescents’ developmental and behavioral problems. These include problems in a full range of pediatric chronic illnesses and disabling conditions, such ascerebral palsy.
Be sure to tell your healthcare provider about a child’s behavior even if they don’t ask. They typically have a lot of knowledge about mental health and behavioral issues, and can refer you to specialists and community resources after evaluating whether your child can benefit from additional servicces.
Developmental-Behavioral Pediatricians for Autistic Children
Pediatric Emergency Medicine
These specialists focus on the care of the acutely ill or injured child in anemergency department.
Pediatric Endocrinology
If your child has problems with growth,puberty,diabetes, or other disorders related to the hormones and the glands that produce them, they may be referred to a pediatric endocrinologist.
Pediatric Gastroenterology
These specialists care for children and adolescents who have digestive difficulties. Agastroenterologistalso may have specific areas of expertise, such as liver disease.
Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
If your child is affected with blood disorders andcancerthey may see a pediatrichematologist-oncologist.
Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Pediatric hospitalists work primarily in a hospital. They care for children throughout the hospital, including the pediatric acute care areas, the newborn nursery, the emergency department, labor and delivery, and sometimes the neonatal (NICU) or pediatric intensive care units (PICU).
Understanding Hospital Acronyms for Floors and Units
Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Pediatric Nephrology
A pediatricnephrologistspecializes in care for children with various kidney diseases.
Pediatric Pulmonology
If your child has breathing or lung problems, he or she may see a pediatricpulmonologist.
Pediatric Rheumatology
These specialists care for children with autoimmune diseases, or diseases where the immune system attacks the healthy cells of the body.Rheumatic diseasesinclude fevers, joint pains, rashes, and involvement of the internal organs.
Pediatrician Training and Certification
After graduating from medical school, pediatricians take special courses solely in pediatrics for three or more years. This is called residency. This training exposes them to the various clinical rotations in different pediatric sub-specialties, like endocrinology or emergency medicine.
Pediatricians who subspecialize must also meet the training requirements specific to each of those subspecialties. To maintain their certification, pediatricians and pediatric specialists must also work to stay up to date with the most current medical knowledge over the course of time that they practice medicine.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Pediatrician?At least 11 years of education is required to become a pediatrician. This includes four years of college, four years of medical school, and then at least three years of a pediatric residency. A pediatrician may then spend additional years training on a specialty like cardiology or endocrinology.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Pediatrician?
At least 11 years of education is required to become a pediatrician. This includes four years of college, four years of medical school, and then at least three years of a pediatric residency. A pediatrician may then spend additional years training on a specialty like cardiology or endocrinology.
Pediatrician Appointment Tips
Patient appointments may be just one small part of a pediatrician’s job, but they’ll have a big impact on your life. Use these tips to make the visit go as smoothly as possible:
You can try scheduling appointments early in the day to avoid long wait times. It also may help to bring your own toys, snacks, diapers, and other items to make the visit easier for your child.
When to Make an Appointment With a Pediatrician
Some of the more common reasons for calling your pediatrician can include:
Apart from illness, your child may experience a traumatic injury and need to be seen. Other reasons can include developmental concerns (for example, speech and talking skills that aren’tneurotypical) and behavioral concerns (likeoppositional behaviororconduct problems).
How to Choose a Pediatrician
Choose a trusted healthcare provider to care for your child. Ask friends and family for recommendations, but check the provider’s credentials and make a thoughtful decision yourself.
You also can check with professional organizations.You’ll need to confirm that a pediatrician accepts your health insurance or has policies that are not a barrier to care.
When choosing a pediatrician, make sure you’re comfortable with how they meet your child’s needs (for example, LGBTQ+ youth concerns) or that they’re the right specialty for a specific condition.
How to Check a Doctor’s Background and Credentials
Summary
A pediatrician provides health care to children and teens, including adolescent and young adult specialists who care for people up to the age of 25. They provide well visits and other routine care, including immunizations and childhood health screenings, as well as treating illness and injury.
A pediatrician also may be a specialist in a certain field of medicine, such as heart or cancer care. You may encounter nurse practitioners and other providers who specialize in pediatric care, too. Resources and referrals are available to help you choose the right pediatrician for your child.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Pediatric Association.Special Interest Groups.
Children’s Health.Pediatric Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Moreno M, Thompson L.What Is Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine?JAMA Pediatr.2020;174(5):512. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.0311
American Academy of Pediatrics.Patient Care.
The American Board of Pediatrics.Subspecialty certifications and admission requirements.
American Board of Pediatrics.General ABP FAQs.
American Academy of Pediatrics.Pediatrics 101: A resource guide.
American Academy of Pediatrics.Team Up with Your Child’s Doctor for the Best Care.
American Medical Association.DoctorFinder.
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