Is becoming a pediatrician worth it?

[ZealousStudent]

I've already decided that I want to go into the medical field someday. I've been seriously thinking about becoming a pediatrician. I absolutely love little kids. People tell me I have the personality for it. However, 12+ years of school/training do seem discouraging... I'm not choosing this career simply for the salary, as I'm sure I want to have an occupation in which I can help others, especially if they're children.

So, is going into pediatrics a rewarding experience? Any pediatricians that can tell me how they love/hate their jobs? Also, any tips for a (maybe) future pediatrician would be much appreciated. I'm currently a high school student and I know I should excel in science, math and English; but other than that, what else can I do now to prepare for the future? (ie, what colleges or majors should I be looking at, what SAT should I aim for?)

Thank you!

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[Michelledoc]

Love it, love it love. If you have a passion for peds, the rewards are just fantastic : excellent job satisfaction, challenging, good quality of life, great work environment.....

 

[mvenus929]

I had an attending and a resident almost ready to finish residency both tell me that while they love their jobs, they both would've done something differently, because they felt they could get just as much fulfillment working in another aspect of healthcare without the long schooling.

I haven't hit that point yet, but I recommend that everyone considering medicine as a career take a good look at other health-related fields there are besides nurse and doctor. It's a long road to become a physician, and there are really a whole bunch of other things that you can do: physical/occupational therapy, lab technologist, paramedic, epidemiologist, ethicist, nutritionist, lobbyist, etc. In many you can work exclusively with children if you so desire, in others you may not have any patient contact, but will still be making a difference.

 

[Perrotfish]

I've already decided that I want to go into the medical field someday. I've been seriously thinking about becoming a pediatrician. I absolutely love little kids. People tell me I have the personality for it. However, 12+ years of school/training do seem discouraging... I'm not choosing this career simply for the salary, as I'm sure I want to have an occupation in which I can help others, especially if they're children.

So, is going into pediatrics a rewarding experience? Any pediatricians that can tell me how they love/hate their jobs? Also, any tips for a (maybe) future pediatrician would be much appreciated. I'm currently a high school student and I know I should excel in science, math and English; but other than that, what else can I do now to prepare for the future? (ie, what colleges or majors should I be looking at, what SAT should I aim for?)

Thank you!

If you are in the US you select what kind of doctor you're going to try to be in the third year of medical school, three years minimum after you finish a 4 year college degree, so I wouldn't worry too much about deciding on being a Pediatrician or even a doctor while you're still in High school. If you want to get a feel for medicine as a possible future career, try shadowing a few different kinds of physician in the hospital over the summer. Shadowing is just what it sounds like: you follow around behind the physician and see if you like what he's doing. I generally recommend interested college students shadow in a few different enviornments: clinic (where you see your pediatrician) inpatient (the Pediatricians who work on kids in hospitals), the emergency room, and surgery. There is both a high school and 'pre-allopathic' forum on student doctor where you can find more information about how to prepare.

I'm still a Resident now. Overall I'm very happy I chose this career, though I hope you remain open to experimenting with different careers through at least the midway point of college.

 

[ZealousStudent]

Love it, love it love. If you have a passion for peds, the rewards are just fantastic : excellent job satisfaction, challenging, good quality of life, great work environment.....

That is very encouraging! If I may ask, how long do you work everyday on average? Is it stressful?

 

[ZealousStudent]

I had an attending and a resident almost ready to finish residency both tell me that while they love their jobs, they both would've done something differently, because they felt they could get just as much fulfillment working in another aspect of healthcare without the long schooling.

I haven't hit that point yet, but I recommend that everyone considering medicine as a career take a good look at other health-related fields there are besides nurse and doctor. It's a long road to become a physician, and there are really a whole bunch of other things that you can do: physical/occupational therapy, lab technologist, paramedic, epidemiologist, ethicist, nutritionist, lobbyist, etc. In many you can work exclusively with children if you so desire, in others you may not have any patient contact, but will still be making a difference.

Thank for that valuable advice! I will definitely keep that in mind should I decide to take a different career path. 🙂

 

[ZealousStudent]

If you are in the US you select what kind of doctor you're going to try to be in the third year of medical school, three years minimum after you finish a 4 year college degree, so I wouldn't worry too much about deciding on being a Pediatrician or even a doctor while you're still in High school. If you want to get a feel for medicine as a possible future career, try shadowing a few different kinds of physician in the hospital over the summer. Shadowing is just what it sounds like: you follow around behind the physician and see if you like what he's doing. I generally recommend interested college students shadow in a few different enviornments: clinic (where you see your pediatrician) inpatient (the Pediatricians who work on kids in hospitals), the emergency room, and surgery. There is both a high school and 'pre-allopathic' forum on student doctor where you can find more information about how to prepare.

I'm still a Resident now. Overall I'm very happy I chose this career, though I hope you remain open to experimenting with different careers through at least the midway point of college.

Hmm, that is true. So do you think I just keep my options open? I'm 95% positive I want to become some type of doctor though. Do you think I should just devote a lot of time for science, math, and English for now? Also, (a bit random..) were the MCATs hard? :/

 

[mvenus929]

Thank for that valuable advice! I will definitely keep that in mind should I decide to take a different career path. 🙂

I'm going to emphasize this again, because I don't think you understood my advice. If you did, then great.

I think you should explore other careers in medicine regardless of whether you pursue medical school or not. There are so many jobs that you can get that you probably don't know anything about right now, and likely won't until you're too far into the career path to feasibly back out. By all means, study hard on your SATs, get into a good college, take the pre-reqs for med school and study for the MCAT. But keep your mind open to other jobs--you might be surprised at what you find.

 

[Michelledoc]

That is very encouraging! If I may ask, how long do you work everyday on average? Is it stressful?

I am currently a peds resident and so hours are long and there is stress. I still love it though. The job rewards/satisfaction are great.

 

[Cytarabine]

If I may add on to this thread rather than making a separate one - I have a pretty wide range of interests, but I'm most seriously considering academic pediatric h/o. I'll be coming out of school with a little less than $250k in debt, and IBR seems to be going the way of the dodo for medicine. If anyone would provide their thoughts on managing that kind of debt on the income afforded by that type of practice setting, I would be appreciative. It's kind of unnerving

 

[rexall1]

I suggest, if you started getting loans from the government after 2007 (I think), that you look into the "pay as you earn" combined with the "public service loan repayment program".

 

[mvenus929]

If I may add on to this thread rather than making a separate one - I have a pretty wide range of interests, but I'm most seriously considering academic pediatric h/o. I'll be coming out of school with a little less than $250k in debt, and IBR seems to be going the way of the dodo for medicine. If anyone would provide their thoughts on managing that kind of debt on the income afforded by that type of practice setting, I would be appreciative. It's kind of unnerving

From what I've read, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, IBR isn't going away, but the PSLF may be going by the wayside for physicians (which I kinda expected), and the amount of time it takes to have your debt forgiven under IBR will be increasing.

I suggest you look into Dave Ramsey. He has (I think) a good way of managing finances.

 

[rexall1]

From what I've read, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, IBR isn't going away, but the PSLF may be going by the wayside for physicians (which I kinda expected), and the amount of time it takes to have your debt forgiven under IBR will be increasing.

I suggest you look into Dave Ramsey. He has (I think) a good way of managing finances.

What makes you think PSLF is going by the wayside? If so, that's BS. We pay way too much (probably a disproportionate amount compared to say, a lab tech or nutritionist) to go to school. We should get the same benefits. Also...if it IS becoming extinct, I'm pretty sure as long as you get STARTED in it you are able to finish it. At least that's what it says on the website.

 

[mvenus929]

What makes you think PSLF is going by the wayside? If so, that's BS. We pay way too much (probably a disproportionate amount compared to say, a lab tech or nutritionist) to go to school. We should get the same benefits. Also...if it IS becoming extinct, I'm pretty sure as long as you get STARTED in it you are able to finish it. At least that's what it says on the website.

It's a government program, and if the government doesn't feel it's beneficial, then they can stop it. The first group of people eligible for it aren't due to receive loan forgiveness until 2017, IIRC. The 2015 budget proposal currently being considered caps PSLF at $57,500, which wouldn't dent most physician's debt (see: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-lowden/public-service-loan-forgiveness_b_4938429.html). As far as I know, there is nothing in the IBR contract that says PSLF can't change, so I find it unlikely that people will be grandfathered in.

It does not do away with IBR, but it's not beneficial to do IBR for 25 years instead of paying it off within 10. I do remember the mention of a provision where a working spouse's income can contribute to your IBR payments, assuming they aren't doing IBR themselves, but I'm not 100% sure on that point.

But, all this is still a proposal, not law. The proposal hasn't gone in front of Congress yet.

 

[Cytarabine]

Apologies, PSLF is what I was referring to. Thank you both for the input

 

[Perrotfish]

Hmm, that is true. So do you think I just keep my options open? I'm 95% positive I want to become some type of doctor though. Do you think I should just devote a lot of time for science, math, and English for now? Also, (a bit random..) were the MCATs hard? :/

In high school all you can do is to do your best, knock out some of the stupider college courses via AP credits or CC courses (remember those CC courses count towards you application GPA, so never get less than an A), and, maybe, pick up an LVN or EMT license so that your exposure to medicine can be paid (therefore limiting your debt). Oh, and keep your nose clean. Keeping your options open really starts in college, and it starts with exploring different career paths. I've always felt that people who can't imagine doing anything other than medicine generally haven't tried anything other than medicine, at least not seriously. The trick (and it is tricky) is to explore those career paths without it impacting your application. Some options:

1) Work: one thing you can do to keep your options open is to Intern or, alternatively, co-op in a non-medical field. The day you get to college start looking for a real, paying internship or Co-op position for your first summer. If you Intern make sure to Intern again the next summer in a different industry. It will build your resume, it will give you a view of a different career, and will be a unique talking point for your medical school application if you end up being a doctor anyway. Don't be one of those premeds who spends every summer doing scut work in a professor's lab or, worse, hanging out at your parent's house. BTW studies have shown that unpaid internships, unlike paid Internships and Co-Ops, do NOT raise your average earnings out of college, so try to do the legwork for paid employment.

2) Don't major in biology, psychology, or 'pre-medicine' if your school offers it as a degree, as those degrees are borderline unemployable if you don't use them as a stepping stone to a graduate or professional education. Take the premed classes, but then major in something employable. Unlike working, however, there are downsides to this approach. More employable majors like engineering or chemistry often have lower average GPAs. Medical schools care about your GPA and are very poor at weighting that GPA based on your major and courseload, so doing a hard major really is shooting yourself in the foot. Also, outside of a handful of 'premedical' majors (usually biology, biochem, and maybe biomedical engineering) you might need to take extra classes on top of your major to meet the premed requirements, which extends an already unnecessarily long undergraduate education. I did mechanical engineering which really hurt my GPA. If I could do it again I might have considered something with good earning potential but a much higher average GPA; like management, marketing, or maybe one of the easier engineering courses like industrial or biomedical engineering.

3) Stay out of debt: the amount of debt you accumulate can both force you away from some options you would otherwise enjoy outside of medicine, and can also limit your options within medicine and force you out of lower paying fields (such as Pediatrics). However again there are again downsides to this approach: while the prestige of your school is minimal impact when it comes to your medical school application, it can matter significantly for other kinds of graduate school or the job market. The main thing is, be caution of spending extra money just for an experience: this is not a vacation. Deciding between a full ride at a low ranked state school and an expensive higher ranked school is difficult. Deciding between a prestigious expensive school and an equally prestigious but significantly cheaper school is easy: you would almost always choose the cheaper option.

4) Keep an open mind an be adventurous. Be open to a lot of diffent paths, mentally. All you need for premedicine is a handful of classes and a high GPA (like a 3.6 or better), so once you take care of that look at all of your options.

BTW yes the MCAT is hard. Its was the first test I ever studied for like it was a class (4+ hours a day for a couple of months). If you go into medicine its the first of many, though there's only one that will ever be more stressful (the USMLE step 1).

 

[snowflakes]

I've already decided that I want to go into the medical field someday. I've been seriously thinking about becoming a pediatrician. I absolutely love little kids. People tell me I have the personality for it. However, 12+ years of school/training do seem discouraging... I'm not choosing this career simply for the salary, as I'm sure I want to have an occupation in which I can help others, especially if they're children.

So, is going into pediatrics a rewarding experience? Any pediatricians that can tell me how they love/hate their jobs? Also, any tips for a (maybe) future pediatrician would be much appreciated. I'm currently a high school student and I know I should excel in science, math and English; but other than that, what else can I do now to prepare for the future? (ie, what colleges or majors should I be looking at, what SAT should I aim for?)

Thank you!

Hi, I'm not a pediatrician, just an undergrad recently accepted to med school, but I thought I could give you a bit of information about what you can do in high school. (My perspective will probably be more short-sited than the residents and attendings on this thread, but I'll try to give you some specific advice based on what I found useful from high school in college.)

1) Develop your study habits. A lot of high schools are pretty easy to do well in, but try to hold yourself to a high standard regardless of what's necessary to get an A, and keep challenging yourself. Start learning how to read textbooks and teach yourself material from a textbook. These skills + a good work ethic will be essential in college. I saw a lot of people who coasted through high school and then got into a rigorous college but really struggled with the transition because they weren't used to working as hard as they needed to in order to succeed in college. Also, just enjoy being a high schooler! It's tempting to spend all of the present preparing for the future, but every stage of your life is unique and fun, so enjoy it! (Full disclaimer: I was a huge worrywart in high school, always worried about getting into a good college. Totally not worth the mental stress, haha.)
2) AP courses: Whether AP courses will count towards premed requirements depends on the med school and whether or not your undergrad will put the AP credit on your transcript. In my experience, the most useful AP class were Calc (really try to get a 5 on it, because that will take care of the med school requirement most of the time), Gen chem (you can usually save at least one semester of gen chem with AP credit), and foreign language (can help with placement). Bio and English generally aren't counted. With physics, usually, you have to take a higher level of physics classes if you want to count the AP credit, so most people elected to retake physics in college regardless of AP credit. Again, this was just my experience, and may vary somewhat from school to school.
3) College choice: aim to keep your debt minimal. It's really not worth taking on debt for undergrad. You can succeed from any college, and debt will hold you back far more than a particular college's name will. That said, financial aid is very very generous at the top private schools, so don't let the sticker prices keep you from applying.
4) SATs: look at the median SAT/ACT scores for the colleges you're interested in. If you're aiming for top 10-20 schools, I'd suggest aiming for ~2100+. Also, make sure you take the PSAT in 10th grade. This is good practice for the SAT, and also important in scholarship selection.
5) Start shadowing. It's never too early to start exploring fields! Don't worry about amassing hours or anything like that. Just shadow for your own benefit to get an idea of what the profession is like.
6) Keep an open mind in college! I chose to major in a non-science field, and this was immensely helpful to me in exposing myself to other academic disciplines. I loved the experience and I figured, if I'm going to study science for the rest of my life, I may as well learn about other subjects for now.
7) MCAT: yes, the MCAT is tough, but by the time you take it, you will be prepared for it. It's definitely a challenge, but rest assured, it's a surmountable one. Don't worry about it yet. 🙂

Hope that was helpful and good luck!