Q11625

After the birth and the amazement of a new little baby being brought into the world things get more serious. Some children have medical issues or birth defects. Some of which can be fixed, some that can not. After the child is born most people assign a pediatrician for their baby. A pediatrician is the doctor that helps the baby medically for about the next 10 years. To become a pediatrician begins in about high school. Aspiring medical students should begin to slant their education toward the sciences in high school, but the formal portion of their training begins with a premedical degree. This is a standard four-year bachelor's degree, but aside from the requirements of a given major it must also incorporate the prerequisites needed for medical college admission. These vary by school, but typically include written communications, advanced mathematics such as calculus or statistics, and a broad grounding in the sciences. Basic physics, chemistry and biology are required, and usually more-advanced studies in microbiology or organic chemistry. Future pediatricians should look for opportunities to volunteer or work in children's health care while earning their degree. The next step in a pediatrician's education is the four-year doctoral program at an accredited medical or osteopathic college. The first two years are spent primarily in classroom instruction, building on the foundational science courses of the premed years. A typical curriculum includes microbiology and epidemiology, human anatomy and physiology, medical genetics, pharmacology and similar topics. A portion of class time is also given to medical ethics and the laws governing medicine in that state. During the third and fourth years, the program's emphasis shifts to clinical rotations that give students exposure to the major branches of medicine. Those interested in pediatrics should wheedle as much time as possible in child-oriented rotations. Graduating from medical school produces a doctor, but not yet a pediatrician. That requires three more years in a recognized residency program, translating school-taught theory into practical experience under the supervision of experienced pediatricians. Residents begin primarily as observers and gradually assume increasing responsibility for treating patients as they gain proficiency. At the end of their residency, doctors are eligible to take their certification exam through the American Board of Pediatrics. Exams take place in the fall, and consist of four sections totaling seven hours. Successful candidates are then designated "board certified." There are many subspecialties within pediatrics, including pediatric cardiology, pediatric endocrinology and neonatal medicine for at-risk newborns. Most require doctors to complete an additional two to three years in specialized fellowships, after completing residency and earning board certification in general pediatrics. Subspecialties each require their own separate board certification exam. Some programs combine a residency in pediatrics with a residency in another specialty, such as anesthesiology. The combined residency is usually a year shorter than two separate residencies, and doctors must pass the certification exam for each separate specialty before describing themselves as pediatric anesthesiologists.