5 Pros and Cons of Being a Pediatrician

The job of a pediatrician plays an important role in the success of the medical profession. These people work as licensed medical practitioners that focus on diagnosing and treating children. If you are planning to become a pediatrician, you will be required to complete a degree in medical school. You should also be able to undergo a residency program in pediatric clinics or pediatrics units in hospitals. Of course, you also need to be a licensed professional to become a full-fledged pediatrician. For those who are not familiar with this type of job, perhaps the pros and cons presented here should give you insights of what it really is all about.

List of Pros of Being a Pediatrician

1. Able to Acquire a Huge Paycheck
Pediatricians have been paid big because of their huge responsibility of taking care of children’s wellness. This is also important as they have to pay high amounts of debt to pay off when they leave college. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these professionals earn an average salary of $168,650 per year. However, those who practice privately can earn a bit higher average.

2. Help Children Get Well
The primary motive of becoming pediatricians is being able to prevent and treat illnesses that children are prone to get. As they earn reasonably big, it is their responsibility to make sure that these needs are met accordingly. If you love to be with children, then you can also have a major role to play in helping them live a longer and healthier life.

3. Rewarding Type of Job
Pediatricians’ job can be very tough in reality but this can be offset with the positive results. They are trained to provide care to patients which can change or even save lives. This is one of the reasons why many people choose this type of profession. In fact, pediatricians are highly content with the work lives that they possess.

List of Cons of Being a Pediatrician

1. Difficulty in Balancing Profession and Family Life
Some pediatricians that are office-based can maintain a normal working hours. Hence, they are able to enjoy a much organized time to spend with their families. Nevertheless, other small town pediatricians should take emergencies that typically happen on the weekends or in the evenings. Moreover, some should work on rotations such as weekend, night, evening, and holiday shifts. For this reason, they will eventually find it hard to balance their work and family life in an effective manner.

2. Some Deal with Added Pressure
Medical professionals tend to get a lot of pressure when they deal with their patients. This is particularly true especially in the event when the cost of lawsuits and insurance for medical malpractice have dramatically increased. As a result, pediatricians have added pressure since they work with young patients as they try to appease parents. Since parents sometimes insist on the type of treatment they want to have, this puts pediatricians in conflict with their beliefs which they deem are proper.