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Job Title: Physician/Pediatrician
Type of Company: I am part-owner of a pediatric medical office, providing medical care to patients up to to 22 years of age.
Education: BA, Biology, Washington University (St. Louis, MO) •• MS, Cell Biology, University of Minnesota •• MD, University of Minnesota
Previous Experience: I worked as a research and teaching assistant in a university setting as a graduate student before going on to medical school. After medical school, I did a three-year residency at the University of Rochester.
Job Tasks: My day starts at 7:30AM in the corridors of the local hospital where I go to see patients: any newborn babies or children or even adolescents who've been hospitalized for serious illnesses. I get to my office about an hour later and usually see patients until 1PM. For an hour after that, I return phone calls and do paperwork and administrative chores. I then resume seeing patients from 2-5PM. I also take calls, covering the emergency room and delivery room of our local hospital for a 24-hour shift, one day a week. I will be in my office or at home, wearing a pager. If the hospital or delivery room needs me, they page me and I go directly to the hospital from wherever I am at the time.
Best and Worst Parts of the Job: The best parts of my work are seeing my patients grow up, interacting with families, getting to use my education every day. I can truly say there is never a dull moment.
The worst parts are dealing with administrative duties. Sometimes the days can be very long, and being on call can be stressful.
Job Tips:
1. Being well-rounded in your education and not only taking science classes will help in your application process to medical school and make you a better doctor. Anything that makes you different is an asset.
2. It does not matter so much which medical school you go to. You will get a good education at any medical school. For your career it will matter more where you do your residency.
3. When going through medical school keep an open mind as to what specialty you want to pursue. There are many options open to you. But volunteer or work in a medical office and get to know the doctor(s) you work for because they can write you a good recommendation, or follow a doctor oh her daily routine to see if you like what she is doing.
Additional Thoughts: The most surprising thing about this job has been how much fun it is to grow up with my patients, and there is never a dull moment.
The biggest misconception about pediatricians is that we deliver babies. We take care of the babies after they are born. We are not involved in the care of the mother.
It is a long process to finally get to practice in your chosen specialty. Some specialties will require 5-6 years of training after medical school. You have to be ready for delayed gratification.
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