Pediatrician
What is a pediatrician?
A pediatrician is a medical professional who specializes in providing medical care to children. Although there are surviving manuscripts dedicated to pediatrics from earlier eras, it was not until the mid-19th century that it was recognized and developed as a new medical specialty.
What does a pediatrician do?
Providing physical, mental and emotional care to their patients, pediatricians are concerned with the health of babies, children and adolescents. They perform diagnostic tests to obtain information about the patient's medical condition and administer treatments, therapies, medications and vaccines to treat diseases, disorders or injuries. They also treat children suffering minor injuries, acute and chronic health problems, and physiological and psychological growth and developmental concerns.
Pediatricians advise and guide children and their parents or guardians about diet, hygiene and disease prevention. The field of pediatrics is a collaborative specialty, primary care pediatricians may refer patients to a medical specialist if they show symptoms of a serious medical condition, in order to effectively address the problem.
What is a pediatrician's workplace like?
Pediatricians can work in a number of settings, such as hospitals, private practices, health maintenance organizations, community health centers, public health clinics, schools, or the government.
In a typical setting, pediatricians enjoy a pleasant work environment, as they are generally assigned to the offices and exam rooms most welcoming to children. The offices and rooms are equipped with children's books, toys and activities to keep children occupied during waiting periods and distract them when undergoing painful procedures. Working with children has its drawbacks, they can be unruly patients, often restless and sometimes frightened by doctors and medical procedures. The utmost patience must be exercised when dealing with children, which is where pediatric training is invaluable.
What is the difference between adult and pediatric medicine?
A common adage in the field of medicine is that "children are not simply small adults." In other words, there are significant differences between treating adults and children. The smaller body size and less mature internal organs. These variations can present congenital deficiencies or defects and developmental problems very specific to young patients. A pediatrician's interpretation of symptoms, diagnosis and prescription of medications and other treatments are influenced by the patient's age.
The fact that the pediatrician's patients often cannot advocate for themselves or make decisions independently adds another aspect to pediatric practice: communicating with parents and family, taking into account the concerns of many people, not just the patient. This part of the pediatrician's work can be particularly demanding when facing a painful procedure or one with a poor prognosis.
Can a pediatrician treat adults?
The discipline is highly specialized and its professionals are specially trained to treat babies, toddlers, children and adolescents up to the age of eighteen, perhaps as old as twenty-one. Unless they are trained in both pediatrics and adult medicine, it is rare for pediatricians to go outside their specialty to treat adults.