I have worked as a pediatrician in several clinical settings such as solo practice, group practice, and community health centers. I have also taught medical students and resident physicians in a pediatric clinic. Work can be challenging, especially in solo practice. Hours can be long, but the rewards are many. There is great satisfaction in working with children and their families.

What is a typical day for a clinical pediatrician like?

Full of variety. Much of the day focuses on well baby/well child/well teen visits (most pediatricians see children from birth to 18 or 21 years old). These visits focus on monitoring growth and development, providing anticipatory guidance (what to expect at a particular age), and immunizations.

The day is also full of sick child visits such as ear infections, flu, skin infections. I also had patients in my practice who had chronic medical problems such as asthma, learning problems such as ADHD, and autism. My patients with specialized problems required extra care including coordinating with specialists, interacting with insurance companies for special authorizations for care. This aspect of the work can be particularly challenging and at times frustrating.

Part of the challenge as a clinician is balancing work versus family time. I had the personal issue of being a single mom of a boy who had special medical issues of his own. This was the main reason why I made the move to non-clinical work, so I had more time flexibility. As a result of my son’s special needs, I saw the need to do social media advocacy for children with a variety of special issues. I also found a niche doing medical writing.

Pediatrics is definitely a specialty for someone who enjoys interacting with children and their families. Enjoying answering a wide variety of questions is key. Also remembering what may seem very routine for you may very well be something new for a parent or child. The key is keeping an open mind adding a bit of play and humor into the work.

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