Pediatricians
All you need to know!
What is a pediatrician?
Education and Training
Earnings
Job Skills, Talents and Experience
Employment
Typical Day-Morning
A typical day in the life of a pediatrician usually begins at 5 a.m. If the doctor exercises in the morning, which most do, the day may even begin a little earlier. Exercise keeps the doctor disciplined and accountable for eating choices throughout the day. When a person exercises and eats right, they are able to function at a much higher level and are less likely to get sluggish throughout the day.
The pediatrician typically starts the day at the hospital by 7 a.m. seeing patients and conducting rounds. The pediatrician usually starts his day seeing patients in the newborn nursery and makes his or her way to the pediatric ward, visiting with parents and checking the vitals of the tiny patients. Many pediatricians work at two or more hospitals and therefore must visit all of them before making the way to the office to begin seeing patients that have been scheduled for the day.
Typical Day-Daytime hours
The pediatrician meets with the attending pediatric nurse to assess the day and learn about any specific procedures that must be completed that day. Patients are seen throughout the day and the number depends on the day and season. During the winter, pediatricians may see six or more patients in one hour depending on the day. In the summertime, fewer patients are seen with an average of approximately four patients per hour.
During lunch the pediatrician usually reviews lab work and charts, instructing the nurse to make callbacks as necessary. Typical noon hours are spent making callbacks by the pediatrician as well, either to patients, specialists or other doctors. Forms that need to be signed are tended too and prescriptions called-in or filled out.
Typical Day-Evening
Patients are typically finished being seen into the evening. If there is a need at the hospital, the pediatrician may be called back to see the patient before ending the shift and returning home for the day between 6:30 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. The evening may even be cut shorter if a special needs patients walks in around 5:00 p.m. having an asthma attack or needing acute careThe pediatrician’s day does not end at bedtime since most doctors are continuing their education and studying for the board that needs to be passed every so often. Many pediatricians study well into the night and finally lay their head down on the pillow around 11:00 p.m. only to be back up in the early morning to begin again.
There are times when a pediatrician is on call at the hospital and may be called in for an emergency in the middle of the night. When this is the case, a pediatrician may not be able to sleep the entire night. It is a challenging and grueling job, but can be high