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Pediatricians, General

People classed as Pediatricians, General diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries in children. On the six-type interest model it reads SIR, meaning helping, teaching or caring for people comes first, followed by research, analysis and working through hard problems. The preparation level is extensive preparation, typically graduate school and often five years or more of related experience. O*NET’s skill data points to speaking, judgment and decision making, and critical thinking as the ones to build. You may also need to prescribe or administer treatment, therapy, medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury in infants and children. It tends to suit people who want helping, teaching or caring for people, and it offers little for anyone seeking creative work with room for original expression.

What they do

Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries in children. May refer patients to specialists for further diagnosis or treatment, as needed.

Main tasks

  • Prescribe or administer treatment, therapy, medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury in infants and children.
  • Examine children regularly to assess their growth and development.
  • Treat children who have minor illnesses, acute and chronic health problems, and growth and development concerns.
  • Examine patients or order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests to obtain information on medical condition and determine diagnosis.
  • Advise patients, parents or guardians, and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
  • Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients and parents or guardians.

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Critical Thinking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Writing

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You get energy from helping other people move forward.
  • You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
  • You are prepared for graduate-level study and a long training path.
  • You are comfortable relying on speaking and judgment and decision making.

May not suit you if

  • You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
  • You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.9 out of 7 here.
  • You want to be working in the field within the next few years.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SIR takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.

Preparation

Extensive preparation. Many jobs here need graduate study, and people often spend five years or more building specialist experience.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Post-Doctoral Training. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Developmental Pediatrician
  • Emergency Room Pediatrician (ER Pediatrician)
  • General Pediatrician
  • Group Practice Pediatrician
  • Medical Doctor (MD)

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.