What Does a Pediatrician Do?

Answer:
The word “pediatrician,” meaning

“healer of children” in Greek, refers to a children's doctor. Pediatrics is a very broad field, and pediatricians often specialize in one area of it, such as pediatric surgery or pediatric oncology. Pediatricians must complete medical school as well as a pediatric residency, and then additional residency in any specialty area desired.

A pediatrician may see children from birth up through age 18, and will often see medical situations that are very different from those found in adults. Pediatricians who have a general practice vaccinate children, provide general health care and exams, and deal with common childhood illnesses and injuries, such as ear infections, asthma, and broken bones. Children with more serious conditions are usually referred to pediatric specialists. Many children's hospitals are also research and teaching hospitals and have excellent specialists.