Job Description of a Critical Care Pediatrician
A critical care pediatrician, also called a pediatric intensivist, is a medical doctor who specializes in the treatment of children in crisis or otherwise unstable conditions of health. These professionals are found working exclusively within the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of hospitals and medical centers.
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Primary Responsibilities
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Critical care pediatricians diagnose children in life-threatening conditions, prescribing and administering medication as appropriate. Additionally, these doctors monitor the health progression of each child within the PICU.
Types of Critical Conditions
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Examples of medical conditions a critical care pediatrician may treat include physical trauma, life-threatening infections, severe asthma and diabetic complications.
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Education
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To become a critical care pediatrician, a candidate must first obtain a bachelor's degree in pre-medicine or a life science. This is followed by an additional four years of medical school, plus both an internship and residency focusing on pediatric critical care.
Licensing
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In order to legally obtain employment as a critical care pediatrician, medical school graduates must successfully pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination, obtaining a license to practice within their state.
Qualitative Requirements
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Those who seek to become critical care physicians should be extremely self-motivated and able to thrive in a high-pressure environment. Additionally, candidates should possess pleasant dispositions as they will be interacting with children.
Salary and Employment Outlook
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The average compensation paid to critical care pediatricians working in the United States is $93,000, according to Simply Hired. This is an excellent field to pursue, as employment of physicians is anticipated to increase by 22 percent during the decade encompassing 2008 and 2018.
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References
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- Photo Credit doctor and patient 10 image by Paul Moore from Fotolia.com
