Pediatrics

FACT: In 2019, the national average annual salary of pediatricians was estimated to be $183,240, which is well above the average annual salary for all occupations, which is $51,960. The best-paid 25 percent made $208,000 that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made $127,610.As is common with occupations and salaries, geography has a major impact on the size of incomes, ranging from $268,000 in Wisconsin to $126,000 in Kansas. But at the end of the day, pediatricians’ incomes are still better off than 95% of the U.S. population and 99.5% of the world population. [1]

FACT: Pediatrics is a large field, and pediatricians can choose what to pursue. Some work exclusively in hospital-based practices, while others work exclusively in an outpatient-based practice. Others can choose to focus on health policy and public health. There is also the option to participate in research, international health advocacy, and more. Therefore, there is not lack of intellectual simulation, and one can decide how much they like them and select their career accordingly. [2]

FACT: Like many medical careers, pediatrics takes a lot of training and education. A general pediatric residency is three years encompassing general comprehensive pediatric training in an accredited program and increased responsibility for patient care and for the supervision of junior house staff and medical students. To practice as a pediatrician in the US, you need to pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), which allows you to apply for a license. Individual state boards also set their own license renewal and continuing education requirements. Some professional organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, offer continuing education courses in topics like: adolescent health, immunology, cardiology, endocrinology, orthopedics, otolaryngology etc. [3]

  1. How Much Does a Pediatrician Make? U.S. News & World Report
  2. Rose A. 8 reasons pediatrics jobs make fulfilling careers. Health Careers.
  3. Turner E. The Pros and Cons of Becoming a Pediatrician. Noodle.
Specialty Disrespect poster with text, described following image

Image description: Background is in black and white and is a photo of an older Black female physician interacting with a Black toddler. Top header is in light green. Text in dark green.

Text: “Specialty Disrespect” in bold at the top. Underneath this title reads “One element of the hidden curriculum, encompassing unwarranted, negative, and denigrating comments made by trainees and physicians about different specialties. (Alston, 2019).”

Poster that mimics an iPhone messaging screen with fictional statements as “receiving” grey message bubbles and factual statements as “sent” blue message bubbles. This poster is about pediatrics. The fictional side has one bubble that reads “Only people with low STEP 1 scores go into pediatrics” and the factual response reads “We chose to go into pediatrics to provide care for children, and among allopathic seniors matching into pediatrics in 2020, more than half score >231 on Step 1.” The next fictional bubble reads “Pediatrics… not worth the money,” and the factual bubble reads “While most of us probably didn’t enter the field guided by finances, pediatricians’ incomes are still better off than 95% of the U.S. population.”

Download the Pediatrics Poster