Why Choose A Career in Why Choose A Career in Pediatrics?Pediatrics?

Kishore Vellody, MDKishore Vellody, MD

Assistant Professor of PediatricsAssistant Professor of Pediatrics

Children’s Hosp of PittsburghChildren’s Hosp of Pittsburgh

Job SatisfactionJob Satisfaction

96% of graduating pediatric residents who are 96% of graduating pediatric residents who are in the job market for a general pediatric job in the job market for a general pediatric job state that they would choose Pediatrics again if state that they would choose Pediatrics again if they had to do it all over. they had to do it all over. 2003 AAP Survey Data2003 AAP Survey Data

Job SatisfactionJob Satisfaction

Pediatricians rated higher satisfaction than Pediatricians rated higher satisfaction than internists in job, career, and specialty internists in job, career, and specialty satisfactionsatisfaction

General pediatricians more satisfied than all General pediatricians more satisfied than all other physicians regarding their relationship other physicians regarding their relationship with patients and personal timewith patients and personal time

More likely to recommend their specialty to More likely to recommend their specialty to students seeking advicestudents seeking advice Shugerman, et. al. 2001, Leigh et. al. 2002Shugerman, et. al. 2001, Leigh et. al. 2002

Job OpportunitiesJob Opportunities

80% of residents seeking a general practice 80% of residents seeking a general practice position report obtaining their most desired position report obtaining their most desired positionposition

Workforce shortages in a variety of pediatric Workforce shortages in a variety of pediatric subspecialties mean more job opportunities for subspecialties mean more job opportunities for graduatesgraduates

Job FlexibilityJob Flexibility

26% of pediatricians (as opposed to 14% of all 26% of pediatricians (as opposed to 14% of all other specialties) have worked part time at other specialties) have worked part time at some point in their careersome point in their career

Multiple types of jobs offered ranging from Multiple types of jobs offered ranging from part-time to more demanding hourspart-time to more demanding hours

Serving the UnderservedServing the Underserved

Estimated that 48% of health care markets do Estimated that 48% of health care markets do not have a pediatriciannot have a pediatrician

~ 290,000 children live in markets without a ~ 290,000 children live in markets without a pediatrician or family practitionerpediatrician or family practitioner

51 million people (1/551 million people (1/5thth) in the US lives in a ) in the US lives in a rural area and only 10% of rural area and only 10% of allall U.S. physicians U.S. physicians live there.live there.

Pediatrics TrainingPediatrics Training

3 year training (203 programs avail.)3 year training (203 programs avail.) InpatientInpatient Outpatient clinicOutpatient clinic General and subspecialty exposureGeneral and subspecialty exposure NICU, PICUNICU, PICU ERER

Combined Peds/Adult Residency Combined Peds/Adult Residency TrainingTraining

Pediatrics/Internal Medicine (4 yrs)Pediatrics/Internal Medicine (4 yrs) Pediatrics/Derm (5 yrs)Pediatrics/Derm (5 yrs) Pediatrics/ER (5 yrs)Pediatrics/ER (5 yrs) Pediatrics/Genetics (5 yrs)Pediatrics/Genetics (5 yrs) Pediatrics/PM&R (5 yrs)Pediatrics/PM&R (5 yrs) Pediatrics/Adult Psych/Peds Psych (5 yrs)Pediatrics/Adult Psych/Peds Psych (5 yrs)

What are the options?What are the options?

General PediatricsGeneral Pediatrics Clinic Based Clinic Based

CommunityCommunity AcademicAcademic

Hospital BasedHospital Based CommunityCommunity AcademicAcademic

General Pediatrics - backgroundGeneral Pediatrics - background

Focus on the physical, mental, social health of Focus on the physical, mental, social health of children from birth to 21 years.children from birth to 21 years. Prevention, detection, and management of these Prevention, detection, and management of these

issuesissues Major advocates for children (i.e. health/safety Major advocates for children (i.e. health/safety

policies, education)policies, education)

General Pediatrics - ScopeGeneral Pediatrics - Scope

Health supervisionHealth supervision Anticipatory guidanceAnticipatory guidance Monitoring physical and Monitoring physical and

psychosocial growth psychosocial growth and developmentand development

Diagnosis and treatment Diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic of acute and chronic disordersdisorders

Management of serious Management of serious and life-threatening and life-threatening illnessesillnesses

Referral of complex Referral of complex conditionsconditions

Consultative Consultative partnershipspartnerships

Community based Community based activities (i.e. sports, activities (i.e. sports, schools, etc)schools, etc)

Subspecialty PediatricsSubspecialty Pediatrics

Most require 2-3 years of post-residency Most require 2-3 years of post-residency fellowshipsfellowships

Some require training in another discipline Some require training in another discipline before becoming more focused on pediatrics before becoming more focused on pediatrics such as: surgery, pathology, radiologysuch as: surgery, pathology, radiology

Pediatric neurology and psychiatry can be Pediatric neurology and psychiatry can be done with 2 years of general pediatric training done with 2 years of general pediatric training followed by 2 years of fellowshipfollowed by 2 years of fellowship

Subspecialty PediatricsSubspecialty Pediatrics

Adolescent MedicineAdolescent Medicine Allergy/ImmunologyAllergy/Immunology CardiologyCardiology Clinical GeneticsClinical Genetics Critical Care MedicineCritical Care Medicine DermatologyDermatology DevelopmentalDevelopmental Emergency MedicineEmergency Medicine EndocrinologyEndocrinology

GastroenterologyGastroenterology Hematology/OncologyHematology/Oncology Infectious DiseaseInfectious Disease Medical ToxicologyMedical Toxicology NeonatologyNeonatology NephrologyNephrology PulmonologyPulmonology RheumatologyRheumatology Sports MedicineSports Medicine

ResearchResearch

Those in subspecialties or in academic Those in subspecialties or in academic environments can choose between more environments can choose between more research intensive goals or patient care/clinical research intensive goals or patient care/clinical goals or a combination of the twogoals or a combination of the two

Questions?Questions?