Benefits of a Pediatrician's Career
Being a pediatrician is a demanding position because there will be times when you work long hours with little or no time for yourself. You probably racked up a sizeable amount in student loans to cover college and med school and spent long grueling hours studying and prepping for those dreaded final exams. There will also be times when your job is heartbreaking when you diagnose a child with a terminal illness. But, on the other hand, the benefits of a pediatrician's career can far outweigh all the 'bad stuff' when you stop and consider where all those children would be without you and all the other great aspects of being a pediatric doctor.
Job Security
There will always be sick children, children in need of medical exams and immunizations, among a host of other reasons why parents would seek a pediatrician. Added to that, there is a serious shortage of doctors in this country which doesn't appear to be easing any time soon. For this reason, there is a great deal of job security and that is probably one of the greatest benefits of a pediatrician's career.
Salary and Wages
While the average pediatrician won't become a millionaire overnight, the salary is actually quite good. Take into consideration the mean annual salary for the United States (all occupations totaled) is at $43,460 and the mean annual income for a pediatrician is $161,410. Added to the fact that a career in medicine is among the highest in terms of job security, you can expect to make at least that much within a short time and the pay will only get better as you gain experience and build a practice.
Job Flexibility
One of the other great benefits of a pediatrician's career is there is a considerable amount of job flexibility. You can work in private practice, at a hospital, a teaching university, in public health, research and a number of other sectors as well. You can choose to work part time (and still make a decent wage), full time or even work abroad as there is a shortage of qualified doctors all across the globe.
Knowing You Make a Difference
Not only will you be healing sick children and keeping others from contracting deadly diseases, you will be able to help those children in a number of other ways as well. Did you know that second to teachers, doctors and medical staff are on the front lines when it comes to spotting abused and neglected children? There is no greater reward than knowing you made a difference in the life of a defenseless child. You will be the family 'counselor' when a child is acting out, the glimmer of hope for parents of children with chronic and/or terminal diseases and the list goes on.
The benefits of a pediatrician's career may not always be apparent unless you take the time to consider that this is a job where you can go home at night knowing that your job will still be there in the morning. You will make a better rate of pay than 3/4 of the population and you will make a difference in the lives of children and their families. Is there anything more you could ask for in a job?