Consulting with a pediatrician – or a pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) who has completed the requisite RN to MSN programs online – is essential to support the health and well-being of your child. A pediatrician is specifically qualified in the area of children’s health and understands better than any other kind of medical practitioner the intricacies of what keeps kids healthy.
But before you take your child to see a pediatrician, there are certain questions you’ll no doubt want answered. Stay with us as we take you through them.
What Are The Pediatrician’s Qualifications?
To practice as a licensed pediatrician, a pediatric practitioner must complete up to 9 years of schooling. The educational pathway to practicing as a pediatrician is usually broken down as follows:
- Undergraduate Studies
To be able to enter into medical school, an aspiring pediatrician must first complete 4 years of undergraduate university studies. Most often, future medical students will complete studies that are relevant to the field of medicine – such as biology or chemistry, for example.
- Medical School
Upon successful graduation from their undergraduate degree, the budding pediatrician can now apply to enroll in medical school. So, how to get into medical school? In the US, a necessary rite of passage is to pass the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Once accepted into and enrolled in medical school, these further studies can take between another 4 to 6 years to complete.
- Pediatric Residency
After they have completed their 4 to 6 years of medical school, next, the student must complete their pediatric residency. This is specialized, intensive training in practicing as a pediatrician, and usually takes up to 3 years to complete.
How Can A Pediatrician Support My Child’s Health?
Some examples of the healthcare services a pediatrician can provide to your child include:
- Carrying out health and wellness checks and tests.
- Performing physical exams and other medical analyses.
- Diagnosing, treating, and monitoring illnesses and health conditions.
- Tracking your child’s development – emotional, social, and physical.
- Offering children’s health advice to parents, and addressing any of their questions, queries, or concerns about their child’s well-being.
- Providing medical references for specialists as required.
How Soon Should My Child Visit A Pediatrician?
According to pediatrics experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), infants should undergo regular pediatrician checkups as soon as they are born. Specifically – at birth, 3 to 5 days later, and then, almost every month until the age of 6 months. Babies can then continue to receive checkups from their pediatrician every few months, until the age of 36 months.
Initially, infant checkups will usually be performed by the birthing hospital’s resident pediatrician. Thereafter, the parents can take their child to a pediatrician of their choosing.
Do Pediatricians Offer Telehealth?
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth emerged as a convenient, accessible, and cost-effective method of delivering healthcare services. Delivered via virtual calling and video conferencing mediums – programs like Zoom, for example – telehealth broke down the barrier of social isolation and enabled patients to attend appointments digitally.
Despite this, and while many pediatricians do offer telehealth services, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the pediatrician’s physical office is the most ideal location to deliver comprehensive, hands-on, and personalized medical care for children.
Does The Pediatrician’s Consulting Style Suit My Child?
Finally, parents must ask themselves – does your child enjoy seeing their pediatrician, or do they dread a visit to the pediatrician’s office? For your chosen pediatrician’s consulting style to best suit your child, they must make your child feel at ease and comfortable in their presence. As a parent, you also want to feel confident that your child will be well cared for by the practitioner.
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Taking your child for regular visits to the pediatrician’s office is essential to monitor their health, well-being, and overall development. As discussed today, however, there are certain questions to consider before taking your child to see a pediatrician.
By familiarizing yourself with the pediatrician’s qualifications, the healthcare services they can provide to your child, whether they offer telehealth, and perhaps most importantly, if they make your child feel at ease in their presence, you can trust that your child is in safe hands.
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