Pediatricians, general diagnose, treat and help prevent diseases and injuries in children. May refer patients to specialists for further diagnosis or treatment, as needed.

  • Prescribe or administer treatment, therapy, medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury in infants and children.
  • Examine children regularly to assess their growth and development.
  • Treat children who have minor illnesses, acute and chronic health problems, and growth and development concerns.
  • Examine patients or order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests to obtain information on medical condition and determine diagnosis.
  • Advise patients, parents or guardians, and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
  • Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients and parents or guardians.
  • Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, or examination results.
  • Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.
  • Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, students, assistants, specialists, therapists, and other medical staff.
  • Plan and execute medical care programs to aid in the mental and physical growth and development of children and adolescents.
  • Refer patient to medical specialist or other practitioner when necessary.
  • Teach residents or medical students about pediatric topics.
  • Provide consulting services to other physicians.
  • Operate on patients to remove, repair, or improve functioning of diseased or injured body parts and systems.
  • Plan, implement, or administer health programs or standards in hospitals, businesses, or communities for prevention or treatment of injury or illness.
  • Conduct research to study anatomy and develop or test medications, treatments, or procedures to prevent or control disease or injury.
  • Prepare government or organizational reports of birth, death, and disease statistics, workforce evaluations, or medical status of individuals.
Work Context
  • Exposed to Disease or Infections — 100% responded "Every day".
  • Contact With Others — 96% responded "Constant contact with others".
  • Work With Work Group or Team — 93% responded "Extremely important".
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 86% responded "A lot of freedom".
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 77% responded "Extremely important".
  • Frequency of Decision Making — 77% responded "Every day".
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 66% responded "Very important results".
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Work Activities
  • Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Prepare official health documents or records.
  • Teach classes in area of specialization.
  • Teach medical procedures to healthcare personnel.
  • Examine patients to assess general physical condition.
  • Order medical diagnostic or clinical tests.
  • Examine patients to assess general physical condition.
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Knowledge

Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
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Skills

Judgment and Decision Making
  • Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Speaking
  • Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
  • Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
  • Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
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Abilities

Oral Comprehension
  • The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
  • The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Inductive Reasoning
  • The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Written Comprehension
  • The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Data base user interface and query software
  • Microsoft Access Hot Technology
Medical software
  • Advanced Data Systems MedicsDocAssistant for Pediatrics
  • StatCoder.com STAT E&M Coder
  • Patient electronic medical record EMR software
  • EMR Experts Pediatric EMR
  • e-MedRecords CompuKID
Information retrieval or search software
  • Medical information databases
  • Drug reference software
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