{"id":1283,"date":"2017-06-11T14:18:16","date_gmt":"2017-06-11T14:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fmgportal.com\/?p=1031"},"modified":"2019-07-31T10:55:58","modified_gmt":"2019-07-31T10:55:58","slug":"residency-specialty-spotlight-pediatrics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fmgportal.com\/dev\/residency-specialty-spotlight-pediatrics\/","title":{"rendered":"Residency Specialty Spotlight: Pediatrics"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If you want to dedicate your medical career to working with kids, a residency program in pediatrics may be the right option for you. According to <\/span>2015 data<\/span><\/a> from the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), pediatrics was the third-most popular residency specialty area for foreign medical graduates, behind only internal medicine and family medicine.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a pediatrician, you could work with infants, children, and adolescents, ranging in age from birth to 21 years. Pediatricians are trained to provide preventive care and treat a wide range of conditions, including hereditary diseases, infectious illnesses, and traumatic injuries. You may choose to work in a primary care setting as a general pediatrician, or you may specialize your practice on a certain area of the field. It all starts with a pediatrics residency.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pediatrics Residency Programs in the United States<\/b><\/p>\n

US medical residency programs in pediatrics last for three years and provide general training in the wellness of infants, children, and adolescents. However, because pediatrics is such a broad specialty area, the programs can vary widely between schools. That means that when you are searching for residency programs, you should pay careful attention to what makes each one unique. <\/span><\/p>\n

For example, programs may differ in the relative amount of time dedicated to clinical work in ambulatory and primary care settings. The location of a school often plays a role in this, since some schools are located in large cities where you may end up working at multiple hospitals and outpatient centers, while programs in rural areas allow you to gain extensive experience working at one or two locations. There are also programs that allow you to focus your studies by pursuing a certificate in an area of interest, such as global health, community health, medical education, or academic research. <\/span><\/p>\n

In general, though, you\u2019ll usually spend the first year of a pediatrics residency building a broad base of knowledge and developing basic skills in pediatric care, through a combination of clinical and didactic work. In the second year, you will have the chance to take on greater responsibility in clinical decision-making. You\u2019ll probably also have the chance to pursue particular areas of interest through electives. Finally, the third year of a residency program will give you the chance to step into a leadership role in the clinic and prepare for your future as a pediatrician, whether you choose to focus on a specific subspecialty or practice as a generalist in the field.<\/span><\/p>\n

Post-Residency Fellowship Options<\/b><\/p>\n

Once you finish your residency in pediatrics, you can start your career as a general pediatrician or you can apply to a fellowship program. Almost all pediatrics fellowships in the US require an additional two or three years of study, although there are a few one-year fellowships available as well. Although this is not a comprehensive list, here are some of the options you could consider:<\/span><\/p>\n