2. Introduction
During my search for future career options I found that Pediatric Medicine
seemed to fit my ideal profile for a fulfilling career option.
I have always had the desire to work in the medical field in order to help those
in need while being able to expand my knowledge on how the human body
reacts and works with its environment.
In addition to wanting to work in medicine I have also always enjoyed working
with children. I grew up with two younger siblings as well as being one of the
oldest of my cousins. This taught me how to interact with children as well as
given me a great deal of patients and practice in working with kids.
In order for me to achieve this I will need to attend medical school. My
schools of preference are Vanderbilt University and MUSC in Charleston.
3. Pediatric History
In June 1802 the first accepted pediatric hospital opened up in Paris.
The Idea behind Pediatric hospitals had begun in the late 1600s as a means of
keeping the sick children away from sick adults, but the separate facilities didn’t
come to fruition until 1802.
In 1931 the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) was formed, but they
didn’t consider Pediatrics to be a specialty medicine at the time.
In 1933 the ABP (American Board of Pediatrics) was founded as a means of
making sure that doctors were specialized in childrens medicine. Their
goals were to review accredidations for training programs, develop criteria
that for certifications, and examine future applicants to Pediatric Medicine.
4. Pediatric History Continued…
In order to test future pediatricians on their knowledge of children’s
medicine they developed a standardized test that everyone must pass
before becoming a pediatric doctor.
Initially doctors only had to pass the exam once to be certified for life. In 1988
they made it so that all doctors must pass the exam every 7 years in order to
stay in practice.
Today Pediatrics has 14 subspecialties recognized by the ABP in the area of
pediatric medicine including cardiology, emergency medicine, infectious
disease, and rheumatology.
What makes Pediatrics different from all other medical professions is that it
focuses on the health of children from birth to the age of 18-21 in order to
keep track of their growth and development.
5. Pediatrics Today
Today pediatrics is a growing industry with a growth estimate of 18% from
2012- 2022.
The average training time for Pediatricians is 11 years. 4 years of
undergraduate, 4 years of medical school, and 3 years of a residency
training program in Pediatrics.
You must receive either an M.D. or D.O. degree as well as certification in all
states before you can begin practicing.
The average salary in 2014 for Pediatricians was $178,197 according to
Salary.com.
General Pediatric practitioners are needed in the Northwest as well as the
Midwest regions, whereas the Northeast and Southeast have some of the
highest concentrations of pediatric doctors.
6. USC School of Medicine Greenville
Requirements- USCSOMG requires two semesters of Biology with lab, two
semesters of inorganic chemistry with lab, one semester of organic
chemistry with lab, one semester of physics with lab, and three semesters
of humanities social and behavioral sciences.
You must also have completed at least 90 hours at an undergraduate institution
(preference given to those completing a bachelor’s degree or higher).
Also considered are MCAT scores, GPA (Both science and overall), letters of
recommendation (3-5 individual letters or a committee letter), clinical and
research experience, leadership, and work and volunteer experience.
7. Vanderbilt University
Requirements- They no longer have required classes in order to apply, only
recommended classes such as Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry,
Physics, Statistics, Biochemistry, and Mathematics.
They require a valid MCAT score
An official college transcript from a US approved institution, or a foreign
university transcript as well as one years course work at a US university.
You need 3 letters of evaluation/ recommendation from professors or doctors
you have worked with or shadowed.
A criminal background check is needed before acceptance into the university
8. MUSC in Charleston
Requirements- They have no requirements but recommend taking classes
such as Math, Statistics, General Chemistry with Lab, Organic or
Biochemistry, Biology with Lab, Anatomy and Physiology with Lab (2
semesters), Microbiology with Lab, Medical Terminology, and Psychology
or Sociology.
They require an MCAT score
Must have 91 hours of pre-requisite courses.
Need 3 letters of recommendation from professors or doctors.
9. O*Net Profiler Results
Social- I would fit these medical schools because they like students who
are involved in their communities.
Realistic- With a realistic personality I would do well working with people
in order to solve problems with my hands.
Investigative- This personality trait makes me good at problem solving and
looking for facts which is a desirable trait for those going into the medical
field.
10. Conclusion
Pediatrics is a relatively new field of practice in medicine compared to
many other medical subgroups, and it has just recently begun regulating
its practitioners through standardized tests.
Pediatricians are needed throughout the West coast and are paid less than
the average specialist but more than most general practitioners.
Both Vanderbilt and MUSC do not have any required courses in order for
you to apply to their M.D. or D.O. programs, but they both require MCAT
scores and an undergraduate degree from an accredited University in the
United States.
11. Conclusion Continued…
Vanderbilt and MUSC are both good schools for me to apply to because
MUSC wants their students to be from SC or have gone to a SC public
University while Vanderbilt accepts mostly out of state students for their
medical programs.
I feel much more confident in my application process as well as my
chances of getting into either medical school now that I have done a more
in-depth research on what each school recommends or requires of their
applicants.
12. Works Cited
“General pediatrician: Salary and career facts.” Learn.org. 2003. Web. 28 Aug. 2016.
<http://learn.org/articles/General_Pediatrician_Your_Career_and_Salary_Questions_Answered.
html>.
“History of pediatrics: Pediatrics.com.” Net Med Pediatrics. 2016. Web. 28 Aug. 2016.
<http://www.pediatrics.com/history-pediatrics>.
“History of the ABP.” The American Board of Pediatrcs. The American Board of Pediatrics, 14
Oct. 2014. Web. 28 Aug. 2016. <https://www.abp.org/content/history-abp>.
Howard, Sharlena. Entrance requirements. 26 Mar. 2015. Web. 28 Aug. 2016.
<http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/com/admissions/applying_college/>.
“Medical schools.” 2016. Web. 28 Aug. 2016. <http://medical-schools.startclass.com/>.
Vanderbilt. “MD admissions.” Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. 2016. Web. 28 Aug.
2016. <https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/md-admissions/>