Hats off to a special group of medical professionals who provide healthcare for a very special segment of our population: our children. These medical professionals include general pediatricians, pediatricians who have pursued subspecialties, as well as nurse practitioners who have further specialized in pediatric care. Their medical care extends to children from birth through age 18 or even 21.

Because professionals in the field of pediatrics deal with minors, they must be particularly conscious of topics such as guardianship and informed consent, and must satisfy the needs of the patient as well as the parent/guardian. Needless to say, when working with children (and the people who love them), bedside manner is a must.

Pediatric jobs are found in a number of settings

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that 12% of physicians are self-employed while around 53% are employed in doctors' offices, and 19% are employed by hospitals. The remainder practice medicine in government settings, or in educational services or outpatient care facilities.

RNs, including nurse practitioners, work in hospitals (60%), doctors' offices (8%), patients' homes (5%), nursing care facilities (5%), for employment services (3%), as well as in government settings, social assistance agencies, or in educational services.

General Pediatrician and Subspecialized Pediatrician Jobs

According to 2008 American Board of Pediatrics Workforce and Research data, 93,694 physicians were certified as General Pediatricians compared to a combined total of 18,949 physicians certified in the various pediatric subspecialties. These numbers translate to 83% of pediatricians choosing to remain in the field of General Peds rather than opting for up to three more years of training to pursue a subspecialty and increase their pediatrician salary.

While so many physicians decide to stay in General Pediatrics, the options for further specialization are diverse, and include the following:

Additionally, general surgeons and orthopedic surgeons may choose to focus their skills on the pediatric patient.

Pediatrician jobs and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner jobs outlook

The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a growing need for physicians and surgeons in the ten years between 2008 and 2018. With over 20% growth expected (22% to be exact), the empoyment outlook is excellent (11% average growth for all industries combined). Opportunities for employment will be especially good in urban and low income settings, and for physicians who leverage newer technologies, diagnostics and therapies.

Pediatric care is among the top six specialty areas for nurse practictioners. The employment growth outlook for RNs, including the specialized nurse practitioner, is also excellent (22% overall), as these highly skilled professionals take on greater levels of responsibility in medical care and are in high demand in underserved and urban areas. Although an expected 17% growth in nursing employment by hospitals is nothing to scoff at, hospitals are expected to have the lowest nursing employment growth in the coming decade as compared to other nursing employers. This is in large part because more treatments are being administers outside of the hospital setting. By contrast, employment of RNs by doctors' offices is projected to increase by a whopping 48%, with home health care services employment increasing 33% and nursing care facilities and nursing employment services both offering around 25% greater employment.

Finding Pediatrician Jobs and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Jobs

A number of channels are available for job seekers in the field of pediatrics. These include researching and contacting the hiring facilities directly and working with a recruiter. Another option is right at your fingertips. MomMD's physician job search tool can quickly and easily find pediatrician jobs as well as other jobs in the pediatrics field.

Other Pediatrician Jobs Information

Wikipedia Pediatrics Information

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

American Board of Pediatrics (ABP)

American Academy of Pediatrics Job Search Engine

Pediatrics Salary Information

We've also broken down pediatric job search by subspecialty, including pediatric orthopedic surgery jobs, and a variety of internal medicine subspecialties like pediatric cardiology jobs. These boards can then be further refined by city and state, allowing you, for example, to look specifically for pediatric neurology jobs in San Antonio, TX.