Why Do You Want to Be a Pediatrician Essay Example
Pediatrics is a growing occupation and are continuously needed throughout the United States. Pediatricians are medical practitioners who specialize in children and their diseases. I want to study to become a Pediatrician because I want to make an impact on the lives of others as much as I can. Pediatricians are around the clock working with children to help treat illnesses, small injuries, diseases, and ensuring everything is going well with them and their body. It pleases me to know that the occupation I would like to follow will be for the greater good of others. Becoming a Pediatrician is a career that I would like to pursue so as to keep my patients healthy and striving, learn about the field of medicine, and make families happy by keeping their children healthy.
Becoming a Pediatrician isn’t just a walk in the park, it requires hard work and extra school. I plan on attending a four-year university, hopefully the University of Virginia Tech, where both my parents and grandparents attended. Virginia Tech has a great medical school that will help me learn the skills required to become a pediatrician better. According to BLS, “Physicians and surgeons have demanding education and training requirements. Physicians typically need a bachelor’s degree, a degree from a medical school, which takes 4 years to complete, and, depending on their specialty, 3 to 7 years in internship and residency programs”(2019). In order to become a Pediatrician, I will also be required to take certain classes in college, such as chemistry, biology, and physics. Before I can fully complete medical school, I will be required to take the medical exam test and score a passing grade so as to graduate with my medical degree. The cost of medical school is an estimated 26,000 in tuition a year. After I have completed all my college years, I hope to move back to Georgia and complete the required residency years, so I can begin the rest of my life.
Through the next two years of high school, I hope to maintain my current GPA of 3.5 unweighted and 4.0 weighted. Virginia Tech on average admits students with a weighted GPA of 3.7, so I am on the right track to get in. My goal is to get an SAT score of around 1400 by the end of my junior year, which will be an improvement of my PSAT score of 1220. According to BLS, “Getting a solid education is an important foundation for any career. Workers in many occupations use problem-solving, communication, research, and other skills that they first learned in high school. By doing well in classes and taking part in career-training or college-preparation programs, you demonstrate that you’re ready to put these skills into action”(Torpey 2015). I plan on taking certain classes in high school, so I don’t have to focus on them in college. Next year, during my junior year, I plan on taking AP Bio and AP Physics, by taking these challenging AP classes it will allow for me to take other courses in college as an undergraduate which focus more on my major.. My grandfather was a Pediatrician, I am hoping to get the chance to have a conversation to him about what it means to be a Pediatrician, and the day to day work that he did. I hope to make it into Virginia Tech since they have such a strong medical program which I can attend.
Becoming a pediatrician has lots of benefits, but it isn’t all positive, there are some down sides. Starting off on the positive end, the mean salary of a Pediatrician is $180,000 yearly, much more than the average job. According to GVRL, “Pediatricians are physicians who specialize in the care for infants, children, teenagers, and young adults. They diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries, typically focusing on small illnesses, minor injuries, infectious diseases, and immunizations”(2018). Pediatricians help children on the daily and improve the public health, which are two things I love to do. Being a Pediatrician also means that I will have flexible work hours because Pediatricians work four days a week for 9 hour shifts. Although becoming a Pediatrician has many benefits, but there are some negatives to the job as well, such as the emotional effects of dealing with sick kids and sad families. I will also have to complete nine additional years of college along with the regular four-year degree. Although there are negative aspects to this job, the positive overrule the negative.
Pediatricians are highly employed and are a growing industry that is continuing to grow. According to BLS, “projects 91,400 new jobs and 13-percent growth in employment—faster than the 7 percent projected for all occupations—for physicians and surgeons overall from 2016 to 2026”(Chen 2017). As long as the population continues to grow, Pediatricians will be a needed job for the upcoming years. According to BLS, “ Job growth is projected due to increased demand for healthcare services by the growing and aging population”(2019). Pediatricians are needed to keep children healthy by treating their diseases, diagnosing their illnesses, and making sure they are physical and emotionally healthy. Pediatricians are crucial in order to keep the future of our country healthy and striving. Since becoming a Pediatrician is a largely growing industry, it will make it easier others, and I to find a job after completing our degree.
I believe this occupation is suitable for me and that I will be successful studying to become a Pediatrician. As I continue high school, I hope to maintain good grades and raise my SAT in order to make it into Virginia Tech where I can continue to medical school. Becoming a Pediatrician to me is for more than just a high salary. Being a Pediatrician is a very interesting occupation and my desire to become one derives from my interest of medicine and love of helping others. The benefits which come along with this job highly appeal to my interests. As I continue my path to become a Pediatrician I hope to acquire and learn many new and interesting skills. I am extremely excited to continue the journey to the rest of my life.
Works Cited
“Employment Projections Home Page.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov/emp/.
“Georgia Student Finance Commission.” Doctoral or Professional Degree | Georgia Student Finance Commission, www.gafutures.org/career-exploration/career-planning/georgias-hot-careers/doctoral-or-professional-degree/.
“29-1065 Pediatricians, General.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 31 Mar. 2017, www.bls.gov/oes/2016/may/oes291065.htm#nat.
"Pharmacists." Career Information Center, edited by Kristin B. Mallegg and Joseph Palmisano, 10th ed., vol. 8: Health Science, Macmillan Reference USA, 2014, pp. 277-279. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3723700397/GVRL?u=alph70551&sid=GVRL&xid=3f4a4f6b. Accessed 14 Mar. 2019.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Physicians and Surgeons,
on the Internet at ttps://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm. Accessed 16 Mar. 2019.
Allen Chen, "From premed to physician: Pursuing a medical career," Career Outlook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2017.
Elka Torpey, "Career planning for high schoolers," Career Outlook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 2015
