BECOMING A PEDIATRICIAN IN MINNESOTA 1

Abstract

A pediatrician is a medical doctor who is trained to diagnose and treat patients eighteen years old

and under. This age group may need to be evaluated by a pediatrician for behavioral, mental, or

physical care. In order to become a pediatrician, one must graduate from high school, earn their

bachelor’s degree, graduate from medical school, complete an internship, and a residency

program in pediatrics. This process takes approximately eleven years to complete. Once attaining

this achievement it is required of them to spend seventy-five hours of continuing education every

three years to renew their license. Some of the departments a pediatrician would work in include

the pediatric ward, emergency department, newborn nursery, neonatal intensive care unit,

pediatric intensive care unit, or labor and delivery. Starting as a pediatrician one would expect

their wage to be around $158,000. The average salary is around $210,000, with the higher end of

the spectrum landing more towards $288,000. The job outlook of pediatricians is projected to

grow two percent from 2018 to 2028. The reason for this is because the healthcare field will

continue to grow as long as the population continues to increase. Although, the reason for

pediatricians to have slower growth than other medical occupations is because of the

technological advancements. Pediatricians can schedule and talk to more patients over the phone

than if they were to examine them in person. Similar occupations to a pediatrician would include

a child psychologist, physician assistant, or neonatal nurse. There are currently around 24,643

physicians working in Minnesota with 1,046 of those doctors specializing in pediatrics.

Currently, there are around 570 job openings for pediatricians in the state of Minnesota. One

might apply at the Mayo Clinic or Children’s Minnesota Hospital when looking for a job

position. Becoming a doctor is not a quick process but Minnesota has resources and

opportunities to guide one along the way.

BECOMING A PEDIATRICIAN IN MINNESOTA 2

Keywords: ​pediatrician, doctor, medical