Pediatric Dermatologists: Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook
Submitted by: paula
Job Overview Children have different medical needs in contrast to the adults and the elderly. This is because their body systems have not yet reached its full maturity and are continuously in the process of extreme growth and development. The way they are treated in the hospital in terms of establishing rapport, assessing, interviewing, diagnosing, and providing treatment are also modified to fit the immature and growing body of the children. Due to their innate nature of being adventurous and less careful, they are more prone to skin trauma, contacting allergens and infections,and skin and hair lesion such as acne and dandurff most especially for those who are in the puberty age. The dermatologists who specialize in diagnosing and treating skin, hair and nails and related structures disorders in children and teens who are 18 and below are called the pediatric dermatologists.
Education, Knowledge and Trainings Required
Pediatric dermatology is a subspeciality within the specialization in the medical field of Dermatology. Since pediatric dermatologists are basically medical doctors, they have to undergo the same process any doctor has gone through. Basically a premedical course and a medical degree is needed to develop the skills and learn the art and science of medicine. After a successful taking of the courses in pre-medicine (BS Biology, BS Chemistry, BS Nursing, BS Public Health, etc.) and medicine proper, a medical state board examination administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners has to be taken to be licensed. All states require a license to be able to practice. A residency training then for Dematology should be taken. This residency lasts for 4 years wherein the first year is all about studying internal medicine, general surgery, family medicine and the like. The last three years are spent studying dermatology and practically training in this specialty.
A separate training in pediatric dermatology can be chosen which can be obtained in the hospital of practice through one to two years of additional residency period.
Skills and Abilities
The skill in relating with the children are important in this subspecialty in addition to the scientific and technical skills needed in practicing dermatology. Patience, compassion as well as modified techniques in assessing and examining pediatric patients should be learned and be developed to be effective in practicing dermatology in children. Critical thinking skills and technical skills are a must in studying every case andadministering the medical care and treatments that are dermatologic in nature.
Duties
Basically, the duty of a pediatric dermatologist is to assist clients especially the young ones who are 18 years old and below with their skin, hair, mucous membrane and nail concerns. They do interviews, physical examination, order laboratory and tissue tests and prescribe medications and administer other treatments. Among the procedures that they do are skin scraping, tissue biopsy, administering parenteral medications, and prescribing topical and oral medications for lesions, infections, and other dermatologicalconditions as applicable.
Earnings and Job Outlook
Generally, the focused clients of the pediatric dermatologists are children but they are not confined to treating clients who are more than 18 years of age as they are also dermatologists in general. The earnings of a pediatric dermatologist ranges from roughly 120,000 U.S. dollars to infinity depending on the number of clients they treat every year, the state of practice and whether they indulge into opening skin care clinics as their businesses. The job outlook is expected to grow faster than the average as well as more and more clients are more conscious to their skin and hair, as well as more dermatological conditions are emerging due to allergens, stressful and unhealthy lifesyle as well as pollution.
Paula Hiz is a researcher and a human resource specialist who helps newly graduates, job applicants and post graduate professionals be aware of their job opportunities and available trainings for skills and practice upgrading.
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Word Count: 635 Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2010 Time: 5:17 PM
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