How hard is it to become a pediatrician?

Question

Zippia Team · Accepted Answer

It is very hard to become a pediatrician, as you must attend at least nine years of school to pass the MCAT and graduate medical school. These are extremely difficult endeavors, and your journey to becoming a pediatrician doesn't stop here.

Here are the steps to becoming a pediatrician after graduating from medical school:

Complete a three or more year residency in a hospital setting
Complete a three-year residency in a pediatric specialty, if this is your aim
Gain additional residency training for any sub-specialties, which can also take three years or more

Pediatrician residency programs are intense and usually consist of 100+ hour work weeks. You are also on call at any time during the day or night.

To become an independent pediatrician after completing your residency programs, you must have proof of a strong experience in the field. You must also have successfully completed all comprehensive oral and written examinations needed. Re-testing is required every 10 years to retain board certification in certain states.