How to Become a Pediatrician In India?

There is no shortcut to success. One has to put in hours of dedication, sweat, and focus to make one's dream come true and become a top pediatrician in India. The entire journey of becoming a pediatrician can be divided into two parts. The first part is achieving the desired academic qualification and license to practice. The second part is gaining experience while practicing and bringing smiles to the faces of patients.

Read along to find out how to become a pediatrician in India- 

• Complete the 12^th board with basic science subjects.
• For pursuing MBBS, crack the NEET-UG entrance examination with the required cut off score for admission.
• Then, complete 4.5 years of undergraduate study (MBBS) + 1 year of mandatory internship in a government or private healthcare facility.
• For pursuing three-year MD/MS degree, crack NEET-PG or INI-CET entrance examination with the required cut off score for the specialization.
• Complete 3 year post graduation specialization in Pediatrics (MD).
• After pursuing MD in Pediatrics, there is an option to pursue super specialization courses in Pediatrics (DM courses).
• If one aspires to be a top Pediatric surgeon, one needs to first undergo MS and then pursue the super specialization in Pediatric Surgery.
• An aspirant can also do super specialization in Pediatrics Orthopaedics after completing MS in Orthopaedics.

Becoming a top Pediatrician in India or elsewhere in the world is no easy task. Given below are some of the challenges that a medical aspirant faces during his or her journey to becoming a top Pediatrician. 

Firstly, a MD Pediatric specialist needs to communicate well with children. Pediatrics is a branch of medical science that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of children. Since young children and infants are often unable to state their symptoms clearly, a Pediatrician also needs to have a thorough understanding of the psyche of children in order to understand their problems. Gold standard faculty who teach Pediatrics recommend people who love working with children select Pediatrics as a career option. Parents who take their children to a Pediatrician expect the doctor to have a positive influence on the children during the course of diagnosis and treatment. In India, often a Pediatrician fails to bridge this gap due to factors like language barrier, socio cultural difference, lack of understanding, lack of patience, etc. Pediatricians are expected to have exceptionally good soft skills and patience in order to overcome these challenges.

Secondly, after completing postgraduate training in pediatrics, a medical student's options for pediatric subspecialties expand. Here comes the real challenge for them. Quite often the students fail to recognize their knack for a particular type of subspecialty and dive in for the other. Before signing up for a subspecialty, it is advised the student should learn about them at length.

Thirdly, an aspiring pediatrician should be ready to work beyond regular working hours. Unlike most other segments of the economy, a doctor’s job is never quite over at any point of the day. Hence, a pediatrician should be open to uncertain work hours, emergencies, visits etc. 

After completing the education part, an aspiring pediatrician must focus on practicing the skills and knowledge he or she has gained over the years. However, a large number of doctors start practicing right after a UG or PG course. Medical universities, hence, provide provisions for the already- working MD pediatricians to pursue part-time super specialization. This is the reason why online courses in Pediatrics by renowned medical learning platforms are fast gaining popularity. As competition is increasing every day, a student who is aspiring to become a top pediatrician in India needs to upgrade not only his knowledge and skills, but also his qualifications. It is a good idea to follow Piyush Gupta Pediatrics.. In online study courses, students can study at their own pace, for instance during breaks while one is on a shift, while commuting, or even during unconventional hours like midnight.

In India, an aspiring MD Pediatrician can get the license to practice after completing their UG degree and can further pursue the post graduation degree. For this, the student has to be registered with the Medical Council of India. Additionally, a student also needs to complete a one-time registration with the state government and/or the hospital where he or she will be practicing.

The career of a MD Pediatrician is a highly respected one. After obtaining the license, a pediatrician can get associated full time or part time with hospitals, private clinics, research labs, pathological labs, and can even join a medical university as a lecturer. In a nutshell, there are infinite possibilities after one becomes a Pediatrician.