In this world, there are only two types of people: those who love kids and those who dislike them very much. The first type of people believes that despite the annoying nature of children, they are little angels who bring happiness and joy to everyone around them. People who dislike kids, on the other hand, just see them as annoying little creatures.
If you belong to the first type of people mentioned above and you have a knack for science-based medicine, then you must be destined to have a career in the healthcare industry. It’s not an easy choice to make, but pursuing a medical career that cares for children can be very fulfilling.
There are a variety of areas you can specialize in within the industry; it’s just a matter of deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life. To give you an idea of the possible professions you can be in, here are four jobs that will allow you to work with children daily:
Pediatrician
If you want to provide general care for children, you can become a pediatrician. This specific field of medicine deals with the physical, behavioral, and mental health of all children until their 18th birthday. You can be handling minor illnesses, viral infections, birth defects, or serious diseases that will require your service.
In this area of specialty, you can go one step further and focus on a subspecialty. You can become a pediatric surgeon who performs minor to major surgeries on babies, children, and young adults. Or you can become a pediatric dentist who takes care of children’s baby teeth and promote proper hygiene.
Working in pediatrics isn’t just like working with small people. Children are much more fragile than adults. Their situations are more complex on the basis that they might not fully comprehend what is happening to them. And that’s why working in this specialization can be immensely fulfilling to the right people.
Speech-language Pathologist
If you want to help children with communication and swallowing issues, you can become a speech-language pathologist (SLP). This specific field of medicine deals with problems that can involve a person’s speech sounds, language, literacy, and social communication.
Being an SLP means that you’re willing to work with children who have stutters or those who suffer from phonological disorders. It can also pertain to issues with a child’s cognitive functions such as their attention, memory, and problem-solving skills.
Art Therapist
If you want to connect with children and their emotions through art, you can become an art therapist. This specific field of medicine combines the complex nature of mental health as well as the arts and humanities through the process of creation.
Being an art therapist means that you are helping children become more expressive about their identity and their complicated feelings. This can help them develop interpersonal skills and learn how to communicate without having to use words. Art therapy can also be used to identify existing cognitive problems in children.
Child Psychologist
If you want to help children cope with their problems and deal with their emotions on a psychological level, then you can become a child psychologist. This specific field of medicine also deals with mental health, but it makes use of emotional and behavioral patterns to diagnose potential problems and respond with the appropriate treatment.
Being a child psychologist may be harder than usual because you’ll be dealing with individuals who may not be able to express themselves very well. But having this job also promotes the concept of valuing mental health at an early age, which can be crucial in today’s time.
There are a lot more professions in the healthcare industry that deal with children and their physical, mental, and social well-being. But most of these jobs would require additional years of education or training so that you can learn about the child-centric specialty you choose.
A healthcare professional who works with kids on a daily basis is much different from a regular physician. Pediatricians can work on a regular physician’s patient, but this situation can’t work the other way around. Medical professionals who work in pediatrics are qualified to work with children to that degree. They underwent proper training to know how to handle a children’s quirks, emotions, and temperamental nature. Doctors in pediatrics were also taught how to respond to these situations in the best possible way, which is why they are valued that much.
