The Salary Scale of a Paediatrician in Nigeria

The Salary Scale of a Paediatrician in Nigeria.

A pediatrician is a medical doctor that have graduated from medical school and completed a five-year residency program in Pediatrics or Child Health. A board-certified pediatrician has passed rigorous exams given by the West African College of Physicians or the
National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. To remain certified, pediatricians have to meet regular continuing education requirements as stipulated by the supervising body.

What does Paediatricians do?

Pediatricians are children doctor. They take care of all medical diseases that affect children. Pediatric Surgeons take care of all surgical cases affecting children.

Below is a summary of the job description of a pediatrician:

*Do physical exams

*Give your children recommended immunizations

*Make sure your child is meeting developmental milestones in growth, behavior, and skills

*Diagnose and treat your children’s illnesses, infections, injuries, and other health problems

*Give you information about your twins’ health, safety, nutrition, and fitness needs

*Answer your questions about your children’s growth and development

*Refer to and collaborate with a specialist should one of your children become ill and need care beyond the pediatrician’s expertise.

*Attends to any medical emergency or life threatening diseases affecting your child.

Specialities in Pediatrics

Just like other fields of medicine, Pediatrics or Child health have different specialties and area of specialization. They are:

Adolescent medicine specialists: focus on care during adolescence, around 11 to 21 years old.

Critical care pediatricians: facilitate teams of healthcare professionals who treat children in unstable or critical health situations. These pediatricians usually work in hospital-based intensive care units called special care baby units. Critical care pediatricians are also called pediatric intensivists.

Developmental behavioral pediatricians: evaluate the behavioral development of children and teens. Specialists in this field diagnose and treat developmental, learning, and behavioral problems in young people.

Child abuse pediatricians: possess specialized training, experience, and skills necessary for evaluating if a child may have experienced abuse or neglect.

Pediatric oncologists: specialize in diagnosing and treating different types of cancer in children.

Pediatric cardiologists: diagnose and treat various heart conditions in children. Many pediatric cardiologists work closely with pediatric heart surgeons when deciding the best treatment strategies.

Pediatric pulmonologists: diagnose, treat, and manage children who have breathing problems and lung diseases.

Pediatric rheumatologists: treat children and adolescents who have musculoskeletal disorders, such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and chronic pain.

Pediatric nephrologists: specialize in treating conditions that affect the urinary system, including urinary tract infections and kidney disease.

Pediatric neurologists: treat and manage neurological disorders in children. Neurological conditions that present during childhood may persist through adulthood. Pediatric neurologists oversee their patients’ care from diagnosis through adolescence.

Neonatal-perinatal pediatricians: provide care to infants before, during, and after birth. They also treat premature and critically ill newborns.

Pediatric gastroenterologists: look after the health of a young person’s digestive system.

Pediatric endocrinologists: specialize in the endocrine system and the hormones it produces. An endocrinologist may treat a variety of conditions in children, including diabetes.

Pediatric hematologist: Treat all diseases of blood and blood forming organs especially children with sickle cell anemia.

Salary Scale of Pediatricians in Nigeria

According to the newly improved salary structure to reflect the newly improved minimum wage, the salary of a senior consultant Pediatrician is about #800,000 – #1,000,000 Naira monthly in most teaching hospitals and federal medical centres. For resident doctors, a senior registrar (senior resident doctor) in pediatrics earns about #450,000 – #550,000 monthly as salary while a junior registrar in pediatrics (junior resident) is paid about #300,000 – #450,000 Naira. These categories of pediatricians also earns some extra money from private practice..The Salary Scale of a Paediatrician in Nigeria still needs to be improved and reviewed just as for other others.

Sources:

WedMd

Medical News Today.

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