Paediatrics and Child Health

What is Paediatrics and Child Health

Paediatrics deals with the health of children from birth till adolescence. The word “paediatrics” is derived from the Greek words ‘pais’ which means ‘child’ and ‘iatros’ which means ‘healer’. It is the science of treating pediatric diseases. Paediatricians are doctors who are responsible for diagnosing and identifying the various diseases in child patients and prescribe the necessary treatment and medicines. A paediatrician’s job is to communicate a child’s health to the parents and deal with children according to child psychology.

To practice as a paediatrician, one needs to hold MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) and then complete M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) in Paediatrics and Child Health. Paediatricians treat diseases like Fever, Chickenpox, Leukaemia, Measles, and other infections. One can build a career in child healthcare without an MBBS and MD degree also. People who are not doctors and wish to make a career in this field can do a Diploma in Child Health (DCH) at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. However, for the PG Diploma, an MBBS degree is required to be eligible. The course of M.D. (Paediatrics and Child Health) focuses on the study of causes and treatments of the illnesses in children and the various tools methods used to produce paediatricians who can look after the child's healthcare.

Eligibility Criteria (UG & PG) of Paediatrics and Child Health

The eligibility criteria for getting admission in M.D. (Paediatrics and Child Health) is as follows:

• Compulsory subjects in 12th include Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English with at least 50% marks

• Minimum 55% marks in MBBS degree attained from a reputed college

• A one-year mandatory internship should be completed

• For Diploma in Child Health, the eligibility criteria are:

• UG – Candidate must have completed 12th with Science

• PG – Candidate must be MBBS holder

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Entrance Exams for Paediatrics and Child Health

Some common entrance exams are:

National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET PG) - NEET PG Exam is a common entrance test for admission into PG courses across India conducted by National Board of Examinations (NBE).

All India Post Graduate Medical Entrance Exam (AIPGMEE)- Conducted by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), this exam is also a common entrance test for different PG courses in colleges across India.

College-specific exams are:

Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) Entrance Exam- Located in Pondicherry, JIPGMER is a medical school providing postgraduate medical courses. They conduct a separate medical entrance exam for admission into PG courses.

AIIMS PG - This is an entrance exam conducted by AIIMS for PG medical courses only for admission in the 13 AIIMS located all over India.

Some other separate exams are conducted by AFMC (Armed Forces Medical College), Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh and many others.

Some universities give direct admission to students of MBBS to M.D. (Paediatrics and Child Health) based on their merit.

Required Skillset for Paediatrics and Child Health

For dealing with children and their growth and development daily, a candidate pursuing M.D. in Paediatrics and Child Health must be having the following skills:

• Good training in childcare and knowledge of medical subjects

• Patience, empathy and politeness are the skills which will ensure the trust of the child patient on you. The child should feel safe and fearless while being treated.

• Effective communication skills and interpersonal skills to convey to the parents about the health of their child.