Post-Graduate Training

After medical school, the post-graduate training required for doctors depends on the type of medicine he or she wishes to practice. It's important to know how much pediatric training was completed by the specialist to whom your child is referred. Ask your child's primary care doctor about the specialist's training.

Examples of post-graduate training:

• Internal Medicine Physician - three-year residency focused on the care of adults.
• Surgeon - five-to-seven-year residency with 10 to 30 percent of training focused on care of children. Pediatric surgeons complete an additional one- or two-year fellowship with 100 percent of training focused on the care of children.
• Pediatrician - three-year residency with 100 percent of training focused on the care of children.
• Pediatric Specialist - three-year pediatric residency plus two or three years of fellowship training; for example, a pediatric cardiologist must complete a three-year pediatric residency and then complete a three-year fellowship in pediatric cardiology.