Neonatologists are highly trained pediatricians who specialize in newborn care. They often assist babies immediately after delivery if there's a risk factor, such as if the baby is premature or is born by Cesarian section. These doctors help treat babies with illnesses and birth defects using equipment specifically designed for infants. Working with babies can be rewarding and lucrative, but there are some disadvantages to this career choice.
Length of Time
Becoming a neonatologist means additional training beyond that of a typical doctor. After completing your undergraduate degree, which typically takes four to five years, you must spend four years in medical school and three years in a pediatric residency. That qualifies you as a pediatrician, but not a neonatologist. For the additional training, you must spend three years training in newborn intensive care before taking the neonatal-perinatal medicine board exam. In the best case scenario, it takes 14 years from the time you start college to the time you are certified as a neonatologist.
There aren't as many neonatologists as there are pediatricians, which means that as a neonatologist you often have to split time with just a few other people in your specialty. Instead of steady, reliable work hours, you often have to work 12-hour shifts that change daily or weekly. You could be working days for a week and then nights for a week, or alternating as necessary to make sure the neonatal unit is fully staffed. You may also get called in on busy days or nights when you're scheduled to be off; how many women will deliver babies on any given day is unpredictable, and there's no way to know how many of those babies will require a neonatologist.
Working with babies can be more emotional for doctors, as can dealing with the infants' parents. New parents are often confused and scared, which can translate into being demanding or even mean at times. You must be able to provide the best care for the baby regardless of the parents' attitudes. Quick action often is necessary to save a baby's life, which requires you to make an instant diagnosis and treatment decision without having the benefit of the patient telling you what hurts.
Neonatologists find themselves in emergency situations regularly. Even at the end of a long shift when you've stood on your feet almost the entire time, you must be able to rush to assist a Cesarian section or help a baby who isn't breathing. You must have enough energy to assess the situation and take immediate action while retaining the finesse to insert tiny tubes and needles into the infant as necessary. You often have several infants that require your constant attention, meaning you must move from patient to patient and juggle emergencies without much time for breaks.
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