General Pediatrics is defined simply as the medical care of children and adolescents. It is one of the broadest specialties, delivering care to patients from birth through young adulthood, and encompassing everything from preventive health to the management of acute and chronic illness. Pediatricians care for the physical, emotional, behavioral, developmental, and social problems that affect children and teens.
A general pediatrician has a wide variety of responsibilities, including:
Perhaps more than any other patient group, children are products of the environment in which they live. Because of this, pediatricians don't just treat kids -- they treat communities and families as well. They often become advocates for children and for children's rights. General pediatricians are physicians dedicated to the health and well-being of young people.