Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Pediatric Surgeon
What pediatric surgeons actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a pediatric surgeon?
Round in the NICU. From there, the day usually includes evaluate children for surgery, repair congenital defects, and perform appendectomies and hernia repairs. Long hours with frequent call for emergencies and trauma.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a pediatric surgeon working full time.
- Round in the NICU.
- Repair an infant hernia.
- Remove an appendix laparoscopically.
- Meet a family about a tumor surgery.
- See clinic patients.
- Respond to a pediatric trauma.
- Check on post-op patients.
Where pediatric surgeons work
Pediatric surgeons work in children’s hospitals and academic medical centers.
Hours and schedule
Long hours with frequent call for emergencies and trauma.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Evaluate children for surgery
- Repair congenital defects
- Perform appendectomies and hernia repairs
- Operate on newborns
- Treat childhood tumors
- Care for injured children
- Support and counsel families
Tools you’ll use every day
- Pediatric surgical instruments
- Laparoscopic equipment
- Monitors
- Imaging
- NICU equipment
- Electronic health records
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Among the highest-paid jobs
- Life-changing care for children
- Highly specialized
- Team-based care
What’s hard
- Very long training
- Emotional cases
- Frequent call
- Few positions
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I want to operate on children
- I stay calm in emergencies
- I can comfort worried families
- I can commit to very long training
- I want a highly specialized career
- I have great stamina
Not sure? Take the free Pediatric Surgeon fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Use pediatric dosing and equipment
- Follow time-outs
- Keep infants warm
- Minimize radiation