Pediatrician FAQ. A pediatrician is a doctor, you will go through the same basic training as all other doctors, followed up by specialized training in pediatrics. It i very difficult to answer this question by a simple yes or no. It takes hard word in order for you to get hired. We always need more pediatricians. Most pediatricians receive a starting pay of around $68,800 per year. It’s a long road to become a pediatrician including (after high school) 4 yrs of college, 4 years of medical school and 3 years of residency. I have been a pediatrician for nearly 20 years and my opinion is definitely yes. All the hard work you have done since high school has finally paid off and you have entered a medical school -- but you are still far from becoming a pediatrician. There's four years of college and then four years of medical school, followed by three years of residency (more if you plan to specialize). It is neither hard nor easy. I was wondering if it would be significantly harder to obtain this career path if I applied DO over MD? What is the starting pay for pediatricians? Is it hard to become a pediatrician? They have to go through 11 years of school before they are ready to become a pediatrician. Money really isn't a problem for college and all of that, but I don't know if I can really get that job when I'm older. Some may find medical school challenging, but as long as you have the motivation and drive to do it, you will be able to become a pediatrician. Thank you! I am 13 years old, and my school is teaching us about high school, college, and career choices. Kids can be challenging to work with but treating them is very gratifying. Yes, it's hard. You will need to have a great understanding of science. My goal is to be a pediatrician or even pursue pediatric neurology. It is never too early to start taking extra sciences courses, such as … Not as hard as some medical specialties, but all of them are pretty tough. You will spend the first two years of the medical school in a classroom where you will learn basic medical sciences like physiology, human anatomy, chemistry, pharmacology, microbiology, and neuro-anatomy. I am currently in undergrad and I am considering rather or not to apply MD or DO. Are pediatricians happy? I want to become a pediatrician, but I don't know if I can really make it. That’s great. It seems like a really hard job that takes a lot of work and effort (just like any other job). Is it hard to be a pediatrician? It's not 10+ years of school (at least in the US).