PEDIATRIC CHILD ABUSE

What does a Child Abuse Pediatrician do?
What are the career opportunities?
What Board, if any, certifies a Child Abuse Pediatrics ?
What is the lifestyle of a Child Abuse Pediatrician?
What is the compensation of a Child Abuse Pediatrician ?
How do I become a Child Abuse Pediatrician ?
Where do I find out about available programs?
Why should I choose to become a Child Abuse Pediatrician ?

What does a Child Abuse Pediatrician do?
Child Abuse Pediatricians are responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents who are suspected victims of any form of child maltreatment. This includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, factitious illness (medical child abuse), neglect and psychological/emotional abuse. Child Abuse Pediatricians participate in multidisciplinary collaborative work within the medical, child welfare, law enforcement, and judicial arenas as well as with a variety of community efforts. Child Abuse Pediatricians are often called to provide expert testimony in the court systems. This field offers the opportunity for involvement and leadership roles in community, regional and national advocacy, and in prevention efforts and public policy.

What are the career opportunities?
Most Child Abuse Pediatricians practice in academic settings and are responsible for patient care, teaching and research within an academic health center. However, there are other Child Abuse Pediatricians who practice in solely clinical settings such child advocacy centers, community hospitals and clinics.

What Board, if any, certifies Child Abuse Pediatrics?
Child Abuse Pediatric Boards are administered by the American Board of Pediatrics. Certification in General Pediatrics and completion of Child Abuse Pediatrics fellowship training are required for eligibility to take the subspecialty board examination.

What is the lifestyle of a Child Abuse Pediatrician?
Personal time and family life are essential to all physicians. Most Child Abuse Pediatricians balance the workload and stress of complex medical care with fulfilling personal life. Patient care, court testimony, teaching, research and administrative responsibilities vary depending on the specific position. In most centers, that ability to teach and conduct research provides academic enrichment that leads to a rewarding and balanced career and lifestyle.

What is the compensation of a Child Abuse Pediatrician?
Compensation is comparable to other academic pediatric subspecialties, but will vary depending on the geographic region, institution and specific responsibilities.

How do I become a Child Abuse Pediatrician?
Child Abuse Pediatrics training includes three years of fellowship training in an accredited Child Abuse Pediatrics fellowship program. Fellowship training includes medical evaluations of children with manifestations of acute and chronic child maltreatment, as well as children with a broad range of other diagnoses. The trainee develops expertise in determining non-accidental trauma and other forms of maltreatment by developing excellent diagnostic expertise and knowledge of various disorders which may mimic child maltreatment. Training will include mandatory reporting laws, legal proceedings, child abuse and family violence prevention, teaching opportunities, and clinical research.

Where do I find out about available programs?
Information about Child Abuse Pediatrics training programs is available on The Ray Helfer Society and ACGME websites. Currently, applicants can submit applications for fellowship 24 months prior to the start of fellowship training. Interviews are generally conducted 18 months prior the start of fellowship training and individual positions offers are announced 14 months in advance of fellowship start dates. Child Abuse Pediatrics fellowship programs started the process of ACGME accreditation in 2010 and anticipate using the ERAS application and NRMP match once the accreditation process is completed.

Why should I choose to become a Child Abuse Pediatrician?
Child Abuse Pediatrics is an exciting field with opportunities for a broad clinical experience that includes multidisciplinary team work with medical and non-medical providers, contributions to investigative and legal proceedings, teaching a wide variety of audiences, clinical research, as well as, child abuse prevention and advocacy work. As a new subspecialty of the American Board of Pediatrics, there is tremendous opportunity to shape the future of this field and contribute to the health, well-being and safety of children.

For more information about Child Abuse Pediatrics, visit these websites:
ACGME
Ray Helfer Society
American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Child Abuse and Neglect

Subspecialty Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect: The International Journal
Child Maltreatment
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse