Top 12 Pediatrician Skills to Put on Your Resume

Crafting a compelling resume matters for pediatricians. It signals clinical depth, warmth with families, and the steady judgment needed when little ones can’t always say what hurts. Show a broad span of pediatric skills—hands-on medicine, prevention, communication, systems savvy—and your application starts to hum with readiness and trust.

Pediatrician Skills

1. Pediatrics
2. Neonatology
3. Immunization
4. Developmental Screening
5. Electronic Health Records (EHR)
6. Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
7. Telehealth
8. Patient Education
9. Medical Coding (ICD-10)
10. Lactation Consulting
11. Autism Spectrum Disorders
12. Allergy Management

1. Pediatrics

Pediatrics is the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatricians track growth and development, prevent illness, and treat acute and chronic conditions—all while guiding families through each stage from newborn to young adult.

Why It's Important

Pediatrics protects physical, emotional, and social health in the years that shape a lifetime. Prevention, early detection, and coordinated treatment ripple forward—better school, better function, better futures.

How to Improve Pediatrics Skills

Keep learning, sharpen communication, and build systems that work for kids and caregivers.

1. Stay updated: Read pediatric journals, complete CME, review guidelines regularly through professional societies.

2. Embrace technology: Use EHRs, clinical decision support, and telehealth thoughtfully to extend access and continuity.

3. Elevate communication: Practice clear, developmentally attuned conversations with children and plain-language counseling with parents.

4. Lead with prevention: Vaccinations, anticipatory guidance, nutrition, sleep, safety—make these routine and relentless.

5. Make spaces child-friendly: Calming décor, distraction tools, sensory considerations, and welcoming workflows reduce fear and tears.

6. Work as a team: Coordinate with nursing, behavioral health, social work, and subspecialists for complex care.

7. Advocate: Champion children’s health in schools, communities, and policy arenas.

8. Seek feedback: Short post-visit surveys and parent councils surface blind spots fast.

9. Mind mental health: Normalize screening; integrate brief interventions; know referral pathways.

10. Engage in research/quality improvement: Small PDSA cycles or registry work can markedly improve outcomes.

How to Display Pediatrics Skills on Your Resume

2. Neonatology

Neonatology focuses on newborns—especially premature or medically fragile infants—from birth through the first 28 days, when physiology is fast-moving and margins are thin.

Why It's Important

Early stabilization, gentle handling, and vigilant monitoring in the newborn period set the stage for survival, neurodevelopment, and family bonding.

How to Improve Neonatology Skills

1. Deepen training: Pursue neonatal-focused CME, simulations, and bedside teaching on ventilation, fluids, and resuscitation.

2. Leverage technology: Master NICU monitoring, respiratory support modes, and safe medication dosing for tiny patients.

3. Collaborate: Round with nurses, RTs, lactation, pharmacists, and therapists; coordinated micro-decisions matter.

4. Standardize care: Use protocols for sepsis evaluation, jaundice, hypoglycemia, and thermoregulation.

5. Center parents: Skin-to-skin care, clear updates, and shared decisions reduce stress and improve outcomes.

How to Display Neonatology Skills on Your Resume

3. Immunization

Immunization primes the immune system against infectious diseases using vaccines, protecting individuals and communities by cutting transmission chains.

Why It's Important

Vaccines prevent serious illness, shield the vulnerable through community immunity, and keep kids in school and play.

How to Improve Immunization Skills

1. Educate with empathy: Use evidence, listen to concerns, and address myths without judgment.

2. Boost access: Offer walk-in vaccine hours, after-school slots, and community events; reduce logistical friction.

3. Reminder/recall: Automate texts, calls, or portal nudges; reconcile at every visit.

4. Standing orders: Empower nursing teams to vaccinate when criteria are met; fewer missed chances.

5. Use registries (IIS): Record doses, check forecasting, and close gaps systematically.

6. Cold chain excellence: Monitor storage temps, document excursions, and train staff.

How to Display Immunization Skills on Your Resume

4. Developmental Screening

Brief, standardized checks that flag potential delays in communication, motor skills, social interaction, and problem-solving—so support starts early.

Why It's Important

Early identification unlocks early intervention. The sooner services begin, the better the trajectory for learning and behavior.

How to Improve Developmental Screening Skills

1. Follow the schedule: General screening at 9, 18, and 30 months; autism-specific at 18 and 24 months—plus ongoing surveillance every visit.

2. Use validated tools: Parent-completed instruments (e.g., ASQ, M-CHAT-R/F) and clinician-observed measures improve sensitivity.

3. Engage parents: Invite observations and concerns; culture-aware questions matter.

4. Streamline workflows: Electronic questionnaires, rooming-time completion, and automatic scoring save minutes.

5. Act fast on positives: Warm handoffs to early intervention, audiology, speech/OT, or developmental pediatrics; document and track.

6. Close the loop: Re-screen when borderline; monitor progress and update care plans.

How to Display Developmental Screening Skills on Your Resume

5. Electronic Health Records (EHR)

EHRs store and organize pediatric data—immunizations, growth curves, problem lists, meds, labs, notes—so information is complete, searchable, and shareable when needed.

Why It's Important

Accurate, up-to-date records improve safety, reduce duplication, and support decisions. They also connect the circle: primary care, subspecialists, schools, and families.

How to Improve Electronic Health Records (EHR) Skills

1. Customize for kids: Age-based dosing, pediatric growth charts, vaccine forecasting, developmental templates.

2. Interoperability: Exchange data cleanly with other systems; use health information exchanges and adhere to information-blocking rules.

3. Train continuously: Short refreshers on shortcuts, order sets, and smart phrases raise efficiency.

4. Protect privacy: Apply role-based access, adolescent confidentiality settings, and robust security practices (HIPAA-compliant).

5. Engage families: Patient portals for results, forms, secure messaging, and visit prep empower caregivers.

How to Display Electronic Health Records (EHR) Skills on Your Resume

6. Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)

PALS prepares clinicians to manage life-threatening pediatric emergencies—rapid assessment, airway and breathing support, circulation, rhythms, shock, and team choreography when seconds count.

Why It's Important

When crisis hits, practiced algorithms and calm teamwork raise survival and cut complications. Training turns adrenaline into action.

How to Improve Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) Skills

1. Refresh regularly: Take renewals on time; integrate microlearning between courses.

2. Simulation: High-fidelity scenarios for respiratory failure, anaphylaxis, trauma, and sepsis sharpen judgment and skills.

3. Team communication: Closed-loop verbal orders, clear roles, and post-event debriefs make care tighter.

4. Know the updates: Review guideline changes; adjust protocols and carts accordingly.

5. Measure and reflect: Track code metrics, review cases, and target weak spots with drills.

How to Display Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) Skills on Your Resume

7. Telehealth

Remote pediatric care—video, messaging, photos, and device data—used for triage, follow-ups, chronic care, and parent coaching when an in-person exam isn’t essential.

Why It's Important

Telehealth trims travel, speeds answers, and keeps care continuous. Families get guidance where they are—home, school, anywhere with a signal.

How to Improve Telehealth Skills

1. Simplify access: Mobile-friendly platforms, interpreter options, and easy links reduce no-shows.

2. Protect privacy: HIPAA-compliant tools, consent workflows, and private spaces for adolescent visits.

3. Make it personal: Pre-visit questionnaires, photos, and device readings (peak flows, glucose) tailor care.

4. Teach the tech: Share quick-start guides and test calls; set expectations for lighting, positioning, and vitals when possible.

5. Close the loop: Clear after-visit plans, e-prescribing, and prompt follow-ups if symptoms drift.

How to Display Telehealth Skills on Your Resume

8. Patient Education

Teaching children and caregivers about conditions, treatments, prevention, and daily habits—so families can carry the torch between visits.

Why It's Important

Knowledge builds confidence. Better understanding drives adherence, prevents crises, and turns confusion into calm action.

How to Improve Patient Education Skills

1. Age-right materials: Visuals for toddlers, simple analogies for school-age kids, concise handouts for teens and parents.

2. Use multimedia: Short videos, interactive tools, and symptom diaries make concepts stick.

3. Invite questions: Pause often; check comprehension with teach-back.

4. Send it home: Printed summaries, care plans, and portal messages reinforce key steps.

5. Follow up: A quick call or message after new diagnoses or med changes catches issues early.

How to Display Patient Education Skills on Your Resume

9. Medical Coding (ICD-10)

ICD-10-CM encodes diagnoses and symptoms for clinical tracking and billing. In outpatient pediatrics, procedures are typically captured with CPT/HCPCS (not ICD-10-PCS).

Why It's Important

Accurate coding supports clear documentation, appropriate reimbursement, quality reporting, and population health analytics.

How to Improve Medical Coding (ICD-10) Skills

1. Keep current: Review annual ICD-10-CM updates and payer policies relevant to pediatrics.

2. Document specifically: Laterality, acuity, complications, social drivers—detail enables precise codes.

3. Use smart tools: EHR-integrated code suggestions, templates, and prompts reduce errors.

4. Audit and learn: Periodic chart reviews with feedback tighten accuracy and reduce denials.

5. Collaborate: Clinicians and coders should huddle on recurring issues and create quick-reference guides.

How to Display Medical Coding (ICD-10) Skills on Your Resume

10. Lactation Consulting

Specialized support that helps families start and sustain breastfeeding—positioning, latch, milk supply, pumping plans—with pediatricians and lactation consultants working side by side. IBCLCs (International Board Certified Lactation Consultants) are key partners.

Why It's Important

Better latch, fewer complications, and steadier weight gain. Breastfeeding success supports infant nutrition, immunity, and maternal health.

How to Improve Lactation Consulting Skills

1. Build knowledge: Train on common challenges—tongue-tie evaluation, nipple pain, low supply, jaundice, late-preterm needs.

2. Partner with IBCLCs: Create in-clinic consult pathways and warm referrals for complex cases.

3. Prepare materials: Step-by-step guides, feeding logs, and return-to-work pumping plans.

4. Support the dyad: Center parent goals, screen for mood disorders, and tailor plans to lived realities.

5. Follow growth closely: Weight checks and feeding assessments keep plans safe and responsive.

How to Display Lactation Consulting Skills on Your Resume

11. Autism Spectrum Disorders

Neurodevelopmental differences marked by social communication challenges and restricted or repetitive behaviors. Presentation varies widely across the spectrum; strengths and support needs are highly individual.

Why It's Important

Pediatricians are the early spotters. Quick identification and referral ignite services that build communication, learning, and daily living skills.

How to Improve Autism Spectrum Disorders Skills

1. Screen and surveil: Use autism-specific tools at 18 and 24 months, with ongoing developmental surveillance at every well visit.

2. Act on concerns: Refer promptly to early intervention/Part C, speech/OT, and developmental specialists; don’t “wait and see.”

3. Individualize care: ABA strategies, naturalistic developmental approaches, communication supports, and sensory accommodations based on needs.

4. Support families: Education, caregiver coaching, community resources, and respite when possible.

5. Coordinate broadly: Align with schools, therapists, and community programs; shared goals reduce friction.

How to Display Autism Spectrum Disorders Skills on Your Resume

12. Allergy Management

Identify triggers, reduce exposure, treat symptoms, and consider immunotherapy when indicated—so kids can breathe, eat, and play safely.

Why It's Important

Good allergy control prevents emergencies, limits missed school, and improves sleep, growth, and family life.

How to Improve Allergy Management Skills

1. Thorough history and testing: Clarify timing, setting, and patterns; use skin or specific IgE testing when appropriate.

2. Education first: Allergen avoidance plans, label reading, and environmental controls for home and school.

3. Optimize treatment: Stepwise pharmacotherapy for rhinitis and asthma; evidence-based eczema care; dietary guidance for food allergy.

4. Emergency action plans: Clear instructions for anaphylaxis, epinephrine training, and school forms ready to go.

5. Consider immunotherapy: Subcutaneous or sublingual options when benefits outweigh burdens.

6. Monitor over time: Regular follow-ups to reassess triggers, growth, and coexisting conditions like asthma.

How to Display Allergy Management Skills on Your Resume