| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Clinical and Medical |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Chief of Surgery |
| Direct reports | Senior Resident Doctor |
| Experience | 2 to 8 years after MCh in paediatric surgery |
Paediatric Surgeon job description template
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Job title: Paediatric Surgeon
Department: Clinical and Medical
Reports to: Chief of Surgery
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Paediatric Surgeon operates on babies, children and adolescents. The work covers newborn emergencies such as oesophageal atresia, intestinal obstruction and anorectal malformations, common childhood operations such as hernia, hydrocele, undescended testis and appendicitis, and urological and congenital problems. Children are not small adults, so anaesthesia, fluids and consent all need special care. A good paediatric surgeon operates gently and safely, works closely with neonatologists and keeps parents informed and calm.
Key responsibilities
- Assess newborns referred from the NICU with anomalies such as oesophageal atresia, diaphragmatic hernia and intestinal obstruction.
- Perform emergency newborn surgery with the neonatologist and paediatric anaesthetist, planning transfer, warmth and fluids.
- Operate on common childhood conditions such as inguinal hernia, hydrocele, undescended testis, phimosis and appendicitis.
- Treat paediatric urology problems such as hypospadias, pelvi-ureteric junction obstruction and vesico-ureteric reflux.
- Perform laparoscopic surgery in children where suitable, with instruments and pressures adjusted to the child's size.
- Explain the operation, risks and recovery to parents in simple language, and take consent from the parent or guardian.
- Plan day-care surgery for suitable children so they go home the same day with clear written instructions.
- Manage post-operative pain relief, feeding, wounds and fluid balance with the paediatric nursing team.
- Assess children with abdominal trauma or injuries from falls and road accidents together with the emergency team.
- Follow children in OPD through staged operations and growth, and agree long-term care with their paediatrician.
Requirements
- MCh or DrNB in Paediatric Surgery after MS General Surgery, or a six-year integrated MCh
- Valid registration with the National Medical Commission or a State Medical Council
- Training in paediatric urology or laparoscopy is an advantage
- 2 to 8 years after MCh in paediatric surgery
KRAs and KPIs for a Paediatric Surgeon
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Newborn surgery review | Every neonatal surgical death or major complication reviewed at audit within 30 days |
| Wound infection | Infection after clean paediatric surgery below 2 percent each quarter |
| Day-care surgery | At least 70 percent of eligible hernia and hydrocele cases done as day care |
| Referral response | Surgical opinion for NICU and emergency referrals given within 2 hours |
| Parent briefing | Documented briefing to parents before and after surgery in 100 percent of cases |
| Follow-up | At least 80 percent of children attend their planned post-operative reviews |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Paediatric laparoscopy set, Neonatal warming and monitoring equipment, Paediatric cystoscope, Electrosurgical unit with paediatric settings, Magnifying loupes.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Head of Department (Clinical), Chief of Surgery
Interview questions for a Paediatric Surgeon
- A 2-day-old baby is vomiting green fluid. What do you do?
- How do you counsel parents whose son needs hypospadias repair in stages?
- At what age would you operate on an undescended testis, and why?
- How do you decide whether a child with abdominal pain has appendicitis when the scan is unclear?
- Tell me about a newborn operation that did not go as planned and what you learned.
- What makes a child suitable for day-care surgery in your practice?
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What does a paediatric surgeon do?
A paediatric surgeon operates on newborns, children and teenagers. They correct birth defects such as blocked intestines or food pipe, treat common childhood problems like hernia, hydrocele, undescended testis and appendicitis, handle children's urinary tract problems and injuries, and follow children through recovery and growth.
What is the difference between a paediatric surgeon and a paediatrician?
A paediatrician is a children's doctor who treats illness with medicines, gives vaccines and guides growth and development. A paediatric surgeon operates on children. The paediatrician usually refers a child to the paediatric surgeon when an operation may be needed.
Should a child's hernia be operated on by a paediatric surgeon?
Where a paediatric surgeon is available, that is the preferred choice, especially for babies and small children, because the surgery, anaesthesia and fluids are planned for their size. In many towns experienced general surgeons also operate on older children, working with an anaesthetist trained in children's anaesthesia.