Neonatologist

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I'm tryting to become a neonatologist and am wondering if getting my bachelors in ultrasounding counts as a pedatric degree? also interested in knowing for any baby nurses out there where you were able to get your degree I live in the west coast and havent had much luck in finding a med school for it

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Specializes in NICU.
I'm tryting to become a neonatologist and am wondering if getting my bachelors in ultrasounding counts as a pedatric degree? also interested in knowing for any baby nurses out there where you were able to get your degree I live in the west coast and havent had much luck in finding a med school for it

What do you mean, a "pediatric degree"? A bachelor's in sonography is just that. To become a neonatologist, you have to obtain a bachelor's degree, then attend med school, then complete a residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in neonatology.

What degree are you asking about re: "baby nurses" when it sounds like your interest is in medicine? I have a BSN, has nothing to do with the medical side of things.

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Oh wow!

A neonatologist is a physician who specializes in the care of high risk neonates. To become a neonatologist one needs to complete a bachelors degree (any major) including certain pre-requisite courses, take the MCAT and be admitted to a medical school, graduate, complete a pediatric residency and a neonatology fellowship. All of these steps are distinct from nursing which is a completely separate profession. There are dozens of medical schools on the West Coast but none of them will have a degree in Neonatology. A medical degree is a general preparation for physicians. They specialize once they do residency.

You may also wish to avail yourself of the myriad credible resources online and otherwise which explore and explain health-related careers and the educational preparation for such careers. This will help you ask more informed question that make sense as well as ensure someone on an anonymous forum isn't leading you astray. Best of luck.

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Are you in high school?

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

As others have pointed out, you appear to not know what a "neonatologist" is and have asked a question that doesn't really make sense.

A "neonatologist" is a physician who has specialized in the care of critically ill newborns. To become a neonatologist, you need to graduate from medical school and then do additional training to specialize in the care of neonatal patients. (Undergraduate degree that usually takes 4 years ... then medical school that usually takes 4 years ... then a residency in pediatrics that usually takes 3 years ... and finally a fellowship in neonatology that usually take 2 years. That's 13 years of full time education and training beyond high school.)

A "neonatal nurse" is a nurse would works in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. If you want to be a neonatal nurse, you need to go to nursing school and become a Registered Nurse.

Neither career is directly related to ultrasonography a degree in that won't help you get either one of those jobs.

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What do you mean, a "pediatric degree"? A bachelor's in sonography is just that. To become a neonatologist, you have to obtain a bachelor's degree, then attend med school, then complete a residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in neonatology.

What degree are you asking about re: "baby nurses" when it sounds like your interest is in medicine? I have a BSN, has nothing to do with the medical side of things.

With the research I found it said a bachelor degree in pediatrics i was planning on doing ultrasounding. I am going to school in Idaho but will go to Weber State in Utah. But I wasn't sure if ultrasound for sure counted as pediatrics so that's good to know. My next thing is knowing where to go for med school.

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Uhhh I know what a neonatologist is.....my questions were does getting a degree in ultrasounding count as my bachelors degree because I need a bachelors in pediatrics first...second question was how do I find a med school that I can further my education. I am in the RN program now at a community college....are you saying that I'd have to go to a college that's specifically for nursing? And who can I talk to to find schools around me?

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I am in my third year of college in Idaho.

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Specializes in NICU.

A) There's no such thing as a "bachelors in pediatrics."

B) Do you want to be a doctor or a nurse?

C) If you're in an RN program, where does sonography ("ultrasounding") come into anything?

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.

A good bet would be to get a bachelors degree in something like biology prior to going into medical school. I am not sure why you are going for an additional degree in ultrasound sonography if you are currently in nursing school, as a means to get into medical school? If you are already going into the route of nursing, maybe you should look into the idea of becoming a neonatal nurse practitioner. They work side by side with neonatologists and if you are already in nursing school, you have your foot in the door.

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Does you university have a career counseling service? Now might be a good time to schedule an appointment and get some facts clarified.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

So many unanswered questions and misunderstandings! There's no such thing as a bachelor's in neonatology. Why would you think that a degree in ultrasonography would fulfill any kind of "pediatric" requirement. As far as I know, there is no such thing as a bachelor's in ultrasonography, just associates degrees.

OP, you need to go to med school to become a neonatologist. But there is no guarantee that even if you would get through med school, that you would match to a neonatology residency.

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