Pediatrician Requirements: MD vs. PhD - What You Need to Know

A medical degree (MD) is required to become a pediatrician, not a PhD. After completing an undergraduate degree, one must attend and medical school to earn an MD or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine to practice medicine. A doctorate, often denoted with a PhD, or other research degree beyond medical school, while sometimes helpful within specialized medical fields, is generally not needed to become a pediatrician.