Kinder- und Jugendärztinnen und -ärzte der Zukunft

In the future, pediatrics will certainly look different from today and pediatricians will work differently than we do now. Many issues that were relevant during the establishment of pediatrics as a distinct discipline will remain important, such as the role of pediatrics as a separate discipline in medical studies and the time constraints that are experienced in clinical practice; however, many aspects will change and improve if we shape the future of our field together. The working environment will evolve to relieve medical staff of administrative burdens and support them through digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI), allowing more time for patients and their families. Training will finally become truly competency based. Artificial intelligence (AI) will support future pediatricians not only organizationally but also in clinical decision-making at critical points. A major focus of future work will be on preventive medicine to avert diseases even earlier to be able to ensure a long and healthy life. Although climate change will pose unprecedented challenges for our field, such as tropical diseases becoming endemic in Germany, future pediatricians will also play a crucial role as advisors. The shaping of our discipline should be a common goal for pediatricians to create the future we envision for our society.