Choosing a pediatrician?

Re: Choosing a pediatrician?

• taxbride

  February 2010

  1.  Do they have evening/weekend hours? If yes, is there an extra charge?
  

  2.  Who covers when office is closed?  Do doctors take turns or do they have a service?

  3.  What hospitals are they affiliated with? Do they have privileges at the hospital where you plan to deliver?

  4.  Look to see if they have a sick waiting room and a well waiting room.

  5.   Do they rotate doctors that see the patient or will you generally be able to see the same doctor?

  6.  What is their stance on vaccines? Is it similar to your own?
  

  7.   What is their stance on breastfeeding? Is it similar to your own?

  8.  If you call with a question, will a doctor call you back?  How soon?  Or do they have nurses on staff to answer routine medical questions?
  

  That's from the top of my head!
  

  Tania
  

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• UMwife

  February 2010

  Tania has a pretty good list of questions going there, so I would stick with those. The big ones for me were vaccines & which hospital they had privileges at.

  from MRS to MOMMA blog
  
  
  
  

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• melly&jimmy

  February 2010

  Great list of questions Tanya!!  When I was scouting a Pediatrician - I really looked for a certain comfort level, personality wise.   Growing up, I had the same pedi from birth till I went to college -- and that was what I was looking for in a pedi for my kids.  Someone I can trust, is approachable, honest, professional, has a great staff, and  are all great with kids.  GL!

  

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• taxbride

  February 2010

  Oh! And ask them how long are the typical wait times.  How they answer will give you as much of an idea as what they answer.  My first pediatrician made a comment during the interview that should have tipped me off.  I mentioned all the glowing reviews I heard about this particular group practice, and he said, oh, that's great, we usually just hear complaints about long waits.  I should have listened to that!!  I am still at the same practice, but after 2 years of waiting on average an hour for an appt, I switched to another doctor in the same practice who is MUCH better at keeping his schedule!!  (I really liked the first doctor, btw, it was just the long waits that made me switch.  I like the second one a lot, too, though, so it's all good.)
  

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• FSUSammy

  February 2010

  I would also ask about typical wait times in the waiting room to see a doctor. My old office, it was common to wait about an hour just in the waiting room then another 15-20 min in the room for the doctor. At my new office I'm in and out within an hour.
  

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