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2nd Trimester
mama&baby
member
Interviewing Pediatricians?
mama&baby
member
I was just wondering what all of you ladies are doing..... I know that this is one of the so-called steps but honestly I kinda feel like I don't want to. Part of it is probably that DH won't be able to come with and I feel awkward doing an "interview" of a doctor by myself. The doc I found is rated #1 in my area and the office is awesome, so I'm not really sure what else I would want to ask. He also has a detailed website that explains alot and he works with the hospital I am delivering out of. I emailed the staff and they said that if I wanted to I could set up an appointment.... what would you do?
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Re: Interviewing Pediatricians?
I never interviewed anyone. I don't see the reason, really. I picked a pediatrician and went with it. If I didn't like her on the first visit, I would have switched then. No big deal. She was certainly competent enough to see DS at the hospital and for his first visit (which is mostly weight, temperature, addressing feeding issues).
I guess if you have some sort of alternative ideas about treatment/vaccination or live in a place where pediatricians are highly competitive, then it makes sense. Neither of these apply to me.
I interviewed 3 doctors of the 4 doctors I was considering, I did not interview the 4th because when I looked them up on the state DORA website I found that they had a malpractice suit against them within the last 5 years. I am glad I did the interviews, 2 of the 3 I just didn't click with. One was super old, only working part time, and felt that it was okay for a GP to do pedi work when he wasn't in the office which I was not comfortable with. The other doctor talked WAY too fast and I couldn't keep up with her which gave me anxiety about having her communicate with me about my child. The 3rd one I LOVED, and still love. He is awesome, and DS isn't afraid of going to the pedi even though he gets shots every time. It is a wonderful office.
Each interview only took about 30 minutes, and I went by myself. DH trusted my decision and there was no need for him to take time off work too.
ETA: I don't think the interviews are so much about the practice, hours, or vaccination viewpoints, but more about the doctor. Having a doctor you feel comfortable with and can easily talk to is important.
Thanks for your input--- I was thinking the same thing!
Of course now I texted DH to ask him if he wanted to go (he previously said no) and now he does wanna meet the doc! So I guess that solves that dilemma lol
My two angels
I found interviewing pedis really helpful just to get a feel for the person. Someone may be a wonderful doctor but if you don't feel comfortable being totally honest with them about all your silly "new parent" questions you won't be getting all you can out of your pediatrician.
The doc we chose not only allows those "silly" questions but encourages them! He never makes us feel rushed and I feel like I can call his nurse with any nagging little question that is bothering me. More than once something I thought was a "small" issue or me being overly-cautious turned out to be something that was really a big deal! For example, I really thought my DD's head looked 'funny' when she was about 3 months old. DH thought I was being silly, but I took her in and the pedi diagnosed torticollis and she did physical therapy for several months to correct it! If I had waited until our next routine appt her condition would have been much worse.
Most offices have a meet and greet after hours once a month. See what they have for new parents. Ask questions about the hours, ability to get emergency appointments and how would he handle an ER/ hospital visit.
Just a side note just because he is rated #1 does not mean he is. For example, I went to one practice and I truly loved one doctor. He was great. Kind, loving to the kids, understood fear, and listened to the parent. The #1 doctor was an a$$. Rude fell asleep during an appointment and treated me like I was a total idiot just because I did not have MD behind my name. When my favorite doctor left, the office went to pot. High turn overs, nurses leaving that had been there for years, and never could keep other doctors. I left and found a better pediatrician.
We didn't do any interviews.
After DD was born we just did her first couple appointments with different people to see who we liked, who we clicked with, who answered our questions, etc... It would be a good idea to ask around and see who your friends use. The first pedi we tried seemed really nice, but it turned out that "nice" doesn't mean 'knowledgeable'. Thankfully DH works at the hospital and heard through the grapevine which pedi was the best.