Choosing a pediatrician...

jiggycole · May 2012

I am probably late in the scheme of things here, but how many of you have chosen a pediatrician already? Did any of you "interview" a doctor? Did you go see the office at all? If you did do an interview, what kinds of questions did you ask? I don't really have anyone to ask for references in my family due to different insurances.

ToastieSimons · May 2012

DH and I had a family doctor. When DS was born we just used him. No interviews, nothing. the big bonus is he is literally 1 street away so it made all those checkups so much easier.

We're probably switching pedi's to the one that sent DS to the NICU because we're moving and she's closer.

geauxfrogs · May 2012

With DD we just went with the rec of a friend. I knew she and I have similar beliefs about vaccines and BFing. I didn't even go to the office ahead of time. This time we've moved. I just took DD to her 4 year old appointment at a pedi that my OB rec'ed and really liked her, so we'll go with her.

That's probably not very helpful, but that's what we've done.

JessieCupcake · May 2012

We picked ours when we had to preregister with the hospital because we had to write the pediatrician's name on the form. We did go in to the office to check it out and to have a consultation.

The questions I asked were:

What is the schedule of appointments for newborns?

Should the baby get the Hep B vaccine at the hospital or later at the pediatrician's office?

What are the office hours? How are after hours calls & emergencies handled?

Why are the eyedrops necessary when the baby is born?

SweetHurricane · May 2012

For DD1, we didn't know anyone around here so I just researched pedis online. I used vitals.com and healthgrades.com to see who had good reviews. I narrowed it down to two pratices and then I looked at their practice's websites to compare. We ended up going with the one that was closer to our home.

katmacwv · May 2012

With our first, we were signed up with a pediatrician by about 6 months. We didn't interview him. Instead, I spoke with friends who I trusted and got recommendations. We got 2 main recommendations and just picked between those two.

doxgirl · May 2012

I asked for recommendations from friends. I had pretty much decided which doctor we were going to go with, but I did meet with him to get a feel for his style, support of breastfeeding, etc.

beck8008 · May 2012

my midwife can be my pediatrician for the first few months, after that, i'll pry just go with someone she recommends

mkflower3000 · May 2012

We chose one about 3 weeks ago (our midwives kept bringing it up over and over again so finally we just gave in and started looking - otherwise, I wouldn't have been in such a rush. I don't think that it's too late for you to be looking now). Unfortunately many doctors aren't here won't do meet up interviews, which I really didn't like, but DH was able to talk to this particular one over the phone. We mostly chose her based on a recommendation from our birth center, and the fact that they offer flexible vaccine schedules and support some alternate treatment methods (I'm not talking all herbal, no meds, etc etc - I just mean that they aren't against herbal supplements and oral administration of stuff versus shots).

You could see if your doctor's office has a few people that are well-liked in the area and they recommend/know from other patients! Good luck!

perfectpair1275 · May 2012

With DS we used the practice my Stepkids had been using. I haven't been pleased with them lately, so I asked around for some recommendations from friends in my area. After getting a few names I called the offices and asked questions. 1 of the doctors called me back and talked to me for a good 20 minutes answering any questions I had. She was great!! I plan on scheduling an appt with her next week just for me to bring DS and so I can meet her in person before I meet her in the hospital when DD is delivered! The Bump here has a list of questions to ask pediatricians. I just printed it out as a guideline for what I wanted to ask.

unaveragejane · May 2012

The first doc I interviewed was really nice, but thanks to the interview, I chose not to use her. Her office floors and toys were filthy. The waiting room was like someone's grandmother's dining room, just minus the dining table. I hated it. When I found out that one of my best friends' doctors is taking new patients, I called and booked in for a "meet and greet" session. The pedi had about 6 expectant families come in, gave some of his input about infant care and feeding, then gave us all an opportunity to ask questions. He was actually late getting to us b/c he had to admit one of his patients to the hospital, but while I was there, I witnessed a lot of his patient care techniques. (He even called Vanderbilt for a consult to get a second opinion about a tough case.) I would love to have a fancy practice in a nicer part of town, but the other practice that a different friend recommended won't do interviews at all. I think we're sticking with Dr. Reliable and Highly Recommended.

jamiah18 · May 2012

I basically asked anyone I know that has small children. After hearing several opinions, I narrowed it down to two, after calling both of them just to make sure they are accepting newborns, one wasn't which made our decision much easier. Then, I did call the pedi's office that we chose and asked a few questions regarding vaccines, office hours, scheduling well-visits, etc, just to make sure we were pleased with our choice. While I know it's very common and probably recommended, I felt odd interviewing a doctor so I just spoke to the nurse over the phone and she answered my questions.

TnG05 · May 2012

I just did this today. I didn't interview anyone. I just went with the recommendation of a friend that has similar views as we do and it didn't hurt that she's been happy with her ped for the last 13 yrs.

Capt Jen · May 2012

We asked for recommendations from friends, family, and our doctor. We've already interviewed one pedi, and have a second interview set up next Friday with another office. This is someone that will be caring for my child and I will be working with for his well-being, and I'd rather know up front whether they will fit my style or not.

Being a FTM, I feel it's easier to do that work of finding the right doctor now rather than having to switch doctors because I find out I don't like them.

We went in with two pages of questions, such as:

- What is your philosophy on anti-biotics and other medications? Do you prescribe medicine over the phone or will we always have to come in?

- What is your philosophy on vaccines and circumcision?

- What kind of parent education resources does your office have for new parents?

- How soon after the birth will you see him? How are you notified of his birth?

- Do you have a 24 hour number to talk to a doctor? Do you charge for those calls?

- If I call in to speak with a doctor, who returns the call? How long before the call is returned? Do you answer questions via email?

- What is the scheduled length of appointments?

- How often do you want to see him in the first year? Why?

- What is your standard procedure for a well-visit? Do you do a series of tests on his developmental status or do you take what we say as evidence of his development?

- Do you have a separate sick child/well child entrance?

- How difficult is it to make an appointment for a sick child? Do you have same day sick appointments? How quickly do those fill up?

- Which tests are handled at the office (throat cultures, blood work, xrays)? Where are they done if they are not handled in the office?

- Can others, like grandparents/aunts, bring our baby in?

- How do you keep up with trends in pediatrics?

- What is the oldest child you will see?

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