Interviewing Pediatricians - STMs Advice Welcome!

baybeekay · February 2016

So I am at the point to where I am narrowing down the list of pediatricians to "interview" and go see. Any recommendations of questions to ask from your past experiences?

gemini2005 · February 2016

I called a few pediatrician before we had DS to inquire about the delayed vaccination schedule. Most were open to the idea and didn't care as long as we got all of the vaccines.
Another suggestion is to ask who will be doing the well-visits. We recently switched to another pediatrician because we hardly ever saw the previous doctor for check-up's. It was always the physician's assistant who wasn't very good and screwed up our lo's care at one point. Our new doctor has a PA check the kid's over and then comes in to see if we have any questions or concerns. It really makes a difference when you are able to have a good relationship with the doctor instead of the PA only. We are so pleased with our decision to switch.

kbrands7 · February 2016

This thread is from December, but there's a lot of good advice on what questions moms used when choosing a pediatrician; it's worth checking out: https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/comment/88315337#Comment_88315337

doozer1345 · February 2016

I asked about policies regarding medication: are they more hands off? what are their feelings about ADHD etc (since it's so rampant right now and docs are happy to dish out meds)? Are they open to more organic or natural treatments?
I asked about their on call policies: Do they have a 24 hr nurse triage line? Do they make house calls? What hospitals do they have privileges at? Do they have weekend clinic hours? Can you email the doctor instead of having to call in?

yogahh · February 2016

Would anyone be taken aback by a pediatrician that doesn't do interviews? I hear great reviews about this guy, and called today but no interview. I think I am fine with it- one less thing to do. And if we don't like him after the 1st appointment we can find someone else. But is it odd to anyone that he doesn't offer interviews?

JessicaB0627 · February 2016

yogahh said:

Would anyone be taken aback by a pediatrician that doesn't do interviews? I hear great reviews about this guy, and called today but no interview. I think I am fine with it- one less thing to do. And if we don't like him after the 1st appointment we can find someone else. But is it odd to anyone that he doesn't offer interviews?

I never interviewed our pediatrician. I heard good reviews from some people I knew and just decided to go with her. I just figured since I wouldn't be "stuck" with her that I would see her enough in the first few months to decide. Most doctors are so busy though, I don't think it's odd that one would refuse interviews. Especially in NYC! I imagine the amount of patients they have to see is a lot.

Side note - I absolutely love our pediatrician! So the word-of-mouth worked out well for us.

@gemini2005 I would absolutely not choose a pediatrician that relies on a PA to see patients, especially my young child. They don't have that much more schooling than I do and I tend to not trust them nearly as much as MDs!

baybeekay · February 2016

kbrands7 said:

This thread is from December, but there's a lot of good advice on what questions moms used when choosing a pediatrician; it's worth checking out: https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/comment/88315337#Comment_88315337

Thanks!! The wonderful app for TB works amazing and apparently so does the search. (Sarcastic smile).

khochanadel · February 2016

2 of the peds practices that were recommended to me have monthly "meet and greet" events where all the doctors come introduce themselves and let parents and patents to be ask questions. I went to one this month and will go to one more next month. It was a great resource since other people asked questions I hadn't thought of - one about delayed vaccination as a matter of fact.

If any of your practices offer these meet and greet events I highly recommend it.

mello13 · February 2016

We discussed vaccination schedules, after hours options (our practice offers evening and weekend hours), 24 on call nurses (a HUGE help the first time DS was very sick), which doctor within the group we would be seeing (i.e. are we required to rotate, or can we consistently see the same one), if they have ties to the hospital we were delivering in, if they have separate well and sick waiting rooms (ours does, it also has a newborn waiting room for 3 months and under), how they can communicate (online portal, emails, phone calls only, etc).

doozer1345 · February 2016

yogahh said:

Would anyone be taken aback by a pediatrician that doesn't do interviews? I hear great reviews about this guy, and called today but no interview. I think I am fine with it- one less thing to do. And if we don't like him after the 1st appointment we can find someone else. But is it odd to anyone that he doesn't offer interviews?

I'm not sure how I feel about a doctor not doing an interview. I will say though that DD had several ear infections, was colic, ended up getting C-Diff from the antibiotics that treated the ear infections, and had continuing digestive issues after that. Saying all that, I would have been a wreck if I had to go to multiple doctors considering I didn't like the ones I was going to beforehand. I was very relieved I made the decision to interview her doctor beforehand and was comfortable with my choice before DD was born.. I don't know if I'm making sense. Words are apparently hard for me this afternoon.

ETA: I wonder if maybe that doctor's office has brochures or a website where a lot of answers could be found too since they don't do interviews. Sometimes even calling in and talking to the nurse will get you answers as well.

proudparent2b · February 2016

My MIL is a pediatrician. I've learned the following from her:
1. How long has the ped been in practice? Most hit their pace at around 10 years.
2. Does the dr. have a dedicated nursing staff and rooms? Often much better than rotational
3. How many drs are in the practice?
4. Will you be able to get in same day for sick visits? If so, who will your child see? Ideally your child's dr. will try to squeeze him/her in, rather than seeing a different dr. when possible
5. What days does your dr. work? Drs who work fewer days per week are less likely to catch your kid for sick visits
6. How many patients does your doc see on a busy day? Ideally 30 or less
7. Does the practice have extended hours?
8. Which hospitals does the doc work with in case you have to go, either for ER or other things?
9. Who answers after hours calls?
10. What lab work can be done in the office, vs. what do you have to travel elsewhere to get done?
11. Is the dr willing to go with your beliefs and philosophies or do they want you to adhere to theirs?

there are a bunch of other ones, but those are some highlights

lbachran · February 2016

I'm a FTM, so I'm not certain if this is any insight that the OP was seeking. I completed my pediatrician interviews in the second trimester. We met with one single practitioner, one small or medium practice with 3 practitioners, and one large practice with 10 practitioners. Both the single practitioner and the small/medium practice allowed for individual interviews. The large practice had meet and greets which allowed for Q&A with one practitioner, but you weren't guaranteed it would be the physician you were interested in (and as it turned out we attended a tour staffed by a doctor I had already ruled out).

I was really put off by the approach of the large practice and I even went so far as to meet with the office manager (tour guide) of the large practice to ask why they didn't allow for individual interviews when other practices (within 5 minutes or less) made significant time to allow for individual introductions to new parents. They explained that it was simply a matter of volume and that all of their doctors were great and imminently qualified to care for my child. Bottom line, they wanted you to attach to the practice, not necessarily the physician.

I had the same pediatrician for 18 years. That familiarity allowed him to diagnose me quickly and comprehensively throughout my development. As a mom, there's value in that to me. The smaller practices may not have the fanciest waiting rooms or the most highly advanced online records system, but frankly, those things don't seem to matter when you're just desperate to get the right diagnosis and treatment. Just my two cents...

OP, I combined questions from over a dozen sources, some specific and some broad, all of which yielded different responses. I'd be happy to send my final document to you or anyone who is interested, so feel free to message me.

emma+karen · February 2016

We never interviewed our pediatrician, just went off of the MANY recommendations we got for the practice. That said, it's a group practice and there are definitely two doctors who I absolutely love, one who's fine, and a nurse practitioner who I like fine, but have some philosophical disagreements with (she is of the opinion that all children should be out of diapers by age 2...even one of the other doctors referred to her as a "drill sergeant" when it comes to diapers and pacifiers). Anyway, just be aware if you're looking a group practice, that all the doctors will be a little different in their manner and philosophies. Ask who you'll be seeing regularly, or if you can request appointments with the doctor you get along with best (I always try to schedule with one of the two doctors that we really like).

Chappy_jr · February 2016

I did not find pediatricians in our area in our insurance network that would schedule an interview. But we chose ours based on a number of factors and have found that the volume is very high, which explains the lack of interviews. However, I have been satisfied. Our son actually sees the NP primarily and she has become very familiar with him and him to her so I"m glad they have a good relationship. The main MD at the practice will consult if there is something major or confusing (such as when he had a mysterious rash).

LadyStardust179 · February 2016

I think the biggest thing for me is going with a practice that offers some weekend and evening availability. It makes it much easier when you have options other than urgent care or the ER. Also, as someone already mentioned, a 24 hour nurse line is a wonderful resource. I usually use the one through my insurance company. There's a lot of problems you'll encounter that don't require you to see a doctor immediately or at all, you just need to know what to do.

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