Finding Doctor Right

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

25 Dec 2006 10:07 PM

Before you can decide on what pediatrician is Doctor Right for you, you need to decide what kind of pediatrician you want for your baby. There are a number of options available to you including:

• Pediatrician - doctors who specialize in infants, children and pre-adolescents
• Family Physicians - Family practitioners are sometimes preferred because they are a doctor for the whole family - while they do not specialize in children's medicine, they can often treat your family broadly and you can collect your health visits into one fell swoop
• Solo practitioners - if the physician you choose has his or her own practice without other physicians being involved, you will more likely develop a one on one relationship with the physician
• Partnerships - when you attend a practice with two physicians you have more options for appointments and you may still develop a good one on one with the doctors because there are only two
• Group Practice - We used a group practice when our daughter was first born, there we nine pediatricians and they offered multiple specialties in pediatric medicine - this was a real benefit if we needed a specialist because we didn't have to find a different doctor, but it's harder to get a one on one with a physician who knows your child's medical history intimately

There are a great many options available to you as described here and when you are looking for Doctor Right, you may have to settle for Doctor Right Now. Don't be afraid to change pediatricians if you find yourself not caring for the one you have selected. For me, I define the right doctor as being the one who listens to me as a parent and doesn't dismiss my observations. Parents are the ones who are most intimately aware of the day to day changes that their children go through.

I can spot the symptoms of a sinus infection before they are apparent. But if the pediatrician isn't willing to listen or to hear what a parent knows and sees as changes in their child, then they are limiting their diagnostics to what is only visible to their tests and if they only stay in a room with the child for ten minutes, they can't compare those ten minutes of observation with your 24 hours a day. Beyond that, I want a physician who genuinely cares about my child and the education that I need as a parent to make sure they have the best care possible.

What makes a doctor right for you and your baby?

Related Articles:

Is it Time for You to Get a New Pediatrician?

Choosing a Pediatrician

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The Well Child Plan

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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