Finding Dr.Right for your baby
Choosing a good pediatrician is a challenging job for any new parent. You will be at the pediatrician's office atleast six times in your baby's first year alone. That means you want to find someone you can really trust and feel comfortable with. As a new parent, you should be able to ask them anything, no matter how trivial it may seem.
Pediatrician Basics :
Some of us are confused with the difference between pediatricians and regular doctors . Pediatricians are graduates of 4 year medical schools with 3 additional years of training (known as residency)solely in pediatrics. They are specially trained to prevent and manage health problems in infants,children and teens. Most pediatricians take a comprehensive test given by the American Academy of Pediatrics ; once they have passed, they are considered 'Board Certified'. It's better to start searching for a pediatrician in the final months of your pregnancy so the doctor you choose can see your baby as soon as she/he is born. A good place to start looking for a pediatrician is by asking your trusted friends for a recommendation. As a parent, they will tell you the truth if they are really happy with their pediatrician. You can also search for board certified doctors near you at the AAP's online Pediatrician Referral service at aap.org. Cross-Check your results with your health insurance plan.Once you get a list of finalists, you can schedule interviews with them. If they are accepting new patients, pediatricians are usually happy to fit such visits into their schedules and to get to know you.
Items to look for in a Pediatrician :
Pediatrician Basics :
Some of us are confused with the difference between pediatricians and regular doctors . Pediatricians are graduates of 4 year medical schools with 3 additional years of training (known as residency)solely in pediatrics. They are specially trained to prevent and manage health problems in infants,children and teens. Most pediatricians take a comprehensive test given by the American Academy of Pediatrics ; once they have passed, they are considered 'Board Certified'. It's better to start searching for a pediatrician in the final months of your pregnancy so the doctor you choose can see your baby as soon as she/he is born. A good place to start looking for a pediatrician is by asking your trusted friends for a recommendation. As a parent, they will tell you the truth if they are really happy with their pediatrician. You can also search for board certified doctors near you at the AAP's online Pediatrician Referral service at aap.org. Cross-Check your results with your health insurance plan.Once you get a list of finalists, you can schedule interviews with them. If they are accepting new patients, pediatricians are usually happy to fit such visits into their schedules and to get to know you.
Items to look for in a Pediatrician :
- Enquire about the doctor , if he/she is board certified through the American Board of Pediatrics. Talk to him, check out his view on parenting topics like breastfeeding, vaccines, colic etc. You may also want to meet the doctor who 'covers' for the doctor you have chosen during his/her absence.
- Office hours and emergency coverage. Some offices are open during evenings and on weekends which makes appointments easy for working parents. Most important thing is the best time to call with your questions and who answers those questions, to which hospital does the doctor admits patients. As a new parent, you will have lots of questions and doubts about your baby that you need to clarify with the doctor.
- Visit the office , Make sure it is clean and they have a separate waiting area for "sick" and "well" kids. Some offices have just one waiting area which causes causes "sick" kids to be in mixed the same waiting area as "well" kids who had come for their regular monthly checkups, vaccinations etc… Young kids are always putting toys in their mouths, and having sick patients play with a toy that "well" patient plays with is a very easy way for germs to spread.
- While at the office, talk to the staff. See if they are friendly and accomodating. As a parent, you will be dealing with the pediatrican staff on a regular basis for appointments and other questions especially in the first couple years of your child's life. Check out if the doctor's office has ample parking space nearby. This would be of great help when you want to carry the baby to the office especially in winter.
Once you get over with the interview, ask yourself these questions.
Did the doctor listen to your questions, and seem interested ? Did you like and feel comfortable with the doctor ? Did you like the atmosphere of the office ? If your instincts say "yes" then Hey ! you have Chosen Dr.Right for your baby !!
Hey ,that was good one.Some times finding a good doctor is extremely tiring.Thanks for posting such an informative post.