Armed with this list of questions, meet the candidates to be your child's pediatrician.
Choosing a pediatrician for your child is one of the first decisions you'll be making as a parent — and you'll be doing it before you even actually become a parent. Your child's pediatrician will be a major source of information, support, and, of course, medical care for you over the coming years, so you'll want someone you can trust and someone you feel comfortable with (and feel comfortable calling at 2 a.m.). Someone warm, responsive, reassuring, and knowledgeable, someone who's happy to field questions and concerns large and small, who can advise you on everything from general health and development to tricky behavioral issues, who's as good at listening as he or she is at dispensing instructions — and whose philosophies on child-related issues mesh well with yours. To start your search, ask friends, colleagues, neighbors, and your own practitioner for recommendations. Once you have a list of candidates (and are sure that they're on your health plan's list of providers), schedule consultations with a couple of front-runners. Then, armed with the following list of questions (or any other questions that are significant to you), meet — and find your match.
Things to Ask on the Phone, Before the Interview •Do you accept my insurance? (It doesn't hurt to double-check.) •Which hospital are you affiliated with? •If my baby needs treatment at birth, are you able to provide services at the hospital where I'm delivering?
Questions to Ask at the Interview •Tell me about your background: How long have you been a doctor, and how long have you been in this practice? ___________________________
•Are you board certified? ___________________________
•Are you a pediatric generalist, or do you have a subspecialty? ___________________________
•What is your philosophy on such child health issues as breastfeeding, immunization, co-sleeping, toilet learning, etc.? ___________________________
•What is your policy on the use of antibiotics? ___________________________
•Do you offer early, late, and weekend appointments? ___________________________
•Do you offer call-in hours, or does your office field calls at any time? If I leave a message, how long does it typically take to get a return call? Will you answer questions by e-mail? ___________________________
•How are emergency calls handled by your office? ___________________________
•Which tests are handled here (throat cultures, blood tests)? Which have to be done somewhere else (X-rays)? Where? ___________________________
•Will you be the one who handles my well-baby visits, or will another doctor in the group or a nurse practitioner do so? ___________________________
•Will I be able to get a same-day appointment if my child is sick? Will you be the one who handles sick-baby visits, or will another doctor in the group or a nurse practitioner do so? ___________________________
