A Guide to Finding the Best Pediatrician for Your Family

Every child needs a pediatrician. Even if your child is perfectly healthy, routine checkups are vital. Plus you never know when a bug or infection might strike and having a great support system is crucial. As parents, the desire is to find a pediatrician who is on the same page as you and respects your beliefs without challenging your parenting skills. The following are my recommendations for finding that perfect doctor for your family.

Many families find their doctor by asking friends about their pediatrician recommendations. While that is a great option and one worth utilizing, not all people are looking for the same thing in a doctor. I'm the kind of person that wants a doctor who is very knowledgeable, a true expert in their field, but one who talks to me about everything without being condescending. This can be a challenge since many doctors either are just playing a guessing game and want to rush as many people in and out of appointments as possible or have poor bedside manners. Therefore the searching and interview process can be an arduous one.

Create your preliminary interview list

• Start by searching your insurance network list of local pediatricians.

Most insurance providers have an online database where you can find a doctor by specialty. You can narrow your search by distance from your home, gender, or any other preferences you might have for your child’s care provider. Compiling these doctors into a list with their office address and phone number will help with the following steps.

• Cross-reference your list of pediatricians with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) members to confirm your doctor will be up-to-date on the latest recommendations from the AAP.

You can access the AAP pediatrician directory at https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/find-pediatrician/Pages/Pediatrician-Referral-Service.aspx and search by area or doctor’s last name.

• Now that you have a narrowed list of pediatricians, it’s important to check their license with the Medical Board.

All State Medical Boards keeps public records of all doctor’s medical licenses. In Texas this can be found at https://public.tmb.state.tx.us/HCP_Search/SearchNotice.aspx. This will help you confirm that your potential pediatrician has never received disciplinary action and also learn more about how long they have been practicing and where they attended school, completed residency, and what hospital affiliations they might hold.

The above steps narrowed my list of potential doctors to 12 who I would consider interviewing.

Schedule and Prepare for Doctor Interviews

• Once you have finalized your list, you can start calling offices to schedule prenatal interviews.

Not all offices schedule these kind of appointments and that is a good indicator of how much time the pediatrician is willing to spend with his patients. Having an open relationship with your pediatrician based on clear communication is vital for the quality care of your child. In my search, of the 12 offices I contacted on 5 would schedule a prenatal interview appointment with me.

• When calling the pediatrician office for an interview you may say:

Is Dr. (Name) accepting new patients? I am currently pregnant and I am looking for a pediatrician for my baby. Does the doctor accept prenatal interviews? Do you charge for these appointments?

• Prepare Your Interview Questions:

1. Do you have any sub-specialties?
2. Will you be the one who handles my well-baby visits, or will another doctor in the group or a nurse practitioner do so?
3. What is the scheduled length of your appointments?
4. How often do you want to see the baby in the first year? Why?
5. Which tests are handled here (throat cultures, blood tests)?
6. Which have to be done somewhere else (X-rays)? Where?
7. What hospitals are you affiliated with? If my child were admitted to the hospital how often would you see him?
8. 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?
9. Is there an extra charge for…Advice calls during the day? Advice calls after hours? Medication refills? Filling out forms? Will any other fees apply?
10. 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? When we call will we always speak with a nurse or front desk receptionist?
11. Do many of the mothers in your practice breastfeed their babies successfully?

Conduct Interviews

• Create Interview Folders

With your interview list in hand, I recommend creating a folder with each doctor's information and include your list of questions with room to write their responses.

• Be Professional & Respectful

Arrive early to each appointment and immediately thanked the doctor for taking the time to meet with you when called back. Attending interviews with your partner can be a good way to confirm you both are on the same page about the doctor. You will know it when you find the doctor that clicks with your family and all this planning will save you the hassle of repeatedly switching pediatricians in the years to come.

• Enjoy the Relief and Confidence That You Have Found a Pediatrician You Really Like