How did you chose a good pediatrician in US?

dimhere · Aug 7, 2015

Dear all IL's in US,

How do you decide on which pediatrician to register your kid with? The Indian families here are all with different clinics under different doctors, and any mom I ask, says "Haan, he is Okay, but....." :bonk and trails off.

Most of the good ones are too busy to take on new patients, and are giving appointments for physicals in October now!

The ones which the clinic recommends us are all new: passed out in 2013, and residency in 2015.

Is it OK to register with such peds? Moreover, I also have a distance constraint, as I want it to be close enough to drive by myself with a sick child (god forbid)...

Thanks for your help!

Srama · Aug 10, 2015

@dimhere

how old are your kids? I think at this point since you need a ped for a physical, you should go with the one who is giving you the nearest date - if they are school going children the school might want all the records in place. The physical will also give you an opportunity to assess the practice and see if you want to keep them or move on.

dimhere · Aug 11, 2015

@Srama, Thank you for the response. Both my kids are in elementary school yet. They do not really need physicals before the school re-opens. The school was fine with all the documents submitted from India.

Also, does man / woman pediatrician make a difference? Is it okay for a ped of the opposite gender to do a full body exam to the kid when they are 10/12 ??

I still havent registered them anywhere, and I'm worried about not getting it done sooner.

Srama · Aug 11, 2015

@dimhere,

personally I feel it really does not matter, the gender of the doctor I mean. I have the same ped for both my kids - boy and a girl.

If the school is fine then go with your gut feeling and have an appointment ready, just so that you have a doc if you need.

Hope that helps and best wishes.

Lavanya30 · Aug 11, 2015

Hi

There is a website Healthgrades, which will give you doctors around your area and the review ratings too, based the ratings, experience you can choose the doctor.,
My suggestion is go for the same gender doctor, because start feeling uncomfortable with opposite genders as they grow, I have seen this with my friends's kids.

[h=3]Healthgrades > Find a Doctor | Doctor Reviews | Hospital ...[/h]