Pediatrician - help choosing?!
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I wrote out a list of things that matter to me and they decided on a pediatrician from there. A few examples:
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Approach to vaccines – Are they vaccine-friendly or follow the CDC schedule? If you have a specific approach you’re looking for (delayed, spaced, etc.), make sure they're aligned with it.
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Who your child sees for sick visits – Some practices rotate between nurse practitioners and pediatricians. Are you okay seeing a NP sometimes, or do you want to always see the same doctor?
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Same-day appointments – how easy is it to get in.
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Office vibe & staff – culture!
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Location & parking – traffic matters!
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How they handle developmental concerns – Do they have in-house support or referrals for speech, OT, etc. if needed?
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Communication preferences – Do they use a patient portal? Will they respond to questions over email or just phone?
A great tip: Schedule a meet-and-greet appointment (many practices offer these for free!) so you can get a feel for the pediatrician’s style and ask all your questions.
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I would agree all those points matter when looking at a pediatrician. We go to Dr.Wheelock in westlake and she checks off on a lot of the points above, but is lacking on the "same day appointment" and you typically only see NPs on sick visits. That being said, her holistic view of things outweighed all of those negatives. A lot of moms also love modern pediatrics because they come to your home!
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