Bee and I were just discussing this and we realized we had no idea! I guess puberty would be the natural point to make a change, but we probably want the kids to feel comfortable with the family doctor by then, in case they want to ask questions. So now I have no idea!
When do you switch kids from a pediatrician to a family doctor?
pomegranate / 3113 posts
I switched when I turned 18 because they made me! I was sad. I assume we'll keep LO at the pediatrician for as long as they'll keep seeing her, unless we have some other reason to switch.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
We actually have had a family doctor from the start- it's nice because the same person is both his and my doctor!
nectarine / 2641 posts
I kept my ped until 18, as did my brothers. I don't know how they felt about that (the ped is a woman), but I was cool with it. Given that after that I started moving away (to college, then work, etc), it made sense. I didn't really establish another full relationship with a doc until my OB when I got married. I will ask my son when he hits puberty if he'd be more comfortable with a male doctor. Barring that, we'll either stick with the ped or switch if/when she retires.
cherry / 229 posts
I work with college students around health issues and many of them come to school having just aged out of thier ped, they often don't know how to start a new relationship with a doctor. This made me realize that I wanted my lo to have a choice once she got to puberty so she could ask questions without me and have some health/body autonomy.
pineapple / 12793 posts
When they go to college. I feel pretty strongly about kids seeing pediatricians and not family doctors.
admin / wonderful grape / 20724 posts
@oliviaoblivia: I haven't thought much about the pros and cons of each. Would love to hear your thoughts!!
pineapple / 12793 posts
@mrbee: mainly volume of care and knowledge of childhood diseases. Bedside manner is different when treating kids, especially babies. I think it takes a very attuned person to diagnose a patient that can't express their ailments. It can also create a comfortable history of care. I'd hate for my kids to fear the doctor and then not go to see them when needed as adults. Doctors that self select into pediatrics have different skills that I value.
I can see the appeal of continuous lifetime care, but think having a focus on childhood illnesses is more important than a knowledge base that covers all age groups.
blogger / coconut / 8306 posts
@msplatypus: good points! I saw my ped until 18, then switched to a family doctor. I didn't know how to find one, so I started seeing the same GP as my parents.
But, to address your other point - once I reached puberty I started seeing a female doctor in our peds practice & she'd ask my mom to step out for part of the exam. She also made sure I knew that we had a doctor/patient relationship, though I was also old enough to understand what that meant!
pear / 1547 posts
@oliviaoblivia: As a family doctor who loves doing peds, I would like to say that the large majority of people who self select into this specialtu do so because they love kids. I couldn't decide between pediatrics and family medicine and ultimately decided I could take better care of kids if I took care of their parents too and knew the whole family unit. We train in working with the elderly, delivering babies, and chronic diseases. If your family medicine doctor doesn't have a good bedside manner with kids then they aren't a good family medicine doctor! I loved (don't do OB anymore) nothing more than seeing babies I delivered, and still love seeing kids most of all and like to think I'm good at it. I had a lot of excellent pediatric training at a very well known children's hospital. Plus I have the benefit of knowing a lot about more "adult" medicine like birth control options which some pediatricians are less comfortable with. Just my 2 cents to stand up for my profession!! If I couldn't treat kids I wouldn't be a family doctor.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22276 posts
My girls go to a family doctor. I always went to a family doctor as well. It's funny though because the girls and I don't share a doctor and either does DH.
clementine / 770 posts
I have a family Dr same person sees me, my parents and my lo. My husband however has a different Dr. If it wasn't tougher to get to his Dr ( no public transpo) I'd consider switching.
honeydew / 7622 posts
I saw my pediatrician until college. I just went to the DR at my college then chose a regular Dr once I got married. My girls Dr is peds and family so she is both of our Dr and up to date on childhood illnesses, best of all worlds.
nectarine / 2210 posts
My pediatrician actually died when I was in middle school from cancer. I feel like I still went back to same clinic a few more times, but shortly after I started seeing the same doctor as my mom.
pomelo / 5621 posts
Growing up we went to a family doctor so I'm unfamiliar with how long to take DS to his ped. I've never given it too much thought. He does go to our family doctor too though since it is really hard to get into his ped for sick appointments.
Cool story. Where my sister lives it is just family doctors. The family doctor she has for her and her daughter has been our family doctor since our my was pregnant with my sister. I like this because he knows the family and has always taken really good care of us.
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