PARENT/PHYSICIAN PARTNERSHIP: CHOOSING A DOCTOR

Raising a child is a big responsibility, and it’s always comforting to know that there’s someone you can turn to when you have a problem. For advice on many of your concerns about your child you can call on your own parents, your family and friends, other parents, your child’s teachers. But when it comes to your child’s health the person you need is a physician.

To get the best from your child’s doctor, you must first select the best doctor for your child. A pediatrician is a doctor who sees only children. The pediatrician has had an extra three to five years of special training in the physical, emotional, and educational needs of young people. Your family physician probably has comparable training in terms of years of study, but this study has been directed to people of all ages rather than just to children. The best pediatrician you can find should, in theory, know more about children than the best family doctor you can find.

The most important thing, however, is that you should be able to get along with the doctor who is caring for your child. If you feel more comfortable with your own family physician than with any pediatrician in your locality, you may decide to have the family physician take care of your child, too. You know what’s best for you and the child, so trust your own decision.

Your child’s doctor, who is a trained and experienced professional, should be a reliable and sympathetic source of information and advice throughout your child’s growing years. Always remember, though, that the doctor is a medical adviser, not another parent. There are decisions about your child’s well-being that only you can make, and a good doctor does not try either to make child-rearing decisions for you or to make you feel that you’re not a competent parent. A good parent/doctor relationship is one in which each partner respects the other.

How do you find a good doctor? If the child is your first, the doctor who delivered your baby can give you names of local physicians and maybe recommend someone who is well thought of by other new parents. You may have a friend or neighbor with children who can recommend someone. If you’ve moved to a new area, consult a neighbor who has children, or call the local hospital or the local branch of the state medical society. Professional organizations will not give you recommendations as such; they will give you names and expect you to make your own inquiries. However, a phone call and a visit to a doctor’s office should be enough to tell you whether or not that doctor is right for you and your child. It is also a good idea to visit the doctor even before your baby is born to become acquainted and to arrange for your baby’s medical care.