Thursday, January 6, 2011

PEDIATRICIAN or FAMILY PRACTICE DOCTOR?


Jeff and I are beginning our doctor interviews.  Tomorrow!  2:30pm.  He is a family practice (FP) doctor.  A family practice doctor who has a lot of international experience (the majority of the patients that go to this clinic are refugees from a variety of other countries).  He is not, however, a pediatrician.


Here's the thing.  Boise does not have a pediatrician known to have a ton of international experience.


Here's the other thing.  I always said I would ONLY have a pediatrician for our children.  You know, a doctor who specializes in kiddos.  Right?


Bringing a child or children home from Africa has made us second-guess the whole decision.  Which is more important?  International expertise or pediatric expertise?  We could start with an FP to glean his international knowledge for the first six months or even year, and then go to a pediatrician, which is the direction we are currently leaning toward.


We are only starting the interview and decision process. SO...................


Can you help me out?  Can you share with me your opinion?  


Would you choose an FP with international experience or would you stick with your initial intent to have a pediatrician?

9 comments:

Lari said...

I used a family practice dr for years for my 3 older boys. I started mainly because we lived in a rural area and there were not any pedis close by (closest was over an hr away). I really liked it from the standpoint of all of us having the same dr. Our drs knew us as a family. I have recently switched to a pedi after my 4th was born since my FP doesn't see newborns. I still love our FP but it was getting increasingly difficult to get appts quickly. The pedi office is a lot more accommodating. I think the most important thing is to have dr you trust and are comfortable with.

Abby said...

Definitely a pediatrician. We saw a family practice when we lived in a smaller town and our daugther went undiagnosed for an entire year with her developmental and feeding issues. We moved here, saw an excellent pediatrician who is actually a developmental pediatrician who seems very knowledgeable about adoption and attachment also, and within the first appointment she asked what our daughter's diagnosis was. We told her she didn't have one, she scheduled a behavioral appointment and got her diagnosed, therapy started, referrals of the best professionals in Boise, and a year later we have a totally different girl. I just think someone who sees kiddos all day long is much better equiped to handle more difficult cases. If everything is fine a family practice doctor is fine...but often as a parent it's hard to know if everything is fine...and if a dr. tells you it is you believe them. I feel we wasted a whole year with our daughter because I listened to the professional and not my mommy instinct that something wasn't right. All this to say, I have a great dr. I can recommend if you want. When we brought Alex home she had him in her office within the week with a list of things we needed to have done and they were all right on. Also I can always get in the day of if I call with a sick kiddo. And it's a really fun office, my kiddos love going!!

Kelly said...

Tough question... while we have only adopted domestically and can't speak to the international part, I can see the benefits of going to someone who has international experience, treating the whole child is important and them knowing what things to be looking for on a different level is valuable. Our ped. is an adoptive father so luckily we have the best of both worlds. Hope you find someone that fits what you guys desire. By the way, thanks for visiting my blog! Excited to meet you too, I can hardly wait for the retreat!!

Alison said...

We will probably just stick to our pediatrician we are already with. I want all of my kids to go to the same doctor, and we have a great relationship with him! Hope your interviews went well!

Mandie said...

Family Practice is what we use. Love the fact that she understands the environment our kids have been through, the exposures that they have had and the behavioral issues that come up having lived in an orphanage. My kids have all had special needs and she is very thorough in her testing and consults with specialists and makes referrals when necessary. This is someting I struggled with at first until I found the right doctor for us.

Debb said...

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! FOR YOUR INFORMATION AND SUGGESTIONS! It means the world to me! We interviewed an AWESOME Family Practice physician last Friday and have another meet-and-greet with a Pediatrician this Friday! I will keep you posted! :)

Shannon said...

Hey Debb!

When you have your interviews don't forget to ask what they would do if they felt your child needed a pediatricians care. Find out who they consult with (a children's hospital, a local pediatrician, etc.) Just knowing who they would call if they had questions (and IF they would call someone else) can make a huge difference.

connie said...

Hi there, as you know we love our Family Practice doctor. For us personally we have been blessed with good health thus far however I do trust that if something wasn't quite right he would be capable of handling it or referring us. Their phleblotmist was also great and the lab is right there in the office building. I think it's such a personal choice I pray that the Lord guides you in the direction to go. Also remember it's not set in stone so either way if you end up not happy you have the ability to change. Good luck :)

Rob and Candy said...

Hi- this is so hard. We take our kiddos to the pediatrician who has experience who adoptees so it was an easy call.
I would go with your gut feeling or how God is leading you. I love having a pediatrician because everything is kids sized- blood pressure cuffs, tables, extra diapers in case I ran out! the waiting room is kid friendly.... How long do they spend with the patient at each appointment? Besides the medical experience I look for an office staff that is kind, are they accepting of a multi-racial family? Can you get same day appointments?
What hospital and specialist relationships do they have?
Good luck!
candy

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