3 Questions To Ask When Interviewing Your Pediatrician

Lots of parents begin interviewing pediatricians because they know it is something they should do, but once they get in the office they quickly realize that they don’t know what they should be asking! As Dr. Jenn at Village Pediatrics says, ‘You don’t know what you don’t know’. Below I’ve outlined 3 questions to ask when interviewing your pediatrician as a guide to help you get through this time.

You want to chat with the doctor and make sure you feel comfortable – you will be asking a lot of questions of this person over the years, some will be serious and some might feel a bit silly, and the last thing you want to be worried about is that your doctor is judging you. Ideally, this practice will be a medical home for your child both in sickness and in health and you want to feel a connection. 

1. How accessible are the pediatricians of this practice 

When you call with a question, are you routed through an advice nurse before you can connect to a doctor? Do you have the ability to email, text or phone them? How do they handle out-of-hours concerns? How do they coordinate sick visits?

2. Do they have conveniences that will help you?

Some that might benefit your family are: walk-in hours, extended hours, sick and well-waiting rooms so that a doctor’s visit doesn’t feel like a guaranteed sick day in your imminent future, and dispensing basic medications so you don’t need to drag a sick child to the pharmacy

3. Does the pediatricians run their practice in a way that will make you and your baby feel comfortable?

Does he or she take their time with you? Is the space designed to make children feel comfortable? Does the doctor believe in educating families along with treating them? All of these points will make visits to the doctor infinitely more pleasant and helpful for you as a parent.

Finding the right doctor is important but always remember you aren’t locked into a contract! You can always switch providers so don’t put too much pressure on yourself.

Jessica Hill is the founder of The Parent Collective which offers prenatal education and new motherhood supports designed to help expectant parents find local community. By attending these class series, parents will build friendships with families living in close proximity and delivering babies at around the same time, to make their postpartum a more supportive and joyful experience.