Your child’s health is critical, but finding the right pediatrician isn’t always easy. Whether you are expecting a newborn or are thinking about switching health care providers, use these sample interview questions to help you make your decision.
Sample Interview Questions
Learning About the Doctor
Do you have a subspecialty or an area of interest?
What is your stance on topics such as
Breastfeeding
Circumcision
Immunizations
Alternative medicine
Parenting issues, like attachment parenting, co-sleeping, single parenthood, and daycare
Video: Choosing a Pediatrician Trouble viewing? Click here.
Dr. Susan Santos says it's best not to wait to the last minute to find a pediatrician: "Most mothers or couples start looking during the second or early in the third trimester." When beginning your search, check with family and friends for word-of-mouth referrals, and then look those doctors up online.
Contacting the Doctor
Will you see my newborn in the hospital or will the first contact be an office visit?
How does the office handle telephone inquiries? Are there specific times for parents to call in with questions or is there an open advice phone line during office hours? And if staff members handle the inquiries, do they give their own advice or relay the doctor's?
Do you accept and answer questions by email?
How do I you reach you if my child gets sick after-hours?
Getting an Appointment
What are your office hours?
In normal circumstances, how long does it take to get a non-emergency appointment?
How are appointments handled for children who are sick? If you do not have office hours that day, which doctor will my child see?
About the Doctor’s Office
Are there separate well-baby and sick-baby waiting rooms in your office?
Do you see patients at multiple locations?
Are child care services available to watch my other children while I’m with my sick child in the exam room?
