Family doc vs pediatrician

[Anonymous]

Expecting first child. Our internist is actually a "Family Doctor" which is a separate specialty. Does this mean she is qualified to be the primary doc for a child? We like her a lot for us, and she's a known-entity in terms of philosophy of care...anyone know?

[Anonymous]

We use a family doctor - and are very satisfied with this choice.

Down sides might be:
Some pediatricians have lactation consultants on staff - family doc will probably not

Some pediatricians have drop in sick hours 1st thing in the morning as it is not uncommon for children to get sick and for you to get into the Dr - my family dr does not have a similar policy. I need to call in the morning and try and get a sick appt that day.


My children have been relatively healthy so this has never been an issue. (I have also used CVS minute clinic in the evening to compliment drs appts for things like pink eye)

[Anonymous]

If your family doc has a good bit of experience, and you're happy with the care you've received, I'd stick with her. If she were right out of school, I'd say go with a pediatrician. Family doctors split their medical education among so many specialties (obgyn, peds, internal, etc) that they often don't get in-depth knowledge of each of those stages (or can't retain it all).

At least, this is how a friend decided to do a double/extra-long residency in internal and peds instead of family medicine.

[Anonymous]

I've been wondering about the whole family doc vs. pediatrician thing as well. I just started looking up doctors on my insurance website and have been dismayed by how few pediatricians there seem to be -- especially the ones that have gotten lots of praise on this forum! I thought maybe I should expand my options to a family doctor, but I'm not sure. It seems like it would be weird to bring a newborn to a doctor who also sees adults, seniors, etc. And are there benefits to going with a doc based at a hospital, like Georgetown or Children's? There seem to be a lot of those who take our insurance. But if they list a dozen or so doctors, which one would I choose? How would I know? This doctor-choosing is making me anxious. Up to now, the extent of my doctor selection has been picking a nearby name out of the insurance list to go to once a year for a well-woman exam. And that's worked for me. But I feel like I need to be more deliberate in choosing the baby's doctor. I think I might need a hand-holder.

[Anonymous]

For an infant I would recommend you consider the following:
1. What is the insurance policy? Do they accept, do I pay out of pocket and get reimbursed? DOe I care?
2. How easy is it to get to the drs office?
3. How easy is it to park?
4. What is the support the office has for after hour calls / weekend sick visits?

At a minimum, you will be going 8 times the 1st year. So you want it to be easy.

If your child has a medical issue, it does not matter who your ped is, they will refer you to a specialist. The specialist may be associated with Children's or GT, or may not be.

Just an FYI for anyone considering GT. People constantly complain about parking there. It is my understanding that Valet parking is the same price (or very close to it) as parking the car yourself. Especially when the weather is bad or you are trying to get in and out with an infant this is a great alternative.

[Anonymous]

One benefit of having your child see a pediatrician is that the pediatrician will likely be more attuned to whatever illness is going around, at least among children.

[Anonymous]

On a similar note, for a family practice doc you might want to ask what's the make-up of their patients - some try to keep a 50-50 ratio of kids to adults. If the doc is seeing a lot of kids, then the office will be seeing whatever pediatric illnesses are going around, and be able to treat who ever in the family gets sick with the same thing.
Also, to go along with what PP said aboute the training of family practice, DC went to a combination of pediatrician & family practice over the years, and the big difference is how long the family practice has been in practice.

[Anonymous]

If your family doctor is based at Georgetown, we had a terrible experience using her as a pediatrician. Loved the concept, the care was not up to par in her case.

[Anonymous]

I asked my family doc - she said that she doesn't do newborns, only age 6 years and older, and it's because she doesn't do the vaccines. So, how about asking your family doc if he/she recommends a pediatrician?

[Anonymous]

I am a new mom and a family physician. I am a strong supporter of primary care (the lack of it in this country and especially in this area is the main reason why there are problems with the health care system) - our whole family is cared for by the same family physician. I love to follow patients/ families over time and get to know them and I want our physician to know all of us as well. As long as you find one that takes your insurance and feels comfortable taking care of infants/ toddlers/ children (and who has good relationships with specialists in the event that something comes up), I would go for a family MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your family doctor is based at Georgetown, we had a terrible experience using her as a pediatrician. Loved the concept, the care was not up to par in her case.

would you mind sharing the name of this doc and any specifics? I'd been thinking of using one of the family dogs at gt myself. Thanks!