Pediatrician Questions

I love ALL of the doctors at Families First Pediatrics, in South Jordan, Utah. If you choose one of them you can't go wrong. They are incredible and we have loved them.

I love my doctor! He is good with my son and the environment in thte office is great. He is a good mix of being the doctor but letting me be the mom and the one to have the say. His name is Dr. Mckenna at Treehouse pedeatrics in Logan. We are having our second in June and I am definately going to stay with him. Good luck.

HI A.,
My mom always said the best pediatrictian she ever had, had 7 kids of his own! I would make sure your pediatrician has his own kids or grandkids and he sees them regularly that way he isnt' out of touch when it comes to the real world of parenting. My family Dr has 2 kids that are roughly the same ages of my 2 middle children and its great. He gives me medical advice and I help with the parenting advice and he knows where I'm coming from when I have concerns. Also ask for references of other parents that can vouch for him. and just watch how he interacts with the kids. Good luck I hope you find a good Dr!

C. C.

Hi, A.,

I use Dan Scholegel over at Green Mtn. Pediatrics and he's wonderful. He's very laid back and even keeled about things, and I like that. I think that the MDs at Green Mtn. Peds really understand that their job is to take care of our kids, but also assist us as parents in taking care of our kids. I didn't ask too many questions when I met with them because I was at ease just talking to them. I hope this helps. Sorry I don't have any "concrete" questions to share.

A.,

Not sure where you are located, but relocated to Brighton and got a couple of different references. We use Cornerstone Pediatrics in Louisville. Dr. Bucknam is the co-writer of the BabyWise books and that is his practice. There are 5-6 doctors there and all are great. Dr. Jordan is the newest doctor and he is great with infants and kids. He has three kids and just has a magic touch with all ages. We have a 4 month old and a 5.5 year old and he is great with both. Dr. Miller is awesome, too. Dr. Steitz is good, but not as chatty as the others.

Good luck!
M.

You didn't put where you're located, but I'll give you two of our pediatricians. One in the middle of the Salt Lake Valley - Cottonwood Pediatrics in the Cottonwood Tower by the hospital. His name was Dr. Terry Omura, and we LOVED him. I often told him that if we moved, I would want to stuff him in my suitcase and make him move with us. That's how much we loved him.

But, we did move, and he didn't fit in our suitcase. ;) But, up in Logan, we found a Dr. that we love, that is actually a friend of my husbands. His name is Russ McKenna and he is in Treehouse Pediatrics. He's really great! Good luck!

R.

Ask them questions that will give you a feel on their style of dr-ing and their bedside manner. There are some drs that are breastfeeding friendly, some who aren't. There are some who are med pushers (will give antibiotics for anything and everything), and some who realize that meds are over prescribed and wil either be willing to look at alternative treatments, or give the body a chance to work on it's own before trying to treat things. There are some who are pro-attachment parenting, some who firmly believe in letting a baby CIO (cry it out) starting at a young age. Make sure you find someone who will work well with your parenting style.

We see Dr Jed Vandenberghe in Holladay-he is amazing! I don't do well with drs who have that "I'm better than you b/c I'm the dr" attitude, or those who discount your feelings or opinions. While of course as the professional he is the one I go to for advice or help, he has never shot down my thoughts, desires for traditional or alternative ideas for treatments, and has always been very respectful of my gut instincts as a parent. He has 8 children himself, so he's been through about everything personally, so that is a great bonus too! : ) One thing I have grown to love about him came after finding out that my cousin and another friend of mine also take their kids to him. One is very by the book, the other is a bit "crunchy" (extended nursing, delayed vaccinations and skipping some altogether, co-sleeping, etc), while I fall right in the middle-and they both adore him to. It says a lot to me if two people with extremely different parenting styles feel completely respected in their opinions by the same dr!

Good Luck on your search!

Sorry...just noticed you were in Utah so my suggestion probably didn't help! Good Luck!

Do a "meet & greet" - usually this is for free. Ask specially how long their check-ups are scheduled. How busy are they - can you come the same day to check if your little one has an ear infection for example. Do they offer free weight checks with the nurses? Saturday appointments?
And then ask why this office is better than others and why you should use them and not other pediatricians.
The regular check-ups are usually around 10 minutes. Denver West Pediatrics makes 30 minute check-ups but honestly, we barely come out after 60 minutes since we always have so many questions. Not so great for the patients in line behind us, but great for us, no question.

I used to live in South Jordan and we love Jed Vandenberghe. He is very personable, my kids love him (Daughters and son)and he listens to me and my kids. I can call anytime and just ask a question and if my kids need to be seen they will work me in. I live in central Utah but I don't have access to a pediatrician here and they don't work us in. I still take my kids there for their regular check ups and immunizations. I second everything Catey B said. My daughter will be turning 12 and needs a check up and immunizations before the next school year and she asked if we could see him. I think that says a lot. I have had my kids to other doctors with no success and I call him and he tells me the problem over the phone and works me in. Good luck in your search!

I don't know what insurance you have, but he has been on all of ours. We has Blue Cross, Regence Valuecare, and now we have Select Med.

Not sure where you live, but I have two to recommend. First of all, up North in Firestone/Frederick area is Dr. Heinrichs at the Carbon Valley Medical Center. He is awesome and my kids took very well to him. Our pediatrician from when we lived in Arvada is Dr. Gablehouse at Peak Pediatrics, in Wheat Ridge, and her entire staff (only one male doc, I think) is amazing!!! We've even driven an hour to see them for anual check ups.

Good luck!

Here's something some might see at nit-picking, but it makes a big impression on me. . . . I am really turned off by a pediatrician's office that is decorated with formula company logos everywhere, like the paper on the scale or the magazines in the waiting area. Yes, I know the offices get those things for free from company representatives, but I believe the pediatrician should be marketing only good health, not artificial baby milk. Seeing plain scale paper and no formula rags in the waiting area tells me the doctor might actually *be* breastfeeding-friendly, and better able to serve the needs of my breastfed babies, and also that s/he is probably current on other standards of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
I also love my pediatrician because he does not hesitate to refer me to a specialist if there are uncertainties, he does not casually prescribe antibiotics and he asks me a lot of questions to understand my child's baseline normal when something is wrong--I appreciate his respectful attitude that moms know their kids. If I were to interview new pediatricians, I'd ask about antibiotic policies, which vaccine brands they choose to use and why (just to know they have reasons and are not just bargain shopping), when they think babies should start solid food (current AAP recommendations say no sooner than six months of age and with decreased tongue-thrust reflex)), and also where they did their residency, where their hospital privileges are and which child cre books they'd recommend. I think this would give you a good idea of their philosophies. Bedside manner with my child is also important, obviously, but my child will take his cues from me so I need to feel I can trust the doctor's judgment, too.
I would also consider it a major plus if a pediatrician did not perform circumcision, (as mine does not) or is at least comfortable with the care of intact boys. Discussing circumcision is a huge issue, but basically, being flexible on this point tells me the doctor is current with AAP recommendations (they no longer recommend routine infant circumcision and recognize it as a cosmetic procedure) and is respectful of a variety of choices. Doctors who are comfortable with intact, normal boys tend to be lower-intervention in general, and don't resort to the most dramatic solution when a milder treatment will likely work--I find that respectful and conservative.
Good luck, congratulations and good for you for being a proactive mama!

When I was interviewing pediatricians, I went to the internet and found a list of questions to ask. Some I can remember off the top of my head dealt with the way their practice works for after hours calls, clinic hours, scheduling (do they book well & sick visits at different times - or do they have a separate waiting area for sick/well kids), how they handle things if you just have a quick question or aren't sure if you need to come in, how they feel about dispensing antibiotics, how long they've been in practice, etc. I found these lists to be helpful. Even more important than the questions you ask are the non-verbal cues you get from these interviews - Do you feel he listens to you? Do you feel your dynamic with communication is good? Do you like his style? Will he be good with your kids? Will your kids respond well to him & his style? How long did you have to wait to see him for the interview? (That one was huge for me...the doctor I went with got to me about 2 minutes after I hit the office & that's about the extent of my wait when we go to see him...my friend uses the doctor I waited about 20-25 minutes to see - she continues to have that wait when she takes her kids in.) How easy is the reception staff to deal with? Happy hunting! Don't know that you need any recommendations, but we have loved Holladay Pediatrics - very well run clinic with great doctors. I've seen them all at some point and have been impressed with the level of care, knowledge & caring by all of them.

Congrats on your new baby boy!!
I go to a practice that has women and male doctors on staff and my daughter goes to a woman and my son a male Dr there.
At first I wasn't fond of the male Dr, seemed he related well with my son but didn't talk to me as the parent, that has changed now though and I adore him. He is caring, my so adores him and feels comfortable with him. I look for someone that doesn't make me feel foolish for silly mommy worries and makes me feel human not another case seen that day. I want someone that makes my kids understand they are there to help them and feel better.
With my daughter I called constantly and took her for every sniffle (new mommy syndrome) and they always made me feel normal for my worries and helped comfort me and were very exact in instructions, not just doling out anti biotics without real reasons.
With my second I was much more relaxed and both of my kids really have no fear of the Dr. They aren't keen on their vaccination shots but know that they are in good hands and there is a good reason for them. Both have been going there since birth and I am very happy with them.
You need to write down your expectations and interview potential practices like you would a nanny more or less. Before my kids were born we visited several until we found a fit for us.
I asked what after hours service they provide, is someone on call 24 hours a day or does it go to a local hospital (ours goes to childrens hospital first then to the dr on call if needed), do they seperate well baby visits from kids in the office that are sick? (My practice just brings you in right away if you are there for a well check up to prevent contamination and not hanging out waiting with coughing kids or exposure), how often do they clean the toys in the office, heads up to schedule first visits in the day to prevent germ spreading on that one(which I am just vigilant on hand sanitizer if my kids play with the toys there or bring our own). Also meet the PAs as those are the ones to give out shots, take temperatures and so on first before the Dr comes in, make sure they are friendly, patient with little ones too. You will get a good view of how things are just by observing when other patients come in the office. Figure out what you really want out of a practice and go from there!
Good luck! Congrats again. It does help little boys as they get older to see a male doctor, it does for sure. Also they answer more "male" related issues I think easier for boys to discuss, like my son asking "what are these for" pointing to his male parts one day with the Dr present, thankfully he ran interference and talked to my son a little on his level about it! :)

Congratulations on your 2nd child. I have 2 boys myself. I take them to Dr. Jopling at Wasatch Pediatrics. They have 5 or 6 doctors in the clinic. I have seen almost all of them one time or another and they are all really good. I especially like this office because they are open on the weekend for sick visits depending on how many appointments are made. I really like this doctor because he takes the time to listen and answer all my questions and concerns I have for my boys. He is never rushed and at times we have to wait but I know he won't rush me when it is our turn. You might try their offices if they are on your insurance. The doctor office number is ###-###-####. Good Luck!

We go to Idaho Falls Peds. Have been going for almost 8 years. Known Dr Porter sense he first opened(before I had kids). I don't know what questions you should ask. Good Luck.