As a parent, the pediatrician is one of the most important healthcare professionals you’re ever going to deal with. Your relationship will start from the moment you conceive your baby right through the developmental stages leading to puberty. Whenever your baby falls ill or has developmental problems such as bed-wetting or thumb-sucking, he or she is the person you trust to remedy the situation. In every sense of the word, the pediatrician plays a central role in your child’s health and growth. So, how does one find a reputable and trustworthy pediatrician?

Seek Referrals from Family

One of the easiest ways of finding a good pediatrician is to seek referrals from family members. Senior members of your family can aptly recommend a good pediatrician who has successfully handled their children’s health.  They have experience dealing with pediatricians and can direct you to clinics that offer the best pediatric care in town. Better still, you can ask your physician for recommendations. Most physicians network with other healthcare professionals. They are in a good position to recommend a good pediatrician to you.

Check Credentials

According to Prime Urgent Care (http://www.primeuc.com), every time you shop for a pediatrician, it’s advisable to check their credentials. Pediatricians attend medical school and go for at least 3 years of residency in pediatrics or family medicine. Thereafter, the majority of them take a certification test that is administered by the American Board of Pediatrics. Candidates who pass become board certified to practice as pediatricians. The majority of pediatricians display their credentials on their office walls.

Schedule a Meeting

Before you hire a pediatrician, it’s advisable to arrange a face-to-face meeting or interview. A pediatrician may be suitably qualified but doesn’t feel like the right person for you. Just like other health professionals, pediatricians have their own backgrounds, personalities, work styles, and attitudes which define them. It’s really important for you to probe about their experiences and how they work, and most importantly, how they deal with patients.

Seek Reviews and Testimonials

Whenever you’re shopping for a pediatrician, it’s advisable to find out what other parents think or feel about their services. More and more parents are coming out and sharing their experiences with pediatricians. The majority of them give useful insights into the work practices, experiences, and attitudes of their pediatricians. Whatever it is you want to know, you can rest assured that you’ll find out about it from happy or disgruntled parents. You can tell easily whether a pediatrician acts professionally and puts the interests of patients above personal ones.

Use Your Intuition

Once you have singled out prospective pediatricians, you should let your intuition guide you on who to work with and who not. Reflect on what you know about the pediatricians and assess your feelings toward them. Do you have any confidence in them? Do you feel that they will have a healthy bond with your baby or kid and build a good rapport with you? If your gut feeling leans on the contrary, you can step back and look for another pediatrician.

Bottom Line:

Finding the right pediatrician can mean the difference between safeguarding your child’s health and putting the child’s health in the wrong hands. When shopping for a pediatrician, it’s advisable that you seek referrals from trusted members of the family as well as your physician. Take time to check a pediatrician’s credentials and arrange a face-to-face meeting so that you can interview them. We highly recommend that you seek testimonials or reviews about specific pediatricians and use your intuition to make the final decision.