All These Doctors!

[WishboneDawn]

My kids and I visit an old-fashioned family doctor. The kids don't see pediatricians. They see the same doctor I do. I don't go to an Ob/Gyn unless in the last stages of pregnancy (which I'm coming up on :D). My family doctor does my pap smears and all that stuff. I don't know if this is a Canadian thing or a rural thing but a heck of a lot of people here seems to have peds for their kids and a bunch of different doctors for other things. Am I the only one with the family-doctor-who-does-everything?

[Dobela]

THere are very few doctors in my area that will see the entire family. We are in an area with about 80,000 (in the county). Most general practitioners will refer young patients to a pediatrician until teen years. However, I have family in a very rural area of the same state and they don't have any specialists without driving an hour or so. The kids see the same family doctor as the parents.

[Impish]

My GP sees us all. However, because I'm special :glare: I've more Drs to see than friends.

 

Pathetic.

 

My GP, pain specialist, other specialist, midwife/OB...the list keeps growing. :glare:

 

Here there's a ped that checks baby out before they're discharged from the hospital, that's about the only time we use one. Our family dr is just a lot easier to get into.

[AngieW in Texas]

I've always used a family doctor and all the kids go to that same doctor. My dh has always gone to a different doctor because I prefer a female doctor (and all my kids are girls so they do also) and my dh prefers a male doctor.

 

I did have a separate OB for my first two, but switched to a midwife for my 3rd.

 

My dh has several doctors - his general care doctor, his rheumatologist, and his dermatologist.

 

My youngest has a rheumatologist appointment for later this month. I actually tried to get her an appointment with the rheumatologist my dh goes to because he's very good, but apparently rheumatology is very segregated into under 18yo and 18yo+, so she's seeing a pediatric rheumatologist.

[scrapbookbuzz]

I think it's a matter of preference, really. While my kids have both been seen by a pediatrician, I honestly think that it makes more sense for the whole family to be seen by the same General Practitioner. At least, that's how it was while I was growing up.

[sparrow]

My kids have never had a pediatrician. We've always gone to a family practice, both in our current, rural community and the small city from which we moved. It does seem that most people I know see lots of specialized physicians.

[Plucky]

All my kids go to the same pediatrician, dh sees a dr. in the same practice I go to, I see a nurse practitioner (that I love!) and now a specialized dr. helping me manage my glucose intolerance. Oh, there is the dentist and orthodontist, too. We used to have to see a child psychologist (adhd) but he didn't really do anything to help us and charged a fortune, plus we had to see a horrible foot doctor for my boys' ingrown toenails. His dumb jokes alone got my kids to take better care of their toes. LOL

[Amy loves Bud]

We all go to the same Family Practitioner. I went to an OB for pregnancies. None of us has any medical issues, so I imagine if we had something very complicated our doc would refer us, but we're pretty easy patients.

[LizzyBee]

My kids and I visit an old-fashioned family doctor. The kids don't see pediatricians. They see the same doctor I do. I don't go to an Ob/Gyn unless in the last stages of pregnancy (which I'm coming up on :D). My family doctor does my pap smears and all that stuff. I don't know if this is a Canadian thing or a rural thing but a heck of a lot of people here seems to have peds for their kids and a bunch of different doctors for other things. Am I the only one with the family-doctor-who-does-everything?

 

My kids had a great pediatrician when we lived in Baltimore. When we moved to Raleigh, we couldn't find one we liked. We finally landed in a family practice that we love. We go there for everything, and they refer us to a specialist when necessary. They're the ones who caught my leukemia and they referred me to an oncologist who is reputed to be a "super-genius." The important thing is to have a great doctor whom you trust.

[kesmom]

We use a family doctor for most things. I prefer to use an ob/gyn or midwife for anything "girly" though.

[gardening momma]

I go to a specialist if I think they will know more about my condition than a family practitioner. For example, when I first started having problems with my feet, I went to my family doctor because I thought I might have a stress fracture. They took x-rays and said no, not a fracture. After an examination of my foot they gave a dx and gave me advice to care for it. It only got worse, so I went to a podiatrist, who more accurately diagnosed it. I've been going to her ever since.

[swellmomma]

I grew up with only a family dr. I still have one though mine retired this year and I got bumped to a different one in the practice. My kids have a ped. We got him when ds was born because he was a preemie. If none of my kids had been early we would have just used the family dr. However, given I have had 3 preemies, and the kids have a slew of medical and mental health issues, I really appreciate having a dr that specializes in kids kwim. My family dr does my paps, but because I have high risk pregnancies (6 miscarriages, 3 preemies, 1 c-section) I get referred to an ob/gyn before first trimester is over, again so that I will be in the care of someone who specializes in that stuff. My family dr was fabulous, he was the one that gave my mom her prenatal care and delivered me. He was my Dr for 33 years and was very good at remembering everything about the family not just what was in my file. He would have been great with the kids but I want/need someone more specialized for them.

 

We love our ped so much we kept him even after we moved and now drive 2 hours to go to appts with him.

[TeacherZee]

Well I'm in Sweden and here everyone sees the GP for pretty much everything. Although vaccines and weighing/measuring/hearing/eye tests for kids is usually done by the district nurse (nurse practitioner I think would be the corresponding, it is a specialized nursing degree AFTER you've become a "regular" nurse).

 

I see a midwife for my pap.

 

Specialists, both OB/Gyn and pediatricians are only seen if there is something wrong. I did see a pediatrician when I was a kid because I have lung problems. But if I had a non-lung related problem I saw the GP even as a kid.

 

I like it this way because my GP (although I will be changing in the fall) knows my family really well. They know to take some things seriously because of family history and I don't have to go over things repeatedly, I can just say "well it looks like what mom has" and they know what I'm talking about :D

[TechWife]

In the US, a pediatrician is a primary care doctor for all children, not just difficult cases. Most insurance companies consider them the same as a family practitioner, just specializing in children.

 

It is very expensive for an OB/GYN to buy malpractice insurance. Most family practitioners don't want to care for expectant mothers or deliver because they would have to have the expensive malpractice insurance should something go wrong that could have been prevented. They do well woman care if you want them to do so and they also see children if you want them to.

 

Pediatricians and Family Doctors/General Practitioners are among the lowest paid physicians in the country, from what I understand.

[LidiyaDawn]

My kids and I visit an old-fashioned family doctor. The kids don't see pediatricians. They see the same doctor I do. I don't go to an Ob/Gyn unless in the last stages of pregnancy (which I'm coming up on :D). My family doctor does my pap smears and all that stuff. I don't know if this is a Canadian thing or a rural thing but a heck of a lot of people here seems to have peds for their kids and a bunch of different doctors for other things. Am I the only one with the family-doctor-who-does-everything?

 

bolded: it's a bit of both… in some provinces you can *choose* to have your kids see a paediatrician -- in others, paediatricians only see kids who are referred from a family doc for specific concerns. Some rural areas only have family docs.

 

For us - we have a choice and have stayed with our family doc for pretty much everything. (I saw the "popular" pediatrician with my newbie and didn't like her)

 

I did see an OB halfway through my pregnancy because there was a concern about the baby's heart (which turned out to be fine in the end)…

[mommaduck]

My kids and I visit an old-fashioned family doctor. The kids don't see pediatricians. They see the same doctor I do. I don't go to an Ob/Gyn unless in the last stages of pregnancy (which I'm coming up on :D). My family doctor does my pap smears and all that stuff. I don't know if this is a Canadian thing or a rural thing but a heck of a lot of people here seems to have peds for their kids and a bunch of different doctors for other things. Am I the only one with the family-doctor-who-does-everything?

Nope. We found family doctors to be a better fit for our family. They are more likely to take the entire family's medical history and family situation when making decisions and listening to the family (in our case, this issue is with vaccinations). I've still run into one or two jerks though. One refused to remove a mole from my daughter's back because she wasn't fully vax'd (hello, she had an extreme adverse reaction!).

[The Girls' Mom]

We used to have a great family doc that we all saw for most everything. I went to an OB/Gyn that I had known for years for my girl stuff though. (Our family doc just seemed too much like a friend, a guy friend my age no less, for me to feel comfortable with him in my nether regions :lol:) He was a unique find, and we were very sorry to lose him when we moved.

 

Now we have moved to another state, the girls are older, and we all have different needs from our doctors. The girls now go to a female pediatrician, which I feel is the best fit for them as they go through adolescence. My oldest needs an allergist to deal with her "allergic to air itself" issues. I'm searching for a female DO that will try to treat the CAUSE of my issues instead of whipping out a prescription pad before they even step into the exam room. My dh felt like he needed a male doc that could help him with his pain issues. So now we are the family with 5 different doctors.

[cin]

I go to a specialist if I think they will know more about my condition than a family practitioner. For example, when I first started having problems with my feet, I went to my family doctor because I thought I might have a stress fracture. They took x-rays and said no, not a fracture. After an examination of my foot they gave a dx and gave me advice to care for it. It only got worse, so I went to a podiatrist, who more accurately diagnosed it. I've been going to her ever since.

 

Same here.

 

My MIL had lung problems and, after working with her GP for almost a year, went to a pulmonologist and got 'fixed' in a couple of weeks.

 

Dh had migraines, and the GP pretty much accused DH of being a druggie, because he wanted pain meds for his head. We went to a neurologist who gave DH zomig and had us keep a migraine journal. What a difference!!! DH was able to cut his headaches in half.

 

I had a similar incident with my foot; I was sent to PT where they worked to stretch my Achilles tendon. The pain was getting worse. I FINALLY went to an ortho who specializes in feet, and, looking at the same x-rays, she discovered that I had a bone deformity on the back of my heel. (Haglund's Deformity) The tendon was rubbing against that bump.

 

These are just a few reasons we go to specialists.

[dani3boys]

We use a family doctor for everything, and we go to the Mayo Clinic which is in a city of about 100,000. I have seen a few specialists when necessary, but we don't have any major health issues either.

[chepyl]

We all went to one doctor that we loved when we lived in MO, he delivered my son and did all of his well checks until we moved at 2. Now we have a family practice that we go to, but will go back to my OB if I have another baby. I am not 100% excited about the DR we go to, but we don't go that often right now (once a year unless kiddos are REALLY sick). It is a mile down the road and always easy to get into.

[happypamama]

I prefer a family doctor, or a family doctor practice, anyway. We've just gotten signed up with a family practice. DH knows one of the male doctors, so he chose that one as his; I am currently listed with one of the other male doctors (because that's who had availability at the time), as are our children, but they are adding another female to the practice soon, so when they do, the children and I will switch to her. (We also see the female PA sometimes.) I do use a MW for pregnancy stuff and would prefer to use her for well woman stuff as well, but it depends on what my insurance covers; I'll be due for a Pap test after this baby is born, but I think my insurance will only cover it from the PCP, not the MW. I also use the MW for initial well baby checks, but if she suspected a problem, I'd take the baby to the family doctor (or, depending on the concern, directly to a specialist if the insurance allowed it -- my MW is extremely well-educated and well-qualified, so I'd rank her up there with a Physician's Assistant in terms of knowledge/skill -- if she suspected something, it might not even be worth the stop at the PCP, but maybe better to right to the specialist). I don't necessarily see a need for a specific pediatric practice if the family doctor can handle it all. (Otoh, I LOVED the pediatrician we had before we moved here. DH and I saw a male family practice doc, and he was fine, didn't love nor hate him, but he added a young female pediatrician to his staff right before we had DS1, so we switched both children there from the pediatric-only practice we'd been using for DD. She was so fantastic. The kids saw her, and DH and I saw the male doc, and so the office staff knew our whole family, but they covered for each other for emergencies/weekends/sick visits. That seemed like the best of both worlds.)

Edited July 9, 2011 by happypamama

[prairiewindmomma]

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Edited November 10, 2021 by prairiewindmomma

[G5052]

If you have chronic or specialized needs, it can be tough to find a one-size-fits-all doctor. If you are well and only need to see a doctor a few times a year, of course it is different, but that is not the case for us. We were unable to find a FP or GP that met all of the criteria for everyone in our family. We have found huge differences in the abilities/expertise of primary care doctors.

 

DH and I see the same internist several times a year for chronic issues, and the kids actually see different pediatricians in the same office although they're usually just in for a well check and maybe one sick visit at the most. We initially went with a particular peditrician because of a significant medical issue that only he had a speciality in, but then that resolved (thank you!) and we branched out into different pediatricians when they wanted same-sex doctors because of changing bodies.

[Carrie12345]

I like using professionals who focus on specific areas. I know I can't keep up on every single homeschool trend, so I don't know how I could expect a doctor to keep up on every singe EVERYTHING MEDICAL trend.

[OLG]

Oh, I envy you! One doctor who actually knows you - how special. I think the US has become way to focused on specialization. The human body isn't that compartmentalized. Enjoy your family doc.

[Desert Rat]

My GP refused to do paps. :( I'm thinking of switching my boys to an adult GP because I'm so unhappy with the Ped they've been seeing. (All she wants to discuss is BMIs.)

[Kim in Appalachia]

Just had to jump into this thread and say I think family doc's are the best. :D

 

(happily married to a FP for 19 yrs)

[jamijoy]

We're military and have to do what is set up where we live. Right now the kids have to see a pediatrician. They are not allowed to be seen in the clinic that I have to go to.

 

When we lived in Nebraska, they had a family residency clinic (yes, you see a resident doctor) you could opt to go to and have your whole family seen by the same doctor. We did that because the Women's Clinic that I would have otherwise have to go to did not allow children at the appointments, even simple OB check-ups, which doesn't make sense at a military clinic because there are a ton of young pregnant moms with hubbies deployed.

 

If anything comes up, we have to go see specialty doctors who know more about the issue, which I'm thankful for. The more we go to the doctor, the more I realize how much they don't know that I thought they did (and they sometimes act like they do). Although I am thankful for all that they DO know too. (I don't want to sound too insulting.)

[elise1mds]

I'd love to just have one doctor! My GP won't see kids until they're in their teens, which is just as well since I love our pediatrician. I haven't seen my OB/GYN in over a year in principle, since I think it's ridiculous to go in for a Pap when they've been clean for 11 years in a row and I've been married to the same guy the entire time... and I only get the BCP script for hormone therapy instead of actual birth control. But that's another rant. Our list of specialists is revolting, even to me. We have the ENT who did DS' tonsil and adenoidectomy, DD's ear tubes, and both kids' ear-berry removal. We have DS' pediatric ophthalmologist who did his eye surgery when he was 2 and whom we see every year or two. We have DD's psychiatrist and now her therapist, and I still have DS' psychologist's number in the phone, just in case. We have my eye doctor, and DS is scheduled to see an allergist in another month. We do have one family dentist, which is nice. When DS was born, we had a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, but we only needed him until DS was about six months old and the surgery and recovery were done. I don't even remember his name. Too many danged doctors, I tell you!

[LuvToRead]

My current GP will do paps, but they won't touch a pregnant woman. I say current because I get a new GP yearly. The local practice cannot keep Dr.'s. The nearest hospital that will even deliver a baby is an hour away. So if I have to drive an hour to deliver the baby, I might as well have an established Dr. at said hospital. I started taking my girls to a GP, but he left the practice, and referred me to a ped. I love our pediatrician, and will gladly travel the hour to see her. Also, the local MD's love to prescribe medication.

 

Here's the thing though. Our local Dr.'s office does nothing in the way of tests. They don't even do vax's. So, last time I had a bladder infection, I had to pee in the cup at the Dr's office, then walk to the hospital, be admitted (got a bracelet and everything), go downstairs and hand over cup to lab personnel. This was five days after I had a C-Section. Same scenario with x-rays. If you want a vax, you have to make as separate appointment with health department. At the pediatrician's office, everything is in house. They even have a pharmacy. I'm not someone who feels we need a pediatrician, but it is just easier all around, even though I have to drive farther.

[Wheres Toto]

All three of my kids go to the same pediatricians. It's the same office I've had since my oldest was born and two of the doctors have been there the whole time. I love my pediatricians and kind of dread the thought of finding a new doctor for my oldest.

 

My oldest and I go to the same Ob/Gyn. This is also the same office I've been going to since before oldest dd was born but I no longer see the same doctor from back then. I have some issues that mean I see the gyn yearly. DD has only gone once.

 

DH and I have the same general practitioner. I don't like the guy but don't have the drive to find a new one in our insurance since I don't ever see him unless I'm sick or need to renew my allergy medications.

[dirty ethel rackham]

My family practitioner does everything but OB. He will refer out for specialists when necessary, but he sees the whole family. I just couldn't stand the pediatricians around here. They just don't get breastfeeding, attachment parenting, family bed, positive discipline, etc. They'd be telling me how I was failing on nutrition and I needed to get my kids to eat <insert processed junk here> instead of my whole foods, cooked from scratch, minimally processed stuff.

 

Even the internists were just totally baffled at my lifestyle. They kicker was when it took 6 phone between the internist and the pediatrician and the pharmacist to get me a prescription for an antibiotic when I had mastitis. The both the pediatrician and the internist were telling me I had to wean ds. Like the worst advice EVER! Then they were telling me I had to pump and dump.

 

My family practitioner has a copy of Thomas Hale's Medication and Mother's Milk in his office. No doctor should ever be treating a woman of childbearing age or a child under the age of 3 without it on hand.

[RahRah]

Well, DH is a doc, so you could say we're a bit phobic about docs (seriously!) - I use my OB/Gyn as my primary and the baby had a pediatrician for the first four months (just like DS did), then we moved him to the family doc that also is our DS's primary (really for chart reasons - kids need a doc with a chart just in case) and DH's primary (since DH obviously can't use my OB/Gyn!).

[PIE!]

Family practitioners are awesome! I am biased though – being married to one.

 

One of DH’s complaints about the American health system is the unnecessary specialization. GPs could do a lot of stuff, but with so many specialists around who want to make money, many areas frown upon GPs who don’t just send everyone on to a specialist, rather than saving the specialists for cases that are actually beyond the GP’s abilities.

 

Which is why dh wants to be in a rural practice. He’s in a residency right now that specializes in rural family medicine. If we’re in an area where there are few specialists within reasonable distance, he’ll actually get to practice medicine, instead of just separating out his patients like cattle and shipping them on to specialists. He’ll be seeing adults and kids, delivering babies, doing scopes, and all sorts of stuff.

 

In a city full of specialists you’re much less likely to find a GP who will do all that.

[WishboneDawn]

Just had to jump into this thread and say I think family doc's are the best. :D

 

(happily married to a FP for 19 yrs)

 

So you have no bias, right? :D I do agree though. I love my FP. :D If she delivered babies I'd have her do that too!

[Veritaserum]

We use a family practice doctor. She does OB, but I prefer a midwife, so I don't use my family doc for that. I have a neurologist and an endocrinologist as well. Dd11 has an additional doctor that specialized in ADHD. Dd9 has a ped. neurologist.

[HomeschoolingMy4]

We use a family dr for everyone for general stuff, they don't do ob but will do general gyn stuff- paps, etc, but I prefer the midwife for those. Some of my kids and I have a need for specialists. Two of my kids see a ped gastro. My son sees a ped endo. I've seen everyone from a gastro to cardiologist for specific reasons. But for general sickness, we all see one dr.

[jelbe5]

I have been seeing my doctor for over 25 years. It is a bit of a drive since our last move but I like my doctor and it is worth it to me. He does my physical and my female exams.My kids see a DO who is about 15 minutes from my house. We gave up on peds a few years ago. If/when my doctor retires I will probably go to the doctor my children see.

[Melinda]

Well...

 

My kids go to a pediatrician.

 

I have a GP, an OB/Gyn, a perinatologist, a perinatal hematologist, a pain specialist, a vascular doctor, and a regular hematologist. I think that's it...haha I would MUCH rather have just a GP, though.

[AnitaMcC]

My kids and I visit an old-fashioned family doctor. The kids don't see pediatricians. They see the same doctor I do. I don't go to an Ob/Gyn unless in the last stages of pregnancy (which I'm coming up on :D). My family doctor does my pap smears and all that stuff. I don't know if this is a Canadian thing or a rural thing but a heck of a lot of people here seems to have peds for their kids and a bunch of different doctors for other things. Am I the only one with the family-doctor-who-does-everything?

 

 

It depends...

 

My kids pretty much only see their pediatrician (primary doctor) 98% of the time. If they need a specialist then they go to one.

 

Dd sees an orthopedist, chiropractor, and PT/massage therapist to treat her leg/hips disorder. Her condition is chronic and a primary doctor can't/won't do the treatments she needs.

Ds#2 had to see a cardiologist once to check a murmur when he was 3yrs old. He also had to see a urologist and needed surgery when he was 9yrs old.

Ds#3 had to see an ENT for hearing issues from birth and he had surgery at 10months. He also needed physical therapy to learn to balance, crawl, stand, walk. He also had to have speech therapy for a little over a year until he was 3yrs old. All this was related to his ears though.

 

Their pediatrician takes care of all their routine needs and treats their asthma and allergies and monitors/manages what goes on with the specialists.

 

Me, I am another story but then again my doctors are in the Veterans Administration Hospitals and they pretty much specialize everything. And my kids are not allowed to go there. I see my primary doctor once a year and usually she does the PAP. I went to GYN when I had issues that needed treatment that went beyond primary doctor. I see my asthma/allergy doctor every 2-3 months. I see a cardiologist once a year, endocrinologist once a year (as I take prednisone for my asthma). And then add in my lab and other tests that have to be done once a year.