At what age does your child stop seeing a pediatrician?

[Mimm]

I really like our pediatrician and she's great with my girls. My oldest just turned 12 and she is seeming more and more grown up these days. I'm wondering when you switch to a regular doctor? I'm not even sure who I would take them to. My doctor is a man and I'm pretty sure they'd feel more comfortable with a woman.

[Butter]

My kids have always seen our family doctor.

[AimeeM]

I know our pediatrician sees children well into their teens/late teens...

My sisters saw their pedi until they were around 18 I think.

[JFSinIL]

Our pediatrician STILL sees my kids, ages 21, 19 and almost 17 :-) when the girls re ready for "that" exam I will switch them to my female doctor at a family practice. I might add - unlike the family practice hubby and I use, the ped. will see a sick kid the same day! After two decades, the man truly knows my kids and their health history.

[Joker]

I switched both dds to our family doctor when they were about 8 and 10 years old.

[Joker]

I might add - unlike the family practice hubby and I use, the ped. will see a sick kid the same day!

 

I find this funny. One of the reasons we switched is because it was easier to get into the family doctor on the same day. The ped would try but we would end up waiting hours.

[Parrothead]

Dd was 4. Then at 12she was able to see a ped. At 13 the ped left the practice so she is seeing a family doctor now.

[LadyR]

Dd had her last visit at 19. It was a sad parting. She loved and trusted her doctor.

[Orthodox6]

Normally, patients leave pediatric practices when they turn eighteen.

 

As our pediatric group practice has both men and women doctors, we see the woman for DD, and saw the men for DSs. If the illness for which help has been sought did not include any modesty issues, the kids have seen whoever had space available.

 

As an adult, I see women doctors for female issues, urology, etc. Men or women for whatever else. When DD turns eighteen, I'll follow this same course.

[Erin]

I've never lived in a populated enough area to ever meet a pediatrician...

 

My kids see our FP.

[Koerarmoca]

Dd14 still sees the Ped. When she isn't comfy with it anymore we will switch to a FP

[Ravin]

My DD's pediatrician died a couple of years ago, so since around the time DS was born, they've gone to a family doc (same one I go to). I find it's just easier to have us all under the same roof, as it were, and I'm very picky about doctors so having found an FP I liked, it was easier to switch the kids to her than hunt for another ped with whom I would be satisfied.

[Whereneverever]

My SN kid sees a ped as part of a team and my others see a FP.

[Lady Florida.]

Ds will probably stay with his until he's 18. They know him well there, so I don't see a reason to go elsewhere. I did once ask our doctor if he would see him (his office is much closer than the ped.) but he doesn't see anyone under 18.

[bettyandbob]

ds is 18. I guess it's time to find a new doctor for him.

[kewb]

I think a pediatrician can treat kids until age 21. I imagine most start making the switch in their teen years. I love my ped so I see no reason to switch them over at this time.

[Pawz4me]

The boys' pediatrician says he will continue seeing kids through college if they want. Personally, although I really like the ped, I'd be happy if my boys were willing to switch to a family doctor now. But at 14 and 17 they're still happy seeing the ped.

[nmoira]

We've always had a family doctor. The two times I was at a pediatrician's office, it was full of sick, snotty (literally) kids. No thanks!

[Alice]

We see people in our office up to age 21. I think most pediatricians will do the same. I generally tell people it should be up to the teen. If they are feeling like “hey, I don’t want to be in a waiting room with babies and an exam room with teddy bears†than they may be more comfortable moving to a family practice doctor. Most Internal Medicine doctors will not see patients under the age of 18 so if they are younger than 18 it has to be peds or FP. If they are between 18-21 they could move to a FP or an Internist. Some kids are embarrassed by being at the pediatrician and more comfortable switching. But I also see a fair amount that feel like we know them and have known them for a long time and they would just rather see someone they know.

 

I find that most kids transition sometime in college. A lot of times they come in to see us for the college physical and think it’s the last time. Then they might be home on break and have a sore throat and we’ll see them that day but they would be a new patient elsewhere so they come see us. Then eventually they start going somewhere at their college or they transition to a different doctor. We have a few every year that are 21 and that we have to tell it’s time to move on. :) The last one I saw was an incredibly nice and smart 21 year old male who I’ve followed for many years. I told him I’d love to have him come by and visit our office and keep us up to date on his progress (he’s pre-med) but that he’d be better served finding a new doctor. (This also illustrates that for some people they really don’t care if it’s a same-gender doctor or not.)

 

Basically...from our perspective there isn’t any hard and fast rule. It’s what families and teens are most comfortable with.

[Alice]

Adding one thing...you could ask your doctor what ages they see. I think a lot of times people are surprised that we see teens and especially older teens because they don’t see them in our offices as much as the little kids. The reasons for that are multifactorial: some teens have moved to an “adult†doc because they feel more comfortable, teens get sick less than babies/preschoolers, and when teens do get sick they are less likely to come in to the office. A parent of a 6 month old with a cold will often bring them in “just to make sureâ€. That same parent will not likely bring in that same kid with a cold at age 16.

[tkdkidsmom]

My oldest is 22 and we have had the same Ped. He still hasn't switched to a FP doc. The last time ds was sick they still gave him an appt. No waiting, never any snotty kids in the waiting room (they go right to the sick visit exam room). All these years he never overbooks himself.

[mom2scouts]

My kids continue to see the pediatrician until age 18. We live near a boarding school and our pediatrician is the official doctor for all the teenagers at the boarding school, so it's not uncommon to see teens as well as babies/toddlers.

[Tita Gidge]

We've always done a family doctor, but my sister-in-law was still seeing her (and DH's) pediatrician through her college years. She only transitioned when she moved away from the area. She felt comfortable with him, and I think my in-laws appreciated the doctor's familiarity with their children. She felt most comfortable with him for her first few gyn exams, but did start seeing an OB/GYN once she became s&xually active (in addition to the ped, whom she saw for everything else.) The two doctors weren't in the same practice, but were in the same building so sharing records and whatnot wasn't difficult.

[Mimm]

Thanks, it sounds like I've got several years yet before I need to find her a family doctor. I like them seeing a doctor they have a history and relationship with.

[DianeW88]

We see people in our office up to age 21. I think most pediatricians will do the same. I generally tell people it should be up to the teen. If they are feeling like “hey, I don’t want to be in a waiting room with babies and an exam room with teddy bears†than they may be more comfortable moving to a family practice doctor. Most Internal Medicine doctors will not see patients under the age of 18 so if they are younger than 18 it has to be peds or FP. If they are between 18-21 they could move to a FP or an Internist. Some kids are embarrassed by being at the pediatrician and more comfortable switching. But I also see a fair amount that feel like we know them and have known them for a long time and they would just rather see someone they know.

 

I find that most kids transition sometime in college. A lot of times they come in to see us for the college physical and think it’s the last time. Then they might be home on break and have a sore throat and we’ll see them that day but they would be a new patient elsewhere so they come see us. Then eventually they start going somewhere at their college or they transition to a different doctor. We have a few every year that are 21 and that we have to tell it’s time to move on. :) The last one I saw was an incredibly nice and smart 21 year old male who I’ve followed for many years. I told him I’d love to have him come by and visit our office and keep us up to date on his progress (he’s pre-med) but that he’d be better served finding a new doctor. (This also illustrates that for some people they really don’t care if it’s a same-gender doctor or not.)

 

Basically...from our perspective there isn’t any hard and fast rule. It’s what families and teens are most comfortable with.

 

I agree. My ped sees kids until 21. My dd loves her ped and doesn't want to stop seeing him (she's 20). However, she's getting married this summer, and I told her that married women can no longer go to a pediatrician. She's crushed. LOL

 

BTW, parents, when your child turns 18, you are not allowed switch their doctor on your own. 18 year olds are adults, and the office will no longer speak to you if you call in and try to do that. All medical information with regard to your child must be handled personally by them (unless there are extenuating circumstances like special needs). We will not give out any medical or personal information regarding teens 18 or older to their parents unless the teen comes into the office and signs a paper allowing us to do so. If they don't, their records, test results, and health information are off limits to you.

[Wheres Toto]

My 19 year old still sees the pediatrician she's had since birth, but she also recently started seeing my gyn. She is interested in finding a new general doctor but we haven't had the chance since she's been away at college. My general doctor (who I don't like) is a man so she doesn't want to go to him.

[TravelingChris]

First of all, many doctors don't want to see kids or teens, even specialists. My oldest saw pediatricians until he was 14 and then a mix of pediatricians and Internal med (but we were then overseas). My two others have been seeing adolescent doctors for at least part of their teens. It is hard for me to keep it straight because my two youngest have seen so many specialists. I think middle saw pediatricians until we moved to VA when she was 15 and started going to an adolescent specialist. She is 19.5 and though we moved, she started seeing the adolescent doctor here when she was just about to turn 18 and is still her patient. Her younger sister also was going to the same adolescent specialist and she was 12. But the reason I was confused was because youngest was almost always either seeing specialists or going to sick call during that 2.5 years we spent in No. VA. (She had fifth disease, hand, foot and mouth disease, and mono in that time)

 

None of the adolescent specialists forced anything on us, either here or in VA. The adolescent doctor here recommends the HPV shot but understood when we said no for older dd because of blood clot concerns. We still haven't decided on youngest and will let her research and make the choice before she graduates.

[Susan in TN]

My oldest saw the pediatrician until he was about 13yo and taller than the dr. Now, none of my kids see a pediatrician. We all go to a general practitioner - I have finally found one that I really like, is nearby, and covered by our insurance :hurray: .

[happypamama]

All of mine see our family doctor (who is my doctor as well); she's a young female, and I picked her because *I* prefer females myself, and also because I thought a younger doctor would probably be more comfortable with my slightly less than mainstream ideas. She is. :) If/when my boys have a concern about seeing a female doctor (my oldest son is 8), I can switch them to one of the male doctors in the practice (one of whom is technically DH's doctor, though he's only seen him like once). I really like the idea of a family doctor; I've had some great pediatricians, but I prefer the idea of continual care and whole-family approach that a family doctor provides. (And thus far, ours has been fantastic about small-kid issues -- I've had no problem getting her to okay the specialists I wanted for allergies and speech therapy, and when our DS3 had a heart murmur as an infant, she jumped on it and got us the echocardiogram to confirm that it was benign.)

[KrissiK]

The ages of mine are in my siggy and we all see my GP.mostly because the only decent ped in town went to work for Children's Hospital. I think a pediatrician is good when a child is really young and/or may have health problems, but my kids are all extremely healthy and developmentally on target, so out GP is good enough.

[Pippen]

Our ped sees kids through high school graduation, whatever age that is. It's hard to get into a GP in my area so here people aren't quick to jump to adult or family doctors early.

[Georgiana Daniels]

Our oldest pretty much saw the family doctor exclusively. The littles have been going to the pediatrician but after no one in the office could tell us how much a nurse visit would cost, we switched. At ages 7 and 8, I think our kids will be fine :)

[umsami]

There are actually adolescent medicine specialists...which you could always seek out.

 

My pediatrician will see them through high school graduation... so that's what will do hopefully.

[Shawn On the Border]

My boys will go to the pediatrician until they are 18. I feel that they are up on shot recommendations, etc. If I had a really great doctor myself I might reconsider.

[momofkhm]

I really like our pediatrician and she's great with my girls. My oldest just turned 12 and she is seeming more and more grown up these days. I'm wondering when you switch to a regular doctor? I'm not even sure who I would take them to. My doctor is a man and I'm pretty sure they'd feel more comfortable with a woman.

 

 

I switched my girls when they asked. For oldest that was 17. Middle figured out that she needed to say something, so for her it was 16. Youngest (boy) was switched cause I like everyone at the same place.

 

We all go to the same practice but the girls (and me) see a female doctor and son sees a man.

[Cinder]

Mine are still at the ped, even the 18yo. We'd been talking about switching him to a family practice doc but at his last appt his ped mentioned they now see patients up to 22yo. So we haven't moved him yet. He's been seeing my dc for 8 years now and we're comfortable there.

[LostSurprise]

Since late elementary/preteen, I've told them they have the option to switch. We have a female ped. tho, and 4 boys. It has more to do with when they feel uncomfortable or shy during exams and would prefer a male FD.

 

Oldest asked to change last year (13) and saw his father's doctor. The 12 year old chose to stay.

[dancer67]

My daughter will be 21 in November. She will not leave until her 21st birthday. I don't blame her. You call the ped Dr. and things get DONE. If she is sick, she goes on same day. Out in the "adult" world, you do not get that kind of quick treatment. Waiting days sometimes for an appt. She is sad to leave. I have one more to go, she is 14. She will not leave either until she is 21.

[TheApprentice]

I'll take them to the pediatrician until they are 18. That's when our Pediatrician stop seeing kids. My 15 year old just went this past December.