New trend with pediatricians?

[TranquilMind]

On the topic of stupid questions at a pedi office.... When my ds was not even 48 hours old we went to the pedi for his newborn checkup. The nurse/medical assistant asked what hospital he was born in. I told her he was born at home and not in a hospital. She said, "Oh, at home? Okay," and wrote it down. Her very next question was, "Was it a vaginal birth or a c-section?"

 

:smilielol5:

 

I stared at her and couldn't respond for a moment. Then said, "Well, seeing how I was at home it was a vaginal birth." 

That's the funniest thing I read all day.

[Alice]

To the OP...were they young pediatricians? My guess would be that they were fairly young, or recently out of training and/or don’t have kids of their own. You do learn those kinds of questioning techniques in med school and residency. Although I remember learning them more related to adults and not in pediatrics. “How many cigarettes do you smoke a day?†will usually get you an answer a lot less than “How much do you smoke? A pack a day?†The latter will have someone say...â€OH NO! More like half a pack.†The former question will get you “Not that much, a couple of cigarettes.â€

 

Fresh out of residency I was much more likely to go down a list of questions in my head and “check-off†all the topics we are “supposed†to cover. Now that I’ve been practicing longer I’m less likely to do that. I have more relationships with patients and I’ve developed my own style which is a little more hands-off than other pediatricians. I also have learned since having my own kids that there is more than one way to do things and that not everything works for every kid. But that takes a while to learn. If they were newer docs than you might want to give gentle feed-back, it’s the best way for us to learn. 

[Wheres Toto]

That would tick me off big time. Unless they are x-raying her belly, and even if they aren't, it's no hardship to put a lead apron over her for x-rays and there's some logic to doing it regardless. And it's not like pregnant women don't still get their kidney infections treated.

 

Ugh. That's nothing but cya insurance hyping up the bill.

 

Yes, pregnant women still get treated.  But the methods of treatment aren't always exactly the same.

 

They did still put the lead apron on her.  We didn't have insurance for her latest visit and they didn't charge us for the pregnancy test.

 

I had to have x-rays when I was 11 weeks pregnant with my youngest.  I had a severe break of my wrist due to a car accident (air bag deployed).  Being pregnant, especially that early in pregnancy, changed almost everything about my treatment.  They couldn't do all the tests they wanted to do, they couldn't give the first medication they wanted to, they ended up deciding against surgery that they might have done otherwise.  My wrist still gives me trouble and is not completely right but better that then something wrong with my daughter.  

 

It can make a difference.  I'd rather they do the test if there's any chance.

[*Michelle*]

They were both younger. One was pregnant with her first child; the other didn't mention if she had kids or not. Our regular doctor has four older kids, so I'm sure that factors in to how laid-back she is. :)

 

[Joanne]

I think the content behinf the questions is appropriate.

 

The *style* obnoxious. I am at the point where I would say so "dr, this communication style insults and frustrates me. I am more than happy to answer any direct questions you may have about health, safety, or nutrition."