Pediatrician vs Family Practice Doctor: Update #70

[ktgrok]

It turns out my regular family doctor sees children from infant on up. I had no idea. They are closer, there is never a long wait (pediatricians office takes FOREVER), and the waiting room seems way less germ ridden.

 

I'm going to take the kids next week for well visits to see how it goes before I make any decisions. I also need to make sure that they will go along with a slightly delayed vaccine schedule, as I like to split them up rather than do several at one visit. 

 

Any big reasons I should stick with the pediatrician instead?

 

 

Edited July 5, 2016 by ktgrok

[freesia]

I love using s family physician for the whole family. In Canada, mine even handled my first two pregnancies. I feel it helps that he knows the whole family medically. Now, I have to admit the my two youngest see a ped instead of our FP, but that's bc I found the ped first after we moved and needed a vaccination right away for camp and I LOVE her. But if she leaves the practice. I'll move them right over.

[Momling]

I like having the same doctor (family practice) for everyone in the family. I remember as a young teen how humiliating I felt sitting in a pediatrician's office and I'm happy that our family doctor can take us from cradle to grave (theoretically anyway). I also like that if they need to, my teenaged daughters will be able to get guidance about birth control and other adolescent health issues by a person who has known them since toddlerhood and knows our family. We are all healthy and when necessary have seen specialists... But for everyday stuff, I love our family practice doctor.

[OH_Homeschooler]

We switched over to a family doctor due to insurance changes, and it's been nice. No regrets! He will refer out whenever he feels a specialist should see something, just like our pediatrician did. But he can handle most of the minor things that come up.

[Mama Geek]

We've moved around a fair bit and I haven't met one pediatrician that I liked, I have found family practices that I do like though.  I don't see anything wrong with it.

[Ottakee]

We love family practice, esp a nurse practitioner at a family practice. I have 5 kids, all with various special needs but use family practice for most stuff and specialists as needed.

 

I love being in the same office, staff knows our whole family, etc.

[MEmama]

DS had a pediatrician until he was 5 and has seen a GP since then. He and DH have the same doctor, I go to a woman. ;)

 

From 5-8 we all had the same doctor; IIRC there were no paediatricians available in our remote corner of Canada so we just switched him over. When we came back to the States it seemed silly to get a pediatrician for an 8 yo. We big puffy heart his GP and are super glad that's who he will stick with through the teenage years.

[Guest]

We switched from a normal pediatrician to ANPs who do family practice in conjunction with our midwifery practice. They do great and are my primary care doctors outside of birth too. They're great about referring if there is any question (like my son was referred to a pediatric urologist to check him out on something we had been watching for a few appointments and it turned out to be nothing - but I'm glad we went in yesterday and verified).

 

They're less expensive than pediatricians and for kids who aren't dealing with complex congenital conditions or environmental issues that would impact their health, like FAS or birth injuries, it's an excellent option. For a kid who needs more specialized care I'd use a pediatrician but we have been very happy with the family practice for our standard care the last two years.

[Seasider]

My kids switch over to FO doc at 12-14 years. I like that we all can go to the same practice. that reminds me, time to make sure the older ones have HIPPA paperwork giving me permission to call the office on their behalf.

[Tess in the Burbs]

If I questioned the pediatrician they got mad. The family dr answered my questions. East switch and no regrets. I find the family dr is quick to refer to specialist when they don't know things.

[lovinmyboys]

A lot of people prefer family practice doctors because of reasons listed up thread. I, however, personally know two people whose kids were not treated correctly because the family practice doc didn't understand pediatrics well enough. I would say if your child never has any serious issues, a family practice dr would be fine. But you don't know if they will have serious issues. I would be more comfortable with an older child going to a family practice dr, but I prefer a ped for infants and toddlers.

 

I have lived in three different cities and have always found a pediatrician I loved. If I couldn't find a good one, then I would be willing to go to a family practice dr. But I would keep searching for a good pediatrician first.

[LucyStoner]

We intended to go to our family doctor clinic, the same one who handled the prenatal care when I was pregnant with my 13 year old. Then the affiliated hospital screwed us over so much at and after his birth that I just refused to take him anywhere with the same name on the sign. Also it was a lot of residents so you got new providers every couple of years. We found a pediatrician. When we moved we found a new, rockstar pediatrician and we never switched to anything else. Besides holding impressive credentials and being incredibly skilled, he's a very amicable, laid back person who is never judgmental or pushy and he supports parents and kids well.

 

We'd be open to a family practice or ARNPs but we have zero reasons to switch. I recommend him to everyone looking for a ped around here and all my friends and family who use him are similarly impressed.

[Spryte]

We started with a family practice doc, but at two weeks old, DS had issues - we switched to a pedi and never looked back. She is simply more knowledgeable about kids' issues.

[Seeking Squirrels]

My girls both go to a pediatrician. But we LOVE her and also really love the usual on-call doc for kids-care in the evening and like the other docs at the practice too. On the other hand I have yet to find a FP that I care for much more than "eh, you'll do". I have one doc that I usually see if he's available, so I guess he's my primary doc, but I'm not really fussed when I have to see someone else. And I've seen plenty of others to try to find a really good one. So I have a hard time looking at it objectively and just think "No way, pediatrician for sure!" But I realize there must be family practice docs out there just as good as our pediatricians ;) so in that case I don't know that it matters!

[The Girls' Mom]

I made the switch when my girls were very small, and never regretted it.  The family doctor can be much more in touch with family history/issues.  Plus, the convenience is great when something like strep blows through the entire family.  

 

I did end up briefly going back to ped when we moved out of state for a while.  The girls were all just beginning puberty, and I found a female ped. to avoid some uncomfortableness of a new male doc.  Plus, we hadn't found a family doctor yet.  We are back to a family doc now. 

[happypamama]

I love our family doctor! She sees everyone from my newborns to me. DH sees another doctor in the same practice (he prefers a male, and if the boys decide they prefer a male as well, I'll switch them to DH's doc). I love that I don't get complaints from teens about going to a babyish office, and there's no talking down to the kids like some peds-only places can do. (Otoh, my big two refuse to go to the peds-only division of the dentist but go happily to the adults-only division.). But at the same time, the office is very sweet to the little ones, but without all the germy toys! (They have books.). I have found her to be very knowledgeable about pediatric care, and she's been very quick to refer out when either she or I have a concern. She heard my one newborn's heart murmur and made sure it got checked out. I think it is good when a doctor knows when she's not the expert and also when she takes Mom's concerns seriously. Maybe a family doc is more likely to do that, without having too much of a "God complex? because they know they don't specialize in peds-only? I don't know. Otoh, it's possible that a ped could handle stuff that maybe a family doc would refer out for, so ymmv. I had a really fantastic ped with my first baby, but when we moved, we ended up with a so-so ped group; after a while, my (reasonably decent) family doc added a ped to his practice, and so we switched to her and loved her, until we moved up here, where I found a family practice for the convenience, and I've been really pleased.

 

I've found it useful that I don't have to explain everything all the time. She knows my health history and lifestyle, so she can keep tabs on anything that might be a concern for the kids, but she also knows, because she's my children's doctor, that I am a homeschooling mother, so my personal challenges may be different from someone else's (i.e. it's hard to find time to exercise).

 

Plus, it's just easier to have one office to deal with. We all see the same eye doctor too. Also, because the kids have seen ME go to the doctor and get my BP checked and all of that, they've seen me be comfortable with the doctor and nurse.

Edited June 29, 2016 by happypamama

[SparklyUnicorn]

I really like the idea, but I haven't yet tried it out.  I keep hesitating for some reason.  I guess because I found a ped I really like and it's hard for me to like any doctor.

 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

We always did family physicians....except with our preemie who had a variety of complications. Our family physician wasn't comfortable doing that child's care until things stabilized.  We moved and now everyone is back with a pediatrician. What I do like about this particular doctor is that he manages asthma and some other things that previously we'd had to go see specialists for.  It really comes down to the doctor and what they are able to offer.  For kids, I want someone who can run labs, do stitches/gluing, and who is on it with re: developmental delays.

[ktgrok]

Lots to think about. It's harder, because I used to always see the same nurse practitioner at this family practice, and she's left, so we will be seeing a new one. I figure my kids are currently healthy, I need them just to have a check up, they each need a vaccine, oldest may need some meds for his acne again. So this is a low key way to see them. I can also find out while we are there if I like the new nurse practitioner (LOVE LOVE LOVE the old one) and if they are okay with delayed vaccines, homebirth babies, etc. If they freak, we'll just go back to the pediatrician. 

[happypamama]

Lots to think about. It's harder, because I used to always see the same nurse practitioner at this family practice, and she's left, so we will be seeing a new one. I figure my kids are currently healthy, I need them just to have a check up, they each need a vaccine, oldest may need some meds for his acne again. So this is a low key way to see them. I can also find out while we are there if I like the new nurse practitioner (LOVE LOVE LOVE the old one) and if they are okay with delayed vaccines, homebirth babies, etc. If they freak, we'll just go back to the pediatrician.

Mine is completely fine with both of these things, but of course, ymmv. I think that sounds like a great way to get to see a potential new practitioner in action, with an uncomplicated checkup.

[Janie Grace]

I have used both and in my experience, FP docs are way more open-minded and way more willing to talk to you like an intelligent adult. I much prefer them. 

 

Also, our whole family struggled with recurrent strep last year. It was so nice that they could culture and treat us all in one place, keeping track of who was testing negative vs. positive after treatment (both kids AND parents) and identifying the asymptomatic carrier. It really felt like holistic family care, if that makes sense.

[Caroline]

My pediatricians have privileges at our children's hospital. They come check on their patients every day if they are in the hospital. When my DD was in the PICU and I was very sick and pregnant, our pediatrician called my OB's office and then it me on an IV and zofran right there in the PICU so I didn't have to leave DD. We were there for a week, and whenever I needed it, the pediatricians treated me, too. I love our pediatricians.

[Tangerine]

I love having one practice for the whole family. Love love love it.

 

Eta: My doctor has hospital privileges, and came to see both me and my newborn.

Edited June 29, 2016 by Tangerine

[DesertBlossom]

I had a fallout with a previous pediatrician over intact care. I switched all my kids over to our family practice doctor. We so rarely go to the doctor anyway, but it's nice that we all can go to the same place.

[TranquilMind]

It turns out my regular family doctor sees children from infant on up. I had no idea. They are closer, there is never a long wait (pediatricians office takes FOREVER), and the waiting room seems way less germ ridden.

 

I'm going to take the kids next week for well visits to see how it goes before I make any decisions. I also need to make sure that they will go along with a slightly delayed vaccine schedule, as I like to split them up rather than do several at one visit. 

 

Any big reasons I should stick with the pediatrician instead?

 

Not in my book.  Family doctors are a superior choice in my view because they know not only that kid, but everyone in the family.  They know the health history.  My kids are third generation. 

 

There is always a lot of room in the waiting room, so you can get far away from everyone if someone is hacking or if you are the one who needs to stay away from them.  If you are well, but simply need to be seen for some growth or something, then you can sit in another area entirely. 

 

Only one time in the last 20 years could I not get in for a same day appointment if I called right when they opened, and there were a lot of people who had flu that year so they sent us to a med check (we did not have the flu). 

Edited June 29, 2016 by TranquilMind

[TranquilMind]

I had a fallout with a previous pediatrician over intact care. I switched all my kids over to our family practice doctor. We so rarely go to the doctor anyway, but it's nice that we all can go to the same place.

 

Ok, I have to ask - what is intact care?  Is this about not circumcising (and ped disagreed with that)?  Just curious. 

[wendyroo]

Also, our whole family struggled with recurrent strep last year. It was so nice that they could culture and treat us all in one place, keeping track of who was testing negative vs. positive after treatment (both kids AND parents) and identifying the asymptomatic carrier. It really felt like holistic family care, if that makes sense.

 

Our pediatrician does this.  She always gives me my flu shot when I am in with the kids and once when I brought the kids in with strep she tested me too.

 

We love our pediatrician.  She is very in touch with my kids' issues - asthma, reoccurring croup, autism, ADHD, etc.  She always knows just how to talk to the kids - not dumbing down issues, but respectfully discussing them in age-appropriate terms and not being flustered by any topics or questions.  She also takes an exam room full of kids in stride - she isn't distracted by a bit of chaos and she really focuses when she talks to the kids and takes the time to respond to them even if it isn't at all medically relevant.

 

My GP (who also does my OB), on the other hand, is great for me, but not what the kids need quite yet.  He and I are both no-nonsense, efficient people - I come in having already researched my problem and preferred solution and he quickly either agrees or lays out the facts that cause him to disagree.  He acknowledges that I am capable of having intelligent opinions about my own body, I acknowledge that he is the medical professional, and we usually reach a mutually agreeable plan in short order.

 

OTOH, my GP gets easily flustered when I have to bring the kids to one of my appointments.  When I had to get a pap smear done his nurse insisted on closing the exam room curtain so that Spencer (9 months at the time and in a stroller) could not see the procedure.   :blink:  And when I was pregnant with Audrey, and therefore talking to the kids about reproduction, Elliot (4) asked the doctor at one of my prenatal visits if he, Elliot, had sperm in him and the doctor seemed rattled and ignored the question.   :confused:  It seemed like a valid medical question to me.

 

Wendy 

[ktgrok]

Oh, just remembered. My son has two weird ...things....on his back. Best guess I can come up with is mollascum. Would a GP recognize that, or it is just a kid thing?

[Rachel]

I think there are advantages to either type of practice. On the one hand the pediatrician is more up to date on current standards and less usual illnesses. They staff are better equipped to know how to interact with children and at my pediatric clinic, the exam rooms are big enough to accommodate me and my kids. I really like that if my pediatrician isn't available, another one usually can still see my children the same day. They are open every single day except Christmas (but they do rounds at the hospital on Christmas Day).

 

I think the right family doctor could be just as good. For right now I'm very happy with my pediatrician, if she retires, I'll likely switch my kids to the family practice where I go. I see a fabulous nurse practitioner, but she doesn't work full time and I don't think the two doctors in her practice are as good with young kids.

 

With a different family practitioner I used to see, it was difficult to get same day appointments. My friend who took her children there sometimes had to wait two to three days to get her children seen. It would bother me if I had a young child with a high fever or something that didn't really require an ER visit but I was referred there anyway.

[Rachel]

Oh, just remembered. My son has two weird ...things....on his back. Best guess I can come up with is mollascum. Would a GP recognize that, or it is just a kid thing?

I think a GP would recognize it.

[Tangerine]

Ok, I have to ask - what is intact care?  Is this about not circumcising (and ped disagreed with that)?  Just curious. 

I'm not the previous poster, but intact care usually refers to how to care for an intact penis, not whether or not to circumcise.  Some doctors think you should retract the foreskin to clean, which isn't the common wisdom, which is to not forcibly retract.

[ktgrok]

I'm not the previous poster, but intact care usually refers to how to care for an intact penis, not whether or not to circumcise.  Some doctors think you should retract the foreskin to clean, which isn't the common wisdom, which is to not forcibly retract.

 

This. You should NOT retract a baby's foreskin. But some doctors are not familiar with that and will do it anyway during an exam, which can cause damage. 

[ikslo]

I super duper love DS' pediatrician. Have kept him since birth through 3 moves.

 

I don't even know my current doctor's name...

[Evergreen State Sue]

When my 2 kids were really little, we used a family practice doctor.  They are 18 mos. apart, so many times their well visits came up at the same time.  I had a hard time scheduling both my kids to see the family doctor at the same time.  It wasn't until I switched to a pediatrician that they were able to accommodate two tots at the same visit.  That was the only reason I switched.  The family doctor and the ped. doctor were in the same practice so I didn't have to go to a different building.  They both seemed up on all that needed to be done.  There was more excitement and smiles by the nursing staff of the family doc because they didn't often see babies.

[LucyStoner]

Not in my book. Family doctors are a superior choice in my view because they know not only that kid, but everyone in the family. They know the health history. My kids are third generation.

 

There is always a lot of room in the waiting room, so you can get far away from everyone if someone is hacking or if you are the one who needs to stay away from them. If you are well, but simply need to be seen for some growth or something, then you can sit in another area entirely.

 

Only one time in the last 20 years could I not get in for a same day appointment if I called right when they opened, and there were a lot of people who had flu that year so they sent us to a med check (we did not have the flu).

This is true in many cases but only for those who find a family practice doctor who stays in one place and doesn't move on. I was seen at the "Family Medical" department in a local hospital system from 11 until I gave birth the first time. I easily saw 3 different attendings in 12 years and never saw an assigned provider for more than 2 years at a stretch. There were a mix of MDs and PAs and ARNPs there.

 

After almost a decade with our ped, he knows the family medical history well (he also sees 3 of my nieces and 1 nephew) and is most familiar with my sons. Continuity of care can be found in many different practice areas and can also be lacking in those same practice areas.

 

Also, in our very mobile society where families often move away from where they were from and may need to move for a job 1 or more times, the long relationship aspect of seeing a family practice HCP is going to be missing.

Edited June 30, 2016 by LucyStoner

[ktgrok]

When my 2 kids were really little, we used a family practice doctor.  They are 18 mos. apart, so many times their well visits came up at the same time.  I had a hard time scheduling both my kids to see the family doctor at the same time.  It wasn't until I switched to a pediatrician that they were able to accommodate two tots at the same visit.  That was the only reason I switched.  The family doctor and the ped. doctor were in the same practice so I didn't have to go to a different building.  They both seemed up on all that needed to be done.  There was more excitement and smiles by the nursing staff of the family doc because they didn't often see babies.

 

My ped will only do two kids at once, which is annoying, especially as it seems we will have a 4th next year. The family practice doctor doesn't have that issue I don't think. 

[JulieA97]

We have a FP that we adore and have followed him through several practices.  He is wonderful. I recommend him to everyone and he is widely adored by all. However, his office is not open every weekend and at night like the peds office. They also do not have a nurse line I can call in the middle of the night with first time mom freak outs.  My son is much healthier now at 5 than he was at 1 but we were in the Peds office every. single. weekend for months when he was almost a year old.  Recurrent ear infections and strep throat.  Every. Weekend. 

 

If we had not been with the ped practice we would have spent a lot of time in the ER or Urgent Care that has an extremely long wait time.  He never got sick Mon-Fri, it was always the weekend when he would spike a fever of 103-104.

 

As much as I adore my GP/FP (who is a homeschool dad!), we won't move ds there until he is older and less likely to get sick so often.  We love our ped office too so that helps. 

[G5052]

I asked the same of our pediatrician, and his answer was that ped docs specialize in a particular age group's issues.  We adore him, and my oldest (19) is sadly looking for an internist although they're fine with him continuing there until he's 21. The reality is that almost all of the good internists and all of the family doctors here have waiting lists.

 

I'd go with your gut and who you feel is best.

[Barb_]

I prefer family practice because they seem less inclined to try to tell me how to parent. Maybe they are used to hand holding but I've usually gotten unsolicited advice, comments and veiled judgement over the years from various pediatricians or nurses (we've moved a lot). That hasnt happened in the family practices we've been to. They just seem more laid back and Not as ready to overreact

Edited June 30, 2016 by Barb_

[lovinmyboys]

My ped will only do two kids at once, which is annoying, especially as it seems we will have a 4th next year. The family practice doctor doesn't have that issue I don't think.

I would be shocked if your family dr would be able to schedule four well check ups at once. I also would find out about same day visits for illness. My Dh and I go to the same family practice and I really like our dr, but we pretty much can never get same day care there. They refer you to urgent care if they can't get us in. I personally avoid urgent care as much as possible-especially for my kids. (Our pediatrician is open until 7 and you can call after hours and they will advise. They do not ever send kids to urgent care).

 

Every area is different. I'm sure you will make sure your family gets good care wherever you go.

[ktgrok]

Wow, jealous of the people who have pediatricians with extended hours! Ours is NOT open weekend/nights. But I do have a pediatric urge care just down the street, staffed by pediatricians, that is open evenings and weekends. 

[happypamama]

I don't think a lot of doctors will do four children at once, because if you cancel last minute, that's a lot of open spots.  I schedule 2, 2, and 1 for the doctor, with 3 and 2 for the dentist, and 2, 2, and 2 (myself and one child) at the eye doctor.

[Seasider]

I don't think a lot of doctors will do four children at once, because if you cancel last minute, that's a lot of open spots. I schedule 2, 2, and 1 for the doctor, with 3 and 2 for the dentist, and 2, 2, and 2 (myself and one child) at the eye doctor.

Our dentist will only schedule 2 family members on the same day because they've been stung when larger groups all cancel.

[TravelingChris]

I used pediatricians or adolescent doctors for my children.  (The last two doctors my girls saw were adolescent early adulthood specialists).  Well, the one here decided to close her practice and at the same time, dh and I decided to use a concierge family doctor for our primary care.  He treats children of his adult patients for no additional concierge fee and accepts our insurance.  He also always has same day appointments (at least so far) and promises second day at the very worst.  He also will come in on the weekend if necessary so no urgent care needed.  Plus he visits his patients at the hospitals so you have that continuity of care that used to be common but has become increasingly scarce.  SO now he treats my daughter when she is home from college and my dh and myself.  Dd has seen him more than my husband has between physicals and sick calls.  

[DesertBlossom]

Ok, I have to ask - what is intact care? Is this about not circumcising (and ped disagreed with that)? Just curious.

Yes, my sons are intact/not circumcised. At a well-child visit the pediatrician tried to retract my 4 year old. I asked her not to and she got really huffy with me and told me that he would have to be circumcised if he couldn't retract his foreskin. And that's just totally wrong because at age 4 it is fused to the penis. In fact, prematurely retracting a boy's foreskin actually will cause problems. It's old, outdated and dangerous advice. If you're curious google "care of an intact pen!s" or something similar and you will find more information.

 

I am so not a confrontational person, especially in that setting. I stammered something about her not doing it but she was got snappy. I never went back to her. Even if I had been wrong (which I wasn't) I didn't like her attitude.

[Lizzie in Ma]

We have had a family practice physician since I was pregnant with our eldest, so 21 years.  We'd be lost without her, she has seen us through so much.

She is  board certified in both internal medicine and pediatrics.

Edited June 30, 2016 by Lizzie in Ma

[Bluegoat]

family practice is the normal model here in Canada, people don't generally go to a ped unless they are refered. The same GP that saw my mom, and my grandparents, delivered me and gave me my first pap smear.   In scenarios like that, GPs can actually be more on the ball about regular things than specialists, who are more likely to assume something weird or unusual is going on.  (Though - you will often see GPs who have a lot of younger families, or older folk, often it depends on the GPs age.  So some may be a better fit than others.)

 

I think it's a very good model of care, it means they know your whole family, and when someone does need to see a specialist, it means there is someone knowledgeable is kind of holding all the strings - they see what all the specialists are doing, they maybe can relate it to the larger family situation, they can be in your corner if there are problems with a specialist or they are doing contradictory things.  These can be difficult things for people to manage on their own.

 

So I would always have a GP for my kids, even if they also saw some other kind of doctor.

 

I think the idea that GPs won't be as expert is also untrue - they don't have the same expertise, which is a different thing.  But that can lead to good outcomes that people don't expect.  For example, a number of years ago the maternity hospital here did a study on outcomes for OB/GYNs bs GPs for regular low-risk births.  These were the ones who happened to be on staff at the hospital at the time, and were seeing just whomever came in without a doctor.  The outcomes for GPs were actually better - fewer problems occurred. Many people would find that counter-intuitive, but there it is.

 

I haven't been that impressed with the office visits I've had with peds - the ones I've seen about specific things in hospital were just fine, but in an office, I found them bossy and inclined to talk outside of their area of expertise. 

 

Of course, some people are just jerks or bad doctors, so realistically you need to make the decision that applies to the choices you really have.

[magnificent_baby]

My ped will only do two kids at once, which is annoying, especially as it seems we will have a 4th next year. The family practice doctor doesn't have that issue I don't think. 

 

I would not take more than 2 in at a time for wellness visits. I took my 3 in all at once (they are all close in age) and they need immunized for various things. I was so nervous they were going to get things mixed up, I could see it was a bit chaotic for them to keep it all straight. I decided then I would never take them all together. It was difficult for our pede to keep everything straight as well when it came time to order things, and he has an excellent memory. 

[magnificent_baby]

Oh, just remembered. My son has two weird ...things....on his back. Best guess I can come up with is mollascum. Would a GP recognize that, or it is just a kid thing?

 

Yes a GP should recognize that, it is very common. 

[kirstenhill]

I prefer family practice because they seem less inclined to try to tell me how to parent. Maybe they are used to hand holding but I've usually gotten unsolicited advice, comments and veiled judgement over the years from various pediatricians or nurses (we've moved a lot). That hasnt happened in the family practices we've been to. They just seem more laid back and Not as ready to overreact

This is my experience as well. Family practice doctors seem a lot more laid back in my experience. I'm sure some of this is just limited sample size. Our first ped was a royal jerk on many levels, and then after a move the first ped clinic that we took our kids to seemed to serve a demographic that maybe needed more "hand holding"? Not sure. We certainly got way more unsolicited parenting advice there than our current clinic. Family practice docs we've met at our current clinic are all great for the most part.

 

However, the family practice doc we've mostly seen for the past several years I decided was too laid back or maybe not well educated on mental health issues. When I brought up some behavior/emotional concerns with my daughter a couple years ago and asked about the value of seeing a counselor/therapist, she totally wrote it off and told us not to waste our time because my DD seemed really normal for her age. My daughter took that to heart and even as some issues worsened, she refused to even consider a therapist because "the doctor said this is normal". Finally she agreed to go this summer and it has been so helpful for both of us (we're going together to a family therapist to work on conflict resolution). I still can't believe the doc thought it would be a waste of time! This same doc seemed really clueless when I asked for suggestions about recommended places to get ADHD testing done for DS7 I got better advice from Google and Facebook. After testing when we wanted to pursue meds for ADHD for DS7, I switched to a different doc whom the staff said was more knowledgable about ADHD and mental health in general.