What age to switch from pediatrician to family doctor?

[Terabith]

My kids are 13 and turning 12, and I have loved our pediatrician. But he's male, and my girls have been increasingly uncomfortable with both the male doctor and the toddler centric office. I see a female family doctor who is okay but not awesome like their pediatrician is. Trying to decide if it's time to switch.

[lovinmyboys]

I have mixed feelings. When I was their age, I begged my mom to stop taking me to the pediatrician. He was a male and I felt like it was for babies.

 

However, as a parent, I like that my kids see a pediatrician. Our ped office does try to make sure teens feel welcome and they see kids until they are 21. I think if I would have known that pediatricians aren't just for babies, I wouldn't have had as much of a problem with it as a kid. My kids have had the same dr almost all their lives. I like that he knows them and our family well.

 

Also, I know this isn't true everywhere, but here my kids can get into the pediatrician really easily. It is really hard to get into a family doctor. I feel like for anything that can't be scheduled weeks out, they send you to urgent care. That alone will have me staying with the pediatrician as long as possible.

 

But, in the whole scheme of things, it is probably one of those decisions that seems big but really isn't. If your kids want to switch, I would probably let them.

[displace]

Maybe see a med-peds doctor? They are duel certified in internal medicine and pediatrics. They can see babies to elderly people and tend to do very well with pediatric issues and puberty. Find a woman.

[Bambam]

I switched my oldest at age 18. I don't expect her to see the doctor much at all, but she was okay with it, and although we have a lovely pediatrician, we like the internist more. 

 

It may be different with my youngest.

Both doctors are females. 

 

And, although this isn't important, internist was thrilled as she said this probably lowered the average age of her patients. lol. It is hard to find a primary care doctor here that is currently accepts new patients. 

Edited April 10, 2017 by Bambam

[kroe1]

Since family physicians are trained to see pediatrics, it really does not matter. The most benefit from a family physician is when he treats the entire family. He is more likely to understand family dynamics which influences healthcare, and is more likely to prophylax the entire family when one gets a particular illness.

[DesertBlossom]

I switched the whole family over to a family doctor years ago. Family doctors can do well-baby and well-child visits too. 

[Reefgazer]

This is exactly what one of my kids' docs said to me several years ago.

Since family physicians are trained to see pediatrics, it really does not matter. The most benefit from a family physician is when he treats the entire family. He is more likely to understand family dynamics which influences healthcare, and is more likely to prophylax the entire family when one gets a particular illness.

 

[Alice]

As a pediatrician, my answer to this is to switch when the kid/teen feels ready. Some teens are really uncomfortable in a pediatric office. Some prefer to just see the doctor they know even if it means hanging out with toddlers in the waiting room. Some boys prefer to see only our male doctor.....some prefer to see the female doctor that they have known longer.

 

I think it's important for the patient to feel good and comfortable with their doctor in order to have a good relationship. That is especially important for primary care and in the teen years. It sounds like it might be time to switch for you all. 

[Terabith]

I asked them, and they both said they didn't care, that they only go every once in awhile and usually just for a strep test or something. Both pediatrician and family doctor are easy to get into for sick visits. Family doctor is probably easier to get into for routine checkups and has a blood lab on site, which is convenient. Both have gone through puberty. I'm somewhat inclined to keep my almost 12 year old with the pediatrician if she doesn't object. She has a lot of anxiety and is at least ASDish, and pediatrician has always been willing to put in referrals for her. I am concerned about her weight, though. She's gone from bottom of weight chart at 8 to top of it. And I don't think she's likely to gain any more height at two years post menarche. That's an awkward conversation at all, and especially with a male provider, though.

[Guest]

Maybe see a med-peds doctor? They are duel certified in internal medicine and pediatrics. They can see babies to elderly people and tend to do very well with pediatric issues and puberty. Find a woman.

 

That's what I did for my oldest. There was no way I'd get her to set foot in a play land painted doctor's office at her age. Hopefully if she stays in the area, the new doctor can be someone she forges a long term relationship with. 

[Ravin]

We never had a pediatrician when I was growing up. I took DD to one when she was little, but he passed away when she was 5 or 6, so we switched the kids to the same family practice I was going to.

 

Now, the kids still go to a family practice doc but I go to an internal medicine specialist as my primary care doc because of my particular issues.

 

Ironically, DD prefers the male PA at the practice over her actual doctor. We may change doctors in the near future as well.

[christusg01]

My oldest is about to turn 13. I honestly don't think it's ever crossed her mind to ask to go anywhere else. We've been with this doctor since DD was born. Thankfully, the pediatrician is a female so we don't have that issue. I'll take DD there for as long as they'll have her....I'm not sure if that's 18 or what. But I do understand the desire for a girl to have a female doctor. Are there any female pediatricians in your area?

[KarenNC]

We just switched our 16 yo daughter to the same internist my husband and I have been seeing for about 10 years. She'd have been happy to switch earlier and had asked repeatedly to do so, but that's the youngest our doctor would take her, and evidently usually wants patients to be 18. Both pediatrician and internist are female, both fine. I am comfortable with her going into the appointment on her own at this point as a transition to when she goes to college (she's a junior), which may be different if you are seeing a family doctor.

[linders]

Just asked out ped this. He said he sees a lot of the college kids when they come home on break. If it matters, our ped is male, my kids are male, they connect.

[Garga]

If they don't have long term health issues, then I think you can switch anytime you like.

 

If they have health issues, then I'd stick with the ped, who is presumably better trained on how medical issues work on young people because some issues act differently in young people compared to older people.

 

The only reason we switched is because the pediatrician is 23 minutes away and the family doctor is 3 minutes away.  And my son is on meds where I have to physically go to the doctor's office to pick up the prescription paper every month.  That 46 minute round trip each month was a pain.  

 

 

Edited April 11, 2017 by Garga

[Janie Grace]

Since your girls have been "increasingly uncomfortable with the male doctor," I'd switch them ASAP. There is no need to prolong that kind of awkwardness. 

 

Our whole family sees family practice doctors (three, same practice). My boys prefer the male doctors, my daughter the female. I haven't seen ANY difference in their skill level or ability to relate to the kids (compared to the ped we used to see); if anything, they are better. 

[Joker]

My dc didn't have a pediatrician until they were teens. We just never found any we liked and preferred family doctors. Their ped now is awesome, though, so we are sticking with him for as long as we can. I have a dd and ds and both seem to be like me and prefer male doctors. I've only had one female doctor I liked ever and that was my first OB-GYN. They've all been male since. 

 

I think they can stay with our pediatrician until around 21 or so. 

[Lady Florida.]

Ds switched at 18 though he could have stayed with the ped practice until he was 21. 

[Guest]

Ummm...20 minutes after birth. Never had a ped.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Due to circumstances outside our control, we switched from military pediatrician to civilian family practice when youngest was 5.  It has never been an issue.  

[Tammi K]

My kids never saw a ped.    We've always used a family doctor.  They all managed to survive. 

 

[heartlikealion]

Agree, uncomfortable already then switch. I remember one time I had to go to the dr to ensure my blood pressure was okay for sports after my physical with my team didn't go over well (I think it was due to white coat syndrome). Anyway, my mom got me an appointment with the only doctor I'd seen and I was a teenager. I felt so awkward.

 

That's what I did for my oldest. There was no way I'd get her to set foot in a play land painted doctor's office at her age. Hopefully if she stays in the area, the new doctor can be someone she forges a long term relationship with. 

 

Part of my family goes to a place for adults and kids and there is still a children's waiting room lol. Most if not all the doctors there see adults in addition to children. I have not committed to a doctor of my own as I kind of wanted a separate female doctor for myself.

[slackermom]

My dc12 is switching to their hospital's adolescent clinic at age 13, which is the minimum age to be a regular patient there. They were seen there already for a specialist evaluation at age 11, and preferred the vibe over there. They are looking forward to a much quieter setting, plus the staff relates to the older crowd at a bit more their "level," if that makes sense.

[happypamama]

We all see a family doctor; several of my children have never seen anyone but her, even since birth. DH sees a male doc in the same group practice, so if the boys decide they'd rather see a male, I can switch them easily. I love our doc, and I love that she knows our whole family story and everything. Her availability is a little tight because she only works a few days a week, so if we need to be seen quickly, we can see the PA in their office.

[Jann in TX]

Oldest dd stayed with  (female) Ped until she was 21-- she rarely went to Dr and it was the only practice she remembers... she did feel silly with all of the toddler focused decorations...

 

Middle dd stayed with Ped until she was 11 and due to lots of health issues she switched to specialists and a GP.

 

Youngest has been with the same Family Doc (male) that DH and I go to since she was 5-- but most of her care has been through the clinics at our grocery store --AWESOME NP (male) and PA (female) there and they take appointments and walk-ins even on Saturday and Sunday...