How to Find the Right Pediatrician for Your Child

In fact, the process of finding a suitable pediatrician in Gaithersburg, MD for your sweet one can begin after six months of your pregnancy, and you can get steady references from your obstetrician or gynecologist. Further, reliable source includes your family relations, friends, colleagues, or neighbors with kids since they tend to be in regular touch with pediatricians for treatment of their children. Moreover, you can get referrals of registered pediatricians certified by American Academy of Pediatrics thru internet information pages. Certification from AAP affairs that the doctor is graduated from a board certified medical school has completed his required residency in pediatrics.

It is very much recommended not to change your child’s pediatrician unless it is necessary or recommended by him. Starting from the well-baby checkups, necessary diagnosis, treatment, advisory and immunization course should be preferably completed under that particular doctor’s supervision and management. This helps the pediatrician in Gaithersburg, MD to keep better track your baby’s developmental phase; in understanding the baby’s genetic nature, behavioral changes, which are vital for your child to gain a quality life.

Rather than simply collecting names of pediatricians, it is suggested that you gather certain information from people who recommend you about the doctor. The set of questions to reach the most suitable pediatrician in Gaithersburg MD can be something like as under:

Set of Queries to Find the Right Pediatrician

  • How compassionate and friendly the doctor is with children and their parents
  • How does the child react to the doctor
  • If the doctor is expert in prognosis, diagnosis and child management
  • Does the practitioner give the impression to enjoy managing the children of different age
  • If he has enough familiarity with the latest medical concepts and advancements
  • If he has attention to details and adequately serious about his young patients
  • How does he respond to various questions and confusions of parents
  • If the clinic’s staff and nurses are helpful and patient
  • What is the typical waiting time
  • If the waiting room is child-friendly, pleasant and healthy
  • If the clinic is equipped with separate well baby and sick baby units
  • How do the office assistants or staff handle telephone inquiries
  • If the doctor responds to email questions or confusions of patents
  • How much time it takes to get an emergency appointment? And, what about non-emergency appointments?
  • Does the doctor attend sick children at their residences on call basis?

The answers that you get by querying the above can certainly help you get an impression of the physician and narrow down your list of choice.

Please note interviewing a doctor can be embarrassing while you can obviously get information on the following through internet pages or thru making a query to the office staff.

  • Check if the doctor is American Board Certified Physician or an APP member;
  • The hospitals or clinics, he is affiliated with, and how reputed they are;
  • How long he has been in practices;
  • Has he ever held responsible for medical malpractices
  • Go through the review reports, if any

The Things That You Can Assess in The Very First Visit

In the very first visit, pediatrician in Gaithersburg, MD undergoes a comprehensive check-up process to determine if the baby has any physical complication by birth or injury during labor; like, neckline facture can happen in course of delivery. Assess his level of seriousness, professionalism, and diligence at the very first meet.

  • If the doctor listen to your concern with care and give a scope to ask questions
  • If the doctor discuss about your child’s health status
  • Advices on the techniques to be followed for feeding, giving the baby daily bathe, home care measures, dietary, or breastfeeding etc,

Notably, as per American Board recommendation, a baby needs only mother’s milk for the first six months. How far the doctor is serious on this issue. Collection of all these information makes it possible to locate the most suitable pediatrician in Gaithersburg, MD for your little one.