2torial #0529:
Learn2 Choose a Pediatrician (continued)

Get recommendations

Once you know generally what you're looking for, talk with family members, friends, and neighbors whose parenting styles seem similar to your own about their pediatricians: Do they like their doctors? Why or why not? Are they comfortable with the medical advice they've been given and the care their children have received?

Note: Don't forget to talk to the kids. Ask if they like their doctors and why or why not. Their opinions can differ greatly from their parents'.

Ask your obstetrician and your general practitioner whom they recommend. And don't forget their office staffs, who can sometimes offer not only personal insight but the opinions of other patients as well. Likewise, nurses on hospital maternity and children's wards interact with many pediatricians and may offer some helpful advice.

If a move is prompting your search, ask your existing pediatrician for a few names in the area where you're relocating. Or try calling the medical school nearest the town where you're moving and asking the chief resident in pediatrics for a referral.

Once you have a few names, call your regional medical review board (find the number in the government section of a phone book) to check for any disciplinary actions that may have been filed against your candidates. Sometimes these organizations can also provide information about a physician's education or special training.