Why choose a pediatrician?
A pediatrician is a physician that focuses on the physical, emotional, developmental and social issues that affect infants, children and young adults from birth to 21 years of age.

Their education after medical school involves at least three or more years of hands on training followed by a comprehensive examination of their knowledge and skill given by the American Board of Pediatrics.

It is important to find the right pediatrician for your child. Here are some helpful hints to guide you:
• Ask other doctors that you know along with family, friends and/or workers who they would recommend.
• Contact a nearby hospital, medical school or local medical society for a list of pediatricians.
• Contact your health insurance carrier for a list of pediatricians in its network.
• Check out the American Academy of Pediatrics Physician Referral at www.aap.org/referral

Visit the pediatric office you are considering.
Ask about:
• Office hours
• Emergency coverage
• Who screens phone calls
• Is there an after-hours answering service? Is this service tied into a university or children’s hospital?
• How are billing, insurance claims and payment for services handled?

Physician information:
• What is his/her background?
• Does he/she have a subspecialty or pediatric area of interest?
• Is he/she board certified.
• What hospital is he/she affiliated?
• Who is/are the pediatrician/s that will care for your child if the doctor is not available?
• You can perform a quick background check on any pediatrician by contacting the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) to see if there have been any serious disciplinary actions or professional peer reviews against a pediatrician. There is a small fee for this service. The FSMB website (www.fsmb.org) also has links to your state board.