How long do you go to a pediatrician?

MommyToAshley wrote: I noticed the last time that I took Ashley to the doctor that she was one of the older patients there. I never really gave it much thought, but at what age do you stop going to a pediatrician and start seeing a family doctor. I wonder if it would be a good idea to switch now so that she could get comfortable with a family doctor before she hits puberty.

coasterqueen replied: Hmm, not sure as we have always gone to a family doctor. Maybe give the pedi's office a call and see what they say.? Good question, though, as I'm sure others are or will be in the same position. It seems like one of my friends when she was little and going to a pedi that she was still going at 10-12 years of age.

my2monkeyboys replied: I will probably continue until the boys get to be 9-10, and still may go then if they have an illness the fam dr. isn't able to deal with. (Like right now Will is dealing with Gianotti Crosti - this horrid viral rash. Our fam dr didn't know what it was (actually 2 of them didn't) so I took him to the ped and she knew within 5 minutes.

luvmykids replied: As a kid I had the same pedi until I was out of high school. My kids go to a general practicioner now but it wasn't a very conscious decision...most of the pedi's here weren't taking new patients when they needed to be seen last.

Kentuckychick replied: The last time I went to my pediatricians office I was 18 years old... granted I called to see if they could get me a TB test for one of my classes and they said, "SURE! come on in!" and I said, "OKAY!"... but they didn't have any problem accepting an older patient.

I definitely went to them for my last shot which was the meningitis shot before college though so I had to have been 16 or 17.

danahas4monkeys replied: I still take my older kids, they are 13 and 14. I have been considering switching Kimberly to my doctor, who is a female simply because she is a woman doctor and Kimberly may feel more comfortable talking about girl issues to her than she would the ped who is a man. Otherwise I really hadn't given any thoughts to switching the kids kids at all. I have also just considered leaving things as is and just taking Kimberly to my gyno when there are issues of that sort.

cameragirl21 replied: I went to my pediatrician till I was 18...due to my asthma, which was not well controlled then like it is now, I had to go very often.
I absolutely loved her and would have readily stuck with her far beyond that.
I love my current doctor but if not for her, I'd still be longing for that pedi I had growing up.

mom21kid2dogs replied: If I get a family doc I like, I might switch O to them as well. The last time she saw our ped was when she was 6 for shots (she's almost 9 now). FWIW, if my child had any kind of chronic condition, I would have NO problem keeping them with a ped until 18.

moped replied: Another interseting thing.......we don't see peds for anything unless there is a specific problem. My kids have never been to one. We hav always seen family doctors

bluebear replied: My parents changed when I was about 2 or 3 because of changed insurance, but I can keep going to mine until I'm 22. My 24 year old brother has to go to a different one.

ChristineA replied:
its crazy how things are so different from place to place even in the same province. In calgary you dont get a ped. unless its a specific problem, Edmonton you get one assigned at birth. Although I dont take my kids to theres because I dont like her, I just take them to a regular doctor and if he notices something that he wants a closer look at he sends us to the ped.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: My family doctor has always been the one to see the kids, other than when I had to take them to a clinic.

A&A'smommy replied: at our ped if we go in the afternoon we see kids as old as 16 years old