Pediatrician Interview Questions

All new parents tend to be very cautious about the health of their first child. This is because they are never sure about when to be concerned about their child having a fever or throwing up. For this, they need to have a pediatrician they can trust and be comfortable with. So finalizing on a pediatrician is an important first step towards ensuring that your child's health is in safe hands. For this, asking the right questions can make all the difference. You need to be aware of everything related to your child's health to ensure that you make an informed decision regarding his vaccinations and other such health related issues. So, given below are a few interview questions for pediatricians.

Questions to Ask a Pediatrician in an Interview

• How long have you been practicing?
• Are you a member of any professional organization or are you a board certified pediatrician?
• Do you practice at other multiple offices where I can visit, or is this the only office?
• Are you attached or affiliated to any nearby hospital?
• What are your timings when you will be available at your clinic? If not at your clinic, can I find you at the hospital where you work?
• Are there any early morning or late evening hours when you will be available for working parents?
• Are there any weekend hours when you may be available?
• Does the office mail out reminders for scheduled immunizations and regular checkups?
• How long in advance must I book an appointment?
• Do you have any same day sick appointments? How quickly do they fill up and how soon do I need to call up and inform you before I can show up?
• Do you charge extra for phone calls?
• Is there any specific time during the day that you will take phone calls, and how does your clinic staff handle your phone-in questions?
• How does your clinic deal with after-hours calls? How much or how little of work do you delegate to your nursing staff?
• Is there any 24-hour answering service that can connect us to a doctor for a quick opinion?
• Usually how long will it take before a phone call is returned?
• Who covers for you when you are on vacation or are out of town?
• What are your thoughts on vaccines? Do you recommend that babies get all the vaccinations or only a selected few? If I decide to not vaccinate my child or delay a certain vaccination, will there be an issue?
• What are you views on breastfeeding? For how long must it be done?
• What are your views on circumcision? Do you recommend it? If yes, when should it be done? Will you be doing it?
• What are your views about the use of antibiotics for common infections, like ear infections?
• Are there any drugs or medications that I need to keep at home in case of emergencies?
• Is there any specific diet or baby food that you recommend for children below the age of one year?
• If my child develops a fever, then how high must it be before I am concerned?
• How do I take my child's temperature? What is the normal baby body temperature? What is the best and safest way of taking a baby's temperature?
• What symptoms of my child (continuously throwing up, rising fever) warrant an immediate phone call or visit? When should I be concerned? Are there any immediate steps that I can take at home?
• Is there anything I need to keep in mind regarding the general health of my child?
• Are the services rendered by you covered in insurance plans? If not, then what is the payment policy?
• What financial arrangements can be made for visits that are not reimbursed by insurance companies?
• Will the clinic staff help in processing insurance claim forms?

These were a few pediatrician interview questions. The fact of the matter is that you need to be comfortable with your pediatrician. For this, getting all your doubts cleared beforehand is the best way to going about finalizing on your pediatrician. So, hope these interview questions helped in doing just that! After all, your pediatrician is the person you will be entrusting your child's health to!