Parents, when should...???

Question

When should a child or teen stop going to the pediatrician and start going to a regular doctor?

Answer 1

It depends mostly on your pediatrician as well as the comfort level of your child.  I know some children who went to their pediatrician until they were 18 and even had their last "going away to college" physical.  Some doctors have a specific age when they recommend their patients begin seeing a family practice or general practice practitioner.  Our pediatrician would take children up until they turned 18, but we moved to a town about 30 minutes away from our doctor.  At first we'd make the drive for check-ups, but when illness was an issue, I would take them to the Family Practice clinic I went to.  By the time they reached their teens or shortly after, I transferred their charts to the Family Practice.  Some kids reach an age when they just don't want to go to the "baby" doctor any more and others want to stay with the doctor they know until they have to leave.  Our youngest was a surprise conception and all of her care from birth was done by our Family Practice physicians.  She never went to a pediatrician mostly because I liked our doctor and the one pediatrician in our area taking new patients, I  didn't care for so much.

Answer 2

I'd say around 13 - 14.  

Answer 3

I had a family doctor when I was 12 and there was a congenital problem with my heart that came on in puberty. That doctor didn't think anything was wrong, but my mom got a second opinion...A pediatrician knew better. So I guess I'd say keep a pediatrician through puberty at least.  

Answer 4

I would just ask the pediatrician how long s/he sees patients. And your family doctor--we started taking our children to our family practitioner when they were very young (2 and 6) because he is such a great doctor, but I doubt that they all will take patients that young.

Answer 5

For as long as they are children, they should go to a pediatrician and/or a family doctor.  Most teens prefer to go to family doctors because they think its silly to go to a pediatrician.  However, I LOVED my pediatrician and he said I could continue to see him until I was 21.  I went to him twice during my freshman year of college actually.  The only thing he had to refer me to was a gynecologist once I started needing yearly exams.  I moved though and ended up getting a family practitioner.  They do everything from deliver babies to diagnosing arthritis in the elderly.  I think its based on the doctor.  Some will treat only to a certain age.

Answer 6

where I work kids stop seeing a pediatric doctor at 12.